The Brothers (2001)

63% of critics liked it
(67 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(9,850 ratings)

Four successful men find themselves easing into long-term relationships, but they're not all that comfortable about it, in this intelligent comedy-drama. Terry (Shemar Moore), Jackson (Morris Chestnut), Brian (Bill Bellamy), and Derrick (D.L. Hughley) are four close friends who get together once a… More Four successful men find themselves easing into long-term relationships, but they're not all that comfortable about it, in this intelligent comedy-drama. Terry (Shemar Moore), Jackson (Morris Chestnut), Brian (Bill Bellamy), and Derrick (D.L. Hughley) are four close friends who get together once a week to play basketball and compare notes on their problems with women. And as it turns out, they have a lot to say in that area. Terry has just gotten engaged to BeBe (Susan Dalian), who is more than a bit controlling. Jackson has a deep fear of commitment, symbolized by a recurring dream in which he's attacked by women wearing wedding gowns; what's more, he's started seeing Denise (Gabrielle Union), who he learns once had a fling with his dad (Clifton Powell). Brian is a lawyer who has discovered his next court date will see him pleading a case in front of a judge who used to be his girlfriend (Angelle Brooks). And Derrick's marriage to Sheila (Tamala Jones) is falling apart at the seams. The Brothers also features one-time Jeffersons regular Marla Gibbs, and Jennifer Lewis as Jackson's mother, who may be giving his father a second chance after many years apart. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Gary Hardwick
Written By: Gary Hardwick
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Mar 23, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Dec 11, 2001
Studio: Screen Gems

Critic Reviews

Rita Kempley, Washington Post
A lively, affectionate and well-acted romantic comedy.
, Washington Post
A politically incorrect but often hilarious jam session.
Jessica Winter, Village Voice
Airless and oddly fatiguing.
Mike Clark, USA Today
It's easier to laugh with the movie than take it seriously.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
If The Brothers falls far short of its prototype, Waiting to Exhale, it still conveys a warm-blooded affection for its characters.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
The Brothers is basically a Lifetime movie that somehow found its way into theaters.
Jeffrey Westhoff, Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
An entertaining but too-familiar comedy about the romantic woes of African-Americans.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

My ex made me watch this pile of crap. The only good bit was the old woman who tells us "I invented the shit" You can't blame yourself dear, a lot of people are responsible!
Red L

I happened across this on TV, and it was interesting enough to watch to the end. There is something about a movie where four good friends get together every so often to play basketball and figure out what is going on with their relationships.
Joseph E

Not too bad!
Remi L

I don't think you'll see movies like this anymore--a film about black brotherhood and the trials of their lives (especially love lives). The market so far is flooded with "he ain't no good" films by Tyler Perry (and sometimes diamond in the rough films) or… More
I don't think you'll see movies like this anymore--a film about black brotherhood and the trials of their lives (especially love lives). The market so far is flooded with "he ain't no good" films by Tyler Perry (and sometimes diamond in the rough films) or gangster films full of violence and an absence of positive black female characters. This film was like a black male version of the Sex and the City, obviously made for female viewers. It was entertaining and endearing during its time though feels dated watching it now. If it came on television again years later, I can't say I wouldn't sit down for a dose of nostalgia though.