The Brothers (2001 film)
The Brothers is a 2001 romantic comedy drama film starring Morris Chestnut, D.L. Hughley, Bill Bellamy, and Shemar Moore. The film was written and directed by Gary Hardwick, who has directed other films and television series such as Deliver Us from Eva and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. In addition to the starring cast, The Brothers has an additional cast of Gabrielle Union, Tatyana Ali, Jenifer Lewis, Tamala Jones, and Clifton Powell. Dubbed as the male version to Waiting to Exhale by director Gary Hardwick, this film traces the hilarious journey of four African-American men as they take on love, sex, friendship, honesty and commitment.
| The Brothers | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Gary Hardwick |
| Produced by | Doug McHenry Paddy Cullen |
| Written by | Gary Hardwick |
| Starring | Morris Chestnut D.L. Hughley Bill Bellamy Shemar Moore Tamala Jones Gabrielle Union |
| Music by | Marcus Miller |
| Cinematography | Alexander Gruszynski |
| Edited by | Earl Watson |
Production company | Screen Gems |
| Distributed by | Screen Gems |
Release date |
|
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million |
| Box office | $27,958,192 |
The film was released in March 2001 and grossed almost $30 million at the box office, which quintupled the movie's production cost of $6 million. The movie was nominated for NAACP Image Awards and Black Reel Awards.
The film was shot at various locations in Los Angeles, Orlando, Florida and Miami Beach, Florida.
Plot
Jackson Smith (Chestnut), Brian Palmer (Bellamy), Derrick West (Hughley) and Terry White (Moore) are lifelong friends since childhood. The film has separate subplots with each character, showing how their friendships binds them.
Jackson, a physician, struggles with commitment issues and often has nightmares of being shot by a bride. When working through his issues with a therapist, she suggests he meet a woman that night and "give his heart to her." He soon meets a beautiful freelance photographer (Union) who makes Jackson realize that he may be capable of true love and commitment. When he finds out that Denise once dated his father, his new outlook on love takes a turn.
Brian, an attorney, realizes that his chronic womanizing is catching up to him in ways he didn't imagine when a former lover (also the judge in a case he is currently working) sends him to jail. He makes a vow to not date African-American women because he believes that they carry unnecessary drama. Brian is working to gain custody of his younger brother who currently lives in a affection-less household with his mother.
Derrick, the only married member of the group, loves his wife (Jones) and daughter, but is struggling with the idea of his wife not giving him the type of sex he desires. After many attempts to convince his wife that pleasing your partner is an important part of a successful marriage, he and his wife separate. In addition to wanting more in the bedroom, Derrick is trying to convince his wife to let his ailing mother live in their home.
Terry, a former womanizer who is tired of playing the field and ready to settle down, is preparing to marry his girlfriend of two months, Bebe (Dalian), despite the warnings of his friends who feel that he is rushing into the commitment. As his wedding day fast approaches, he'll have to decide he is truly ready to make the leap into the rest of his life.
Cast
- Morris Chestnut as Jackson Smith
- D.L. Hughley as Derrick West
- Bill Bellamy as Brian Palmer
- Shemar Moore as Terry White
- Gabrielle Union as Denise Johnson
- Tatyana Ali as Cherie Smith
- Jenifer Lewis as Louise Smith
- Susan Dalian as BeBe Fales
- Tamala Jones as Sheila West
- Clifton Powell as Fred Smith
- Julie Benz as Jessie Caldwell
- Vanessa Bell Calloway as Dr. Thelma Woolridge
- Angelle Brooks as Judge Carla Williams
- Gary Hardwick as T-Boy
- Nadege Auguste as Ursula
Box office
The film opened second at the North American box office making $10.3 million USD in its opening weekend.
Awards and nominations
- NAACP Image Awards
- Outstanding Motion Picture (nominated)
- Black Reel Awards
- Theatrical- Best Director (nominated): Gary Hardwick
- Theatrical- Best Screenplay (nominated): Gary Hardwick
- Theatrical- Best Supporting Actress (nominated): Gabrielle Union