A Brother's Cry

Author(s): JG

Location: NY

"A Brother's Cry"

Directed by: Marc Forster
Written by: Paul Haggis
Music by: Alan Silvestri

Main Cast

Ryan Reynolds as Jimmy Coleman
Kevin Zegers as Thomas Coleman
Jennifer Garner as Linda Marren
Emmy Rossum as Helen Watson
Harrison Ford as Richard Coleman
Diane Wiest as Alice Coleman

Tagline: "Battle.Betrayal.Brothers."

Synopsis: Jimmy and Thomas Coleman belong to a middle-upper class family living in Connecticut during the start of the Vietnam War in 1965. Thomas is smart, talented, and well-respected, while his older brother Jimmy is more rebellious and is looked upon as a slacker. Their parents, Richard and Alice, favor and spoil Thomas and barely pay any attention to Jimmy. Jimmy was never really jealous of Thomas growing up, but as they got older, his feelings began to change. Jimmy secretly loves his best friend Linda and is crushed when he discovers that she is madly in love with Thomas and has only befriended him in order to move closer to his brother. Thomas, however, has a serious girlfriend of his own, Helen. Jimmy falls into a jealous craze and plots to get rid of Thomas. Several weeks later, the U.S. increases the number of young men to be drafted for the army. Jimmy is informed that he is needed for the war, but manages to get out of it by faking a terminal illness. He then volunteers his brother Thomas to serve as his replacement even though he did not have Thomas's consent. On the night Thomas is called to join the army, he accepts his fate but ends up proposing to Helen, promising her that he will return.

With Thomas away at war, Jimmy hoped to come out of his "perfect" brother's shadow and win over Linda. However, he realizes that Thomas's absence didn't really make his life that much better and Linda didn't give up on the idea that she and Thomas were meant to be together. Soon after, the Coleman family receives the tragic news that Thomas was killed in battle. Jimmy is furious at himself because he knows that this is all his fault and that it should have been him who was killed at war. He goes into a mild depression and feels completely responsible for his brother's death. He can't bear to remain at home with his heart-broken parents, so he decides to move away to re-start his life. Twenty-five years pass and Jimmy has turned himself into a successful social worker, using his experiences and feelings toward his brother Thomas as a form of helping others. Jimmy decides to move back to his hometown once his father Richard falls into a coma. Late one night, Jimmy is sitting beside his father's bed when he hears a knock on the front door. He gets up to open it and sees a familiar face. It's his brother Thomas standing before him, with eyes filled with hatred, wrath and vengeance.

What the Press would say:

Marc Forster beautifully directs this phenomenal story about brotherhood and life. "A Brother's Cry" takes us through the lives of the Coleman family during the beginning of the Vietnam War. Jimmy and Thomas are brothers who are complete opposites from each other. Most of the picture is from Jimmy's point of view, where we get to see his transformation as a man. The story evolves when Jimmy secretly gets Thomas drafted for the war as his replacement, after the girl he loves admits that she loves Thomas. After this point, viewers will be amazed at the twists and turns the plot takes you through. The last scenes are extremely climactic and will have you on the edge of your seat! Ryan Reynolds is the true star of the film and perfectly adapts to this dramatic role, playing the lead character Jimmy. He makes his character so real and relatable that it's hard not to sympathize for him with everything he goes through. Kevin Zegers is wonderful as the ideal brother Thomas, fully capturing every aspect of his character's confident and gentle manner. The film also includes strong supporting roles from Jennifer Garner, Emmy Rossum, Harrison Ford, and Diane Wiest. This film is definitely a must see and delivers a meaningful message about brothers and relationships.

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture
Best Director: Marc Forster
Best Actor: Ryan Reynolds
Best Supporting Actor: Kevin Zegers
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Garner, Emmy Rossum
Best Original Screenplay: Paul Haggis
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Original Song
Best Original Score