The Brothers McMullen

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The Brothers McMullen

R

1995

1h 38m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When you're a good Irish Catholic, you choose one person to be with for the rest of your life. But how can you be sure you've found "the one"? Each of the three brothers McMullen turns up a different answer to that question in this warm-hearted romantic comedy about the reality of true love and familial bonds. "The Brothers McMullen" is not about flash or style; it's about the basic connections people pursue every day as they struggle with family, relationships and personal identity.

Critics Consensus

Like many twenty-somethings, The Brothers McMullen can be a tad self-absorbed, but they're still likely to win you over with their (slightly profane) charm.

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Manohla Dargis

Spin

12/27/2022

While seriously lacking in polish, Burns's debut has an edge on most of its big-ticket competition thanks to its bright dialogue and a couple of sweet performances, including one by the writer-director himself.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

3/4

This is not a "religious" film, and the brothers are far from saints. But they know right and wrong, and in their imperfect ways they are struggling to attain a state of grace. Sometimes they slip. Sometimes they don't struggle so hard. Life's like that.

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Quentin Curtis

Independent on Sunday

Jan 20

Burns is by far its most compelling presence, and the movie can sag when he is off-screen. But it presents glancing insights into repression, the terror of modern relationships, and... the male need for a protective shield.

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

Dec 27

While the movie is a beloved favorite for many, and it deserves a certain margin of error for being a first film and realistically evoking city life, it does not age as well as some of Burns’ other movies in terms of momentum

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Mike Davies

Birmingham Post

03/29/2024

A small but engaging, amusing and often touching story that will strike many a chord, whatever your religion, nationality or sibling relationship.

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

04/25/2022

A self-absorbed picture.

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Phil D.

@phildub Jan 16

Very relatable in an uncomfortable way. A good job showing how much us guys struggle even when we reach our goal in a relationship. I didn’t realize Edward Burns was a film maker in addition to acting. Very impressive.

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Brian F.

@FedUpDVDCollector Dec 20

Perfectly mid. Home-wreckers can come in many forms and attack at any point in relationships, a brother that opposes marriage, or a horned out brunette that throws herself at you. This movie is one I could’ve skipped.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 1

Funny in 1 hour and 38 minutes.

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Dennis H

@DenHen 05/30/2025

Maybe the single most overrated movie of all time.

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Steve D

@RT35616104 02/17/2023

The characters did not engage me at all.

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maggie p

@RT02646346 09/14/2022

I've always liked this movie! Great indie from that era!!!!

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Edward Burns

Director

Jack Mulcahy

Jack McMullen

Michael McGlone

Patrick McMullen

Edward Burns

Barry

Connie Britton

Molly McMullen

Maxine Bahns

Audry

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Synopsis

When you're a good Irish Catholic, you choose one person to be with for the rest of your life. But how can you be sure you've found "the one"? Each of the three brothers McMullen turns up a different answer to that question in this warm-hearted romantic comedy about the reality of true love and familial bonds. "The Brothers McMullen" is not about flash or style; it's about the basic connections people pursue every day as they struggle with family, relationships and personal identity.

Director: Edward Burns
Producer: Edward Burns, Dick Fisher
Screenwriter: Edward Burns
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Videography, Brothers McMullen Productions, Marlboro Road Gang
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 9, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.1M
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)