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 byGary Hardwick
Produced byDoug McHenry
Paddy Cullen
Written byGary Hardwick
StarringMorris Chestnut
D.L. Hughley
Bill Bellamy
Shemar Moore
Tamala Jones
Gabrielle Union
Music byMarcus Miller
CinematographyAlexander Gruszynski
Edited byEarl Watson
Production
company
Screen Gems
Distributed byScreen Gems
Release date
  • March 23, 2001 (2001-03-23)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million
Box office$27,958,192[1]

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

Reception

Box office

The film opened second at the North American box office making $10.3 million USD in its opening weekend.[1]

Critical response

The film received an approval rating of 63% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on sixty-seven reviews. It's consensus reads, "Often seen as a Waiting to Exhale with men, The Brothers is amiable. However, it feels superficial and somewhat of a retread."[2]

Soundtrack
The Brothers - Music From The Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by
Various artists
ReleasedMarch 20, 2001
Recorded2000-2001
GenreHip hop, R&B
Length71:03
LabelWarner Bros
ProducerAlison Ball-Gabriel (exec.)
Doug McHenry (exec.)
Gary Hardwick (exec.)
Pilar McCurry (exec.)
Singles from The Brothers - Music From The Motion Picture
  1. "Love Don't Love Me"
    Released: March 2, 1999
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [3]

The film's soundtrack album was released on March 20, 2001 by Warner Bros Records and features songs recorded by various all-male hip-hop and contemporary R&B recording artists.

Track listing
The Brothers: Music from the Motion Picture
No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Love Don't Love Me"Eric Benét4:35
2."Lay It Down"Jermaine Dupri & R.O.C. featuring Lil' Mo3:27
3."Good Love"RL4:08
4."Let It Go"Jaheim featuring Castro2:46
5."Two of a Kind"Eddie Levert featuring Gerald Levert4:51
6."Hi 2 U"Snoop Dogg5:25
7."Josephine"DL4:54
8."2Night"Somethin' for the People4:06
9."Teach Each Other"Maze featuring Frankie Beverly7:24
10."Wheel of Fortune"Lil' Johnny4:09
11."I'm Through"Cassie Bonner5:14
12."I Put It Down"Duganz3:34
13."Happy"AB and Zu4:24
14."Forever"Dave Hollister4:35
15."No Question"Remember Us5:00
16."The Love Theme"Marcus Miller3:06

Weekly charts
Chart (2001) Peak
position
scope="row"US Billboard 200[4] 36
scope="row"US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[5] 9

Awards and nominations

References
  1. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1313441281/
  2. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1105979-brothers
  3. Ruhlmann, William (2001-03-20). "The Brothers - Music From The Motion Picture : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  4. "SOUNDTRACK Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  5. "SOUNDTRACK Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
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