Its realistic portrayal of an almost extinct small-town dynamic between friends and family is not to be missed.
The Groomsmen (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:17
Rotten:15
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: Director and star Burns returns to his home turf -- dialogue-driven examinations of the relationships between men and women -- with uneven results.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for pervasive language and brief nudity
Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Jul 14, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: In the same vein as Edward Burns's previous films (THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN, SHE'S THE ONE), THE GROOMSMEN explores the difference between getting older and growing up. Written, directed by, and... In the same vein as Edward Burns's previous films (THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN, SHE'S THE ONE), THE GROOMSMEN explores the difference between getting older and growing up. Written, directed by, and starring Burns, the film takes place in the days leading up to the wedding of Long Island-born Paulie (Burns). Joining Paulie for a week of alcohol-soaked bonding prior to the big day are his older brother Jimbo (Donal Logue), local buddy Des (Matthew Lillard), Cousin Mike (Jay Mohr), and long-absent childhood friend T.C. (John Leguizamo). While Paulie deals with a classic case of cold feet in anticipation of marrying his pregnant fiancé (Brittany Murphy), his groomsmen are inspired to deal with demons of their own. T.C.'s arrival, along with the pressures of seeing a close friend settle down, prompts much self-examination as old bonds are tested and new truths revealed. While the simple story here is pretty familiar territory, things are kept fresh thanks to an authentic sense of location and stellar performances by Jay Mohr as the perpetually childlike Mike (who at age 33, still lives at home with his father), and by Matthew Lillard as family guy Des, the one character in the film who seems to have come to grips with his own adulthood. Through extensive conversation over drinks, and physical squabbles at the softball diamond, these five friends grapple with one question: what makes a man a man? Pondering the question of why males nowadays put off the so-called marks of adulthood that their fathers achieved straight out of high school, THE GROOMSMEN offers more than one answer. [More]
Starring: Edward Burns, John Leguizamo, Brittany Murphy, John Mahoney
Starring: Edward Burns, John Leguizamo, Brittany Murphy, John Mahoney, Heather Burns, Jessica Capshaw, Matthew Lillard, Donal Logue, Jay Mohr
Director: Edward Burns
Director: Edward Burns
Producer: Margot Bridger, Philippe Martinez
Studio: Bauer Martinez Studios
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Reviews for The Groomsmen
A graceful exploration of the primal emotions that emerge when five thirtysomething long-time friends gather for a wedding.
The Groomsmen may be low-cal Cassavetes or Secrets and Lies for mooks, but Burns knows his turf. The marvel is that after seven films he's still finding fresh grass.
The problem with Ed Burns' films is that the growth of the male characters...has been limited by a strict interpretation of what it means to be man.
The Groomsmen is warm and it's funny, and it's Ed Burns' best movie in years.
Burns remains an enigma: After six features, it's still impossible to tell if he's a filmmaker with something to say or merely one of the longest-running novelty acts in modern movies.
You have to suffer through a lot of down time in The Groomsmen to get to the good stuff.
In a film of minor ambition, [the characters are] all worthy company.
Burns, without pretense or sappiness, wears a heart the size of Manhattan on his sleeve, and handles the movie's rollercoaster of emotion with immense skill.
It has been a dozen years since The Brothers McMullen, yet Burns still has no clue how to make movies.
A standard big-weekend-where- friends-gather-and- everyone-has- a-secret movie.
Edward Burns paints a scathing portrait of raucous high school buddies clutching at their rock n roll glory days as they push 35.
Edward Burns' best riff yet on guys trying to sort out their feelings about women.
Ed Burns repeats himself in his familiar territory about people who are young and stupid.
This is the movie I believe Burns has been trying to make since The Brothers McMullen, 11 years ago.
What this is, is a typical film about nothing, which is what Burns likes to do best.
With the exception of the reliably wooden Burns, the ensemble is terrific.
The movie snaps sharply to life every now and then, and its unfashionable decency really gets to you.
The Groomsmen, set in suburban New York, is a more serioso gloss on [common] guy themes.
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July 13, 2006:
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