Sibling Revelry: Remembering “The Brothers McMullen”

By Michael Lyons

Films don’t look more low budget or independent than “The Brothers McMullen.”  However, the hand-crafted, made-by-a-group-of-friends feel of the film is a major part of the film’s charm.

The 1995 darling of the Sundance Film Festival put writer-director-actor Edward Burns on the map.  The film explores the exploits of the title characters, three Irish-American brothers who, through a series of events, find themselves forced to move back in together, in the Long Island home where they all grew up.

“The Brothers McMullen” explores not just different facets of sibling and family dynamic, but keenly illuminates Irish-American culture (particularly in New York).

With the film’s 25th anniversary this year, coupled with the fact that St. Patrick’s Day is on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to re-visit (or even visit) this independent movie gem.

“The Brothers McMullen” centers on three siblings suffering different crisis of faith.  One brother, Barry (Burns), a successful writer, finds himself falling for a girl (Maxine Bahns) he just met, after years of life as a playboy.  Barry’s brother Patrick (Mike McGlone) has broken off his engagement and the eldest brother Jack (Jack Mulcahy) enters into an extramarital affair.

Burns tells all of this, borrowing pages from the early days of Martin Scorsese, as well as the best comedic films of Woody Allen  (“I like being a pessimist,” says Barry.  “It helps me deal with my inevitable failure.”).

The film also uses its setting of Long Island, New York, like a character itself.  Not only does the Long Island Rail Road make an appearance, but since Burns used his parents house on Long Island for many of the scenes, locals will no doubt feel a sense of neighborhood in the story.

Then, there’s how immersed “The Brothers McMullen” feels in Irish-American culture that continues to add to the heightened reality of the film.

Though simple in its plot, “The Brothers McMullen” is deep in its themes about family bonds and how life’s “speed bumps,” don’t necessary mean an end of the road.

And you don’t have to be Irish or from Long Island to appreciate these very universal messages.

Sliante and Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

Sources:

IMDb

Wikipedia