Review of 'Brothers Three'-NO SPOILERS

I was lucky enough to snag a "Screener" DVD of "Brothers Three" from e-bay about a week ago. Here's a spoiler-free report on the film. (NOTE: The screener DVD only included the theatrical trailer and no extras so I can't comment on anything but the movie.)

"Brothers Three: An American Gothic" was, originally, a play that was produced in Chicago. The playwright, Paul Kampf, adapted it for the big screen and directed it as well.

Set primarily in the family's ramshackle cabin, you can tell that it had been a play. Aside from flashbacks and a side story involving the youngest brother, the majority of the action takes place in and around the cabin.

The primary characters are Father (John Heard), Rick (Neal McDonough), Peter (Patrick Wilson) and Norman (Scott Michael Campbell). There also is a cameo by Melora Walters as Loren/Mother. The remaining characters appear very briefly.

This is a very dialogue-heavy film. The brothers are reunited to deal with matters concerning their Father and to come to terms with their difficult childhood & adolescence. The experiences of the past have seriously impacted their adult life and everything comes to a head at the cabin.

It's a very serious film with some rough language, physical altercations, etc. These are three grown men who are, in many ways, still very hurt and confused little boys. Their relationship as brothers make this a much more intimate experience than if they had been childhood friends or college classmates.

This is family business on an ugly, gut-wrenching level. The environment in which these boys were raised produced very emotionally crippled men.

I appreciated how the actors really jelled as brothers as wells as John Heard's interactions as the Father. They really threw themselves into this story. It wasn't a group of actors portraying a situation. It felt like peeking in on a terrible family reunion. Paul Kampf's writing created an intensely personal and vivid experience.

Again, it is very "talky". Exploring the past, arguing about the present. Accusations, shared secrets, revelations, and resignations. There are points where you feel sorry for each of them...and points where you don't like them very much.

The tone is very melancholy. An continual sense of loneliness and dispair. Even brief moments which might have been funny in other settings quickly become uncomfortable parodies of light-heartedness. Their troubled past and cripped present overshadow everything.

My heart particularly broke for the youngest brother. He's been saddled with an extra couple of burdens which makes him all the more vulnerable.

As the story played out I kept wondering about:

Nature vs. nuture. Were they simply living out a pre-determined course or were there points when they could have truly broken free.

Did their Father ever truly understand and regret his influence in his lives--or was he fully blinded--perhaps by a horrid upbringing of his own?

What would they take away from this reunion?

I wouldn't call it a popcorn film at all. It's an intense therapy session without the guidance of a skilled counselor. I, personally, found some parts more heartbreaking than others based on my own life experiences and those of close friends.

I'm going to watch it again this week to see what I missed the first time. I'd also love to talk with Patrick himself about this film. As one of three brothers himself, it would be interesting to see how he related to Rick, Peter, and Norman.

Please let us know what YOU think of "Brothers Three: An American Gothic."





"I don't wait more than 3 and 3/4 hours for anyone"--Hannah Pitt