Brothers McMullen (1995)

"A terrific, crowd-pleasing comedy! It's a treat!  Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"Two thumbs up!  Siskel & Ebert

Editor's Note Three Irish-Catholic brothers living in Long Island--a "serious" Catholic worried about his relationship with a Jewish woman, a steadfast husband having an affair, and a commitment-phobe being pressured by a girlfriend--talk over their romantic entanglements. The 27-year-old writer-director-producer-star, Ed Burns, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for this debut.

	Connie Britton
	Jack Mulcahy
	Mike McGlone
	Edward Burns
	Edward Burns - Director
	Dick Fisher - Director of Photography
	Seamus Egan - Musical Score
	Bill Baldwin Sr., et al. - Producer
	Edward Burns - Writer

Two main issues are complicating the lives of the Irish, Long Island-based, working-class McMullen brothers: Catholicism and women.

Jack is the married oldest brother who's cheating on his perfect wife. Barry is the relationship-wary middle brother who, to his surprise and dismay, is finally falling in love. But Patrick, the most religious brother, ironically is the one who must deal with issues of premarital sex and abortion--a situation that leaves him consumed with guilt. Fortunately for the siblings, however, they're all temporarily living under the same roof, where they can discuss their problems and philosophies--and help each other make it through this troubled time.

Rolling Stone
"...Ardent, affecting and wonderfully funny..." 08/24/1995 p.110

USA Today
"...Passionately filmed..." -- 3 out of 4 stars 08/09/1995 p.5D

Entertainment Weekly
"...Sweet, sometimes funny....[Burns is a] bright, smart, lucky filmmaker..." 08/18/1995 p.34

Chicago Sun-Times
"...Quietly fascinating....The movie brings into focus how rare religion and spirituality are in American films..." 08/18/1995 p.39

Uncut
"Straight-talking, romantic yet unsentimental, it's the kind of comedy we wish Woody Allen still made. 08/01/2004 p.136

Washington Post 8 of 10
...a hilarious look at guys in their natural state: Their thinking bufuddled by testosterone and Bud... this knowing, low-budget comedy will appeal to men, who'll recognize their behavior, but also to women, who'll see it as goosing the gander. - Rita Kempley

San Francisco Chronicle 9 of 10
...this movie is so much fun that nobody will overlook the humanity that lights up first-time writer-director Edward Burns' autobiographical look at his kin... The film is so well-acted that it seems not acted at all. Burns has created an endearing gathering of people... - Peter Stack