Die Freunde des Bräutigams

This must be said: "The Groomsmen" was a great and highly underrated film. I follow independent cinema moderately closely, and I don't actually remember this film coming out in theaters. I don't see why it wouldn't have, given the cast of the film. The lead actors in this movie are mostly well-respected in the entertainment industry, if they're not A-listers already. So it's surprising to me this film didn't get a wider release than it actually did.

I found it on DVD in my local video store. I loved Edward Burns in "The Brothers McMullen", "She's The One", and "Saving Private Ryan", so I thought another movie directed by him would be good. I saw it, and it turns out I was right: I really liked the film a lot. Like "McMullen" especially, the movie revolves around guys who live around Long Island, some who are married, and a few who are single, and their struggle to commit. There are a lot of laughs in the film, but it also has a great amount of heart to it. Burns is great playing the laid-back, funny guy he normally plays in his films. Even better, the guys who played his friends, namely Matthew Lillard, Donald Logue (who actually plays his brother), Jay Mohr, and John Leguizamo, were all better than I thought they would be. All of them probably give the best performances of their career (especially Leguizamo).

That being said, here's what the back cover of the DVD says: "The countdown to Paulie's (Edward Burns) wedding . . . reunites Paulie's childhood pals for a week-long raucous bachelor party filled with laughs at every turn. Join in the revelry as this wild bunch relives their glory days with hilarious antics that you'll never forget." The front artwork shows the four friends behind Burns. Burns is smiling, giving Brittany Murphy a piggyback ride in her wedding gown, and wearing a T-shirt that reads "HELP!" in bright red letters. So from this DVD artwork, I thought this film was a frat-house comedy/bachelor party comedy about a guy who wants to go for one final fling before tying the knot. It's unfortunate, too, because that's not at all what the movie is about. Guys who want to see that kind of raunchy, mindless comedy will be sorely disappointed, while other guys who want to see a smart comedy about relationships and camaraderie will pass this movie by in the video store, or even on Netflix. Why do these DVD artwork designers do that? It really ruins the film's credibility in the long run.

Fortunately, I picked out the film because I like Edward Burns, and it exceeded my expectations tenfold. The film had its faults, such as some scenes that went on for longer than they should have. But overall, the film serves as an example of how romantic comedies should be. Other directors who work with higher budget films that star Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts should take a hint from Burns. He knows how to make a much better film on a much lower budget.

"There's a difference between getting older and growing up." That is The Groomsmen's other, more appropriate tagline, but the one they used was "Till death do we party!". Having said that, one can say that The Groomsmen is a surprise; for one, it's not a laugh-out-loud comedy, despite starring sitcom staples and a misleadingly happy poster. It does have comedic elements but it is more dramatic than funny. The audience gets the feeling that Burns is trying to communicate honest men's points of view ala Sex in the City via such varied characters.

Paulie (the incredibly talented writer/director/producer/actor Edward Burns) knocks up his longtime girlfriend Sue (Brittany Murphy), and so they plan to get married. A week before the wedding, he meets up with his four groomsmen, each with a different take on being a thirty-something and how that affects their friendship.

Donal Logue (from TV's Grounded for Life) plays Jimbo, Paulie's older brother who is having marital and job troubles and frequents a strip bar. Mike (Jay Mohr) still lives with his father and was dumped by his hot girlfriend for being too childish. T.C. (John Leguizamo) was the one who went AWOL on them for eight years, harboring a personal secret and is finally able to come to grips with it by finally telling his childhood friends. Dez (Matthew Lillard) takes a startling turn as the responsible, got-it-together guy in the group, with the kids and the wife. Amazing that he gets this role after being typecast in such movies like Scream, Without a Paddle and Scooby Doo.

While The Groomsmen suffers from being a tad flat, largely because of misled expectations, it is earnest, and deliberately takes its time, soaking in Burns' version of suburban New York.

Fresh from the Seattle International Film Festival --

The Groomsmen is a poignant look at relationships and forgiveness; true friendship, spousal, sibling, parent-child, and ex's. It provides a great blend of comedy and drama to not be too heavy, yet stay truly thought provoking. At times the character development scenes were a bit long, but forgivable overall. The cast is amazing, you easily forget their previously roles and see them only as the lifelong friends that they portray in this movie. The soundtrack is an excellent trip back to the rock of the 80's with the likes of Loverboy and Eddie Money. I would recommend this movie to women and men alike. It has something for everybody!

Thank you, Matt, for visiting us in Seattle!

The new Ed Burns movie, The Groomsmen, is the seemingly simple story of friends coming together to celebrate an upcoming wedding. Paulie (Ed Burns), the soon-to-be groom/father, is the central character around whom the others revolve. The groomsmen (Jay Mohr, Donal Logue, John Leguizamo, and Matthew Lillard) gather in their home town before the big day, having decided to fore go the "traditional bachelor party" in order to relive the best time of their lives when the most important things were Beer, Baseball and the Band.

Along the way to recapturing their youth, snippets of dissatisfaction, insecurity and regret are woven into the story. With skillful editing and realistic dialogue, Mr. Burns subtly strips away the macho banter, allowing the audience to get to know and care about these life-long friends. In each scene with an individual groomsman, Paulie (the former tag-along little brother) seems to be giving, rather than receiving, advice and in doing so works through his own pre-nuptial jitters. While counseling his old friends he comes to realize he's almost lost his newest friend. The seemingly simplistic resolutions are actually testaments to lasting friendships in which a nod and a hug are all that are necessary to realize you do have the best of both worlds.

This really is such a good movie: the characters are well-developed, the acting is understated, the cinematography is beautiful and the music is not only good, but pertinent. The audience is made to feel a part of it. Thank you, Mr. Burns et al, for 90 minutes of entertainment and hours of discussion on what makes these guys tick. I'm not just going to recommend this movie to my friends, I'll be going back to see it with them! Four Cheers!!

I found myself not quite sure what to do with my Saturday and opted to see The Groomsmen. For what reasons I am not sure. I have't heard anything about this movie. I think Brittany Murphy is in it and I think that one guy who was in Saving Private Ryan is in it oh yeah, Matthew Lillard. Sweet, it's going to be hilarious a la Wedding Crashers. WRONG.

This was an incredible flick. Entertaining for beginning to end. Not at all what I was expecting. With a solid cast- not a "Hollywood" star studded cast by a long shot- this movie brought laughter, sympathy, and everything else I enjoy feeling when seeing a movie. Amazing performances by a very talented cast.

Hopefully by word of mouth this movie gets on its feet and everyone gets to the theater to see this. This is a guys movie. This is a girls movie. This is a great movie. I strongly encourage everyone to see this. There are so many issues that are discussed and dealt with in this film its a hit for everyone. A+