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''Brothers'' is a 2009 American psychological war thriller film directed by
Jim Sheridan Jim Sheridan (born 6 February 1949) is an Irish people, Irish playwright and filmmaker. Between 1989 and 1993, Sheridan directed three critically acclaimed films set in Ireland, ''My Left Foot'' (1989), ''The Field (1990 film), The Field'' (19 ...
and written by
David Benioff David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known for co-creating ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–201 ...
. The film is a remake of the 2004 Danish film of the same name by
Susanne Bier Susanne Bier (; born 15 April 1960) is a Danish filmmaker. Bier is the first female director to collectively receive an Academy Award (Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, Foreign Film), a Golden Globe Award, a European Film Award ...
, and both films take inspiration from the epic poem ''
Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
'' by
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
. Starring
Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born 27 June 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for starring as Peter Parker (2002 film series character), Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi's trilogy, ''Spider-Man'' tr ...
,
Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal ( , ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor who has worked on screen and stage for over thirty years. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi ...
, and
Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...
, it follows Captain Sam Cahill (Maguire), a
USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
officer who is captured by the
Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
after he is presumably killed in the
War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...
. Upon being rescued and reunited with his brother Tommy (Gyllenhaal) and wife Grace (Portman), he suffers from severe
PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
as he struggles reintegrating into society. ''Brothers'' was theatrically released in the United States on December 4, 2009, to mixed reviews from critics. Despite this, it grossed $43 million against its $26 million production budget and Maguire received widespread acclaim for his performance. At the
67th Golden Globe Awards The 67th Golden Globe Awards was telecasted live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it i ...
, the film was nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for Maguire and Best Original Song for "Winter", performed by U2.


Plot

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...
officer Sam Cahill is about to be sent to
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
in 2007. He is married to his high school girlfriend Grace, with whom he has two young daughters, Isabelle and Maggie. Sam's younger brother, Tommy, is released from prison on
parole Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prisoner, prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated ...
after being arrested for
armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...
, just a few days before Sam's departure. At a family dinner with Hank and Elsie, the Cahills' parents, Hank insults Tommy for not understanding his brother's duty and for his criminal past. During Sam's tour, his helicopter is shot down, and he and Private Joe Willis are the sole survivors. They are taken
prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...
by the
Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
, but are declared
killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
by the
US government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...
. Upon hearing the news of his brother's presumed death, Tommy berates Grace for letting Sam go to Afghanistan. At Sam's
memorial service A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...
, Hank attempts to drive Elsie and the girls home while drunk, but Tommy intercepts him. Hank once again berates Tommy, and Tommy accuses Hank of influencing Sam to join the Marines because of his own
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
service. Tommy helps in completing a kitchen remodel for Grace. He attempts to mend his relationship with Hank, and he bonds with Grace, aided by his growing paternal connection with Isabelle and Maggie. Tommy also apologizes to the bank teller who he held at gunpoint during the robbery. Grace and Tommy unwittingly kiss, but do not take their attraction any further. However, Tommy continues to remain close with the family and his nieces grow attached to him. Meanwhile, Sam and Joe are tortured by their captors and Sam is eventually forced to brutally beat Joe to death with a metal pipe. Several months later, Sam is rescued and returns home, where he struggles to readjust, showing signs of severe
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
; his daughters grow fearful and resentful toward him. Sam also lies to Joe's widow about her husband's death. His
paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of co ...
also causes him to believe Grace and Tommy fell in love while he went away. When Grace questions Sam about what happened in Afghanistan, Sam does not answer and demands to know what happened between her and Tommy. Grace tells Sam that she and Tommy shared only one kiss while he was gone, but Sam has trouble believing that is all that happened. During Maggie's birthday party, Tommy shows up with a woman, Tina. While Isabelle plays with a few of Maggie's new toys, Isabelle complains that she never got what she wanted for her birthday, and that Sam was also absent on her birthday. She is also irritated by the reprimand of her parents and the attention shown to Tina, then begins to play with a balloon loudly, causing Sam to become irritated and annoyed and pop the balloon out of rage in front of the family. A hurt Isabelle falsely claims that Tommy and Grace are having an affair and angrily tells Sam that she wishes he had actually died. Returning home, Grace puts the daughters to bed. Isabelle apologizes to Grace, saying that she prefers having her Uncle Tommy around. Grace assures both of the girls that Sam will get better soon. Grace then calls Elsie, concerned for their safety. Tommy prepares to go over to their house as Elsie urges Hank to call the police. Sam, believing his daughter's story and upset about killing Joe in order to get back home, loses his temper and wrecks the kitchen with a fire poker. He briefly calms down when Tommy shows up who proceeds to embrace Sam, in order to calm his brother's violent breakdown. However, Sam becomes defensive and holds Tommy at gunpoint. DOD Police arrive and confront Sam, leading into a standoff. He fires a pistol into the air and demands that the policemen kill him. Tommy quiets the officers and attempts to talk to Sam, but Sam puts the gun to his own head, before tearfully saying to Tommy that he's "drowning" and he surrenders. Sam is arrested and admitted to a
Veterans' Affairs Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Minist ...
hospital. After his arrest, Grace reads the letter Sam wrote her, to be delivered in the event of his passing. Eventually, Grace visits him, giving him an
ultimatum An ; ; : ultimata or ultimatums) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a coercion, threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the ...
that if he does not tell her the truth, he will lose her forever. Sam finally confesses that he killed Joe and they embrace. Devastated and traumatized, he wonders if he will ever be able to live a normal life again.


Cast

*
Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born 27 June 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for starring as Peter Parker (2002 film series character), Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi's trilogy, ''Spider-Man'' tr ...
as Capt. Samuel "Sam" Cahill *
Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal ( , ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor who has worked on screen and stage for over thirty years. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi ...
as Thomas "Tommy" Cahill, Sam's younger brother *
Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...
as Grace Cahill, Sam's wife *
Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...
as Henry "Hank" Cahill, Sam & Tommy's father *
Mare Winningham Mary Megan Winningham, known professionally as Mare Winningham ( ; born May 16, 1959), is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe ...
as Elsie Cahill, Sam & Tommy's stepmother *
Bailee Madison Bailee Madison (born October 15, 1999) is an American actress and singer. Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Madison began acting at just two weeks of age, appearing mostly in television commercials for the first few years. Her film debut, as Ma ...
as Isabelle Cahill, Sam & Grace's older daughter and Tommy's niece * Taylor Geare as Margaret "Maggie" Cahill, Sam & Grace's younger daughter and Tommy's niece * Patrick Flueger as Pvt. Joseph "Joe" Willis *
Clifton Collins Jr. Clifton Craig Collins Jr. (born June 16, 1970) is an American film and television actor. He is a Primetime Emmy Award, Independent Spirit Award, Satellite Award, and four-time ALMA Award nominee, and a Screen Actors Guild Award winner. Prior t ...
as Maj. Cavazos *
Carey Mulligan Carey Hannah Mulligan (born 28 May 1985) is a British actress. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award. She w ...
as Cassie Willis, Joe's wife *
Omid Abtahi Omid Abtahi (; born July 12, 1979) is an Iranian-born American actor. He is best known for his roles as Salim, in the Starz Original ''American Gods'', Penn Pershing in ''The Mandalorian'', Saleem Ulman in '' NCIS'', and Homes in the fourth insta ...
as Yusuf *
Ethan Suplee Ethan L. Suplee (; born May 25, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the films ''American History X'', '' Blow'', ''Remember the Titans'', ''John Q'', '' The Wolf of Wall Street'', '' Cold Mountain'', '' Without a Paddle ...
as Sweeney * Navid Negahban as Murad * Yousef Azami as Taliban Leader * Jenny Wade as Tina *
César Évora César Évora Díaz (; born November 4, 1959) is a Cuban- Mexican actor. Biography Évora started his career in Cuba appearing in more than ten movies before moving to Mexico in the early 1990s. He became known for playing minor roles in the ...
as Gabriel * Enayat Delawary as Ahmed * Arron Shiver as A. J. * Ray Prewitt as Owen


Reception


Box office

On its opening weekend, the film opened #3 with $9,527,848 behind ''
New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...
'' and '' The Blind Side''. It grossed $43,318,349 worldwide.


Critical response

''Brothers'' received mixed reviews from film critics. On the review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film has an approval rating of 63% based on 156 reviews, with an average score of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "It plays more like a traditional melodrama than the Susanne Bier film that inspired it, but Jim Sheridan's ''Brothers'' benefits from rock-solid performances by its three leads." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 31 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Tobey Maguire received critical acclaim for his dramatic performance;
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
gave the film three and a half stars and wrote that ''Brothers'' is "Tobey Maguire's film to dominate, and I've never seen these dark depths in him before." Claudia Puig of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' observed the resemblance between Maguire and Gyllenhaal, and praised their onscreen chemistry. Regarding Portman's performance, Puig opined that it was "subdued and reactive". Writing for ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
'' magazine, David Edelstein praised the three main actors: "Sheridan's actors work with their intellects fully engaged—and they engage us on levels we barely knew we had." He also complimented the cinematography and Sheridan's ability to pull the reader into the plot. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'''s
Owen Gleiberman Owen Gleiberman (born February 24, 1959) is an American film critic who has been chief film critic for '' Variety'' magazine since May 2016, a title he shares with . Previously, Gleiberman wrote for ''Entertainment Weekly'' from 1990 until 2014. ...
gave the film a rating of C+, writing, "''Brothers'' isn't badly acted, but as directed by the increasingly impersonal Jim Sheridan, it’s lumbering and heavy-handed, a film that piles on overwrought dramatic twists until it begins to creak under the weight of its presumed significance."


Accolades


Home media

''Brothers'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 23, 2010.


Opera adaptation

'' Brothers – The Opera'' is an opera based on the original 2004 Danish version of the film by Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason; it was premiered at the Musikhuset Aarhus on 16 August 2017. It was commissioned by Den Jyske Opera. Kerstin Perski wrote the libretto and the director was Kasper Holten. To celebrate Aarhus as the
European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...
2017, three stage works – a musical, dance, and an opera all based on films by Susanne Bier – were commissioned and performed in Musikhuset.


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brothers, 2009 2009 films 2009 psychological thriller films American remakes of Danish films Films directed by Jim Sheridan Films produced by Michael De Luca Films with screenplays by David Benioff Films scored by Thomas Newman Films shot in New Mexico American psychological thriller films Pashto-language films Films set in 2007 Films set in 2008 Lionsgate films Relativity Media films Films set in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) films Films about adultery in the United States Films about families Films about brothers Films about infidelity Films about bank robbery Films about post-traumatic stress disorder Films about the United States Marine Corps Films about veterans Anti-war films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films Films based on works by Anders Thomas Jensen English-language thriller films