In 1995, Ed Burns broke out both as an actor and a director with "The Brothers McMullen". The film was a down-to-earth portrait of east coast America about the growing pains of adulthood, relationships, family and aspirations that clearly established Ed Burns' style. And it was a solid debut. The problem is that, since then, Ed Burns has told the same story over and over again, adding nothing new, failing to refine his directorial sense of humor, pacing or character development. Most of his movies seem to feature similar characters, in the same landscape, dealing with the same issues.
If you've seen several Ed Burns films, you'll definitely want to give this one a pass as you've see these two-dimensional characters before and you'll be able to guess the stock resolution. If you've never seen a Burns movie, I would recommend She's the One over this, as it has funnier moments, stronger performances and better chemistry between the main actors. I get the growing impression that in 1995, Ed Burns would have been much better off developing a dramatic, HBO-style TV series taking place in Long Island, and to take more time to get his characters through issues. Instead, we're left with a guy who seems obsessed with telling us something over and over again, as if it wasn't obvious to begin with.
I sympathize with Burns' concerns and the issues his characters deal with are interesting and organic, but I'm left with the impression I was left in the middle of the journey once again. Again, I'd be up for a HBO series by Burns anytime, but this is the last of his movies I will probably try. Not that they are particularly bad, but they just aren't good enough to be recycled constantly.
If you've seen several Ed Burns films, you'll definitely want to give this one a pass as you've see these two-dimensional characters before and you'll be able to guess the stock resolution. If you've never seen a Burns movie, I would recommend She's the One over this, as it has funnier moments, stronger performances and better chemistry between the main actors. I get the growing impression that in 1995, Ed Burns would have been much better off developing a dramatic, HBO-style TV series taking place in Long Island, and to take more time to get his characters through issues. Instead, we're left with a guy who seems obsessed with telling us something over and over again, as if it wasn't obvious to begin with.
I sympathize with Burns' concerns and the issues his characters deal with are interesting and organic, but I'm left with the impression I was left in the middle of the journey once again. Again, I'd be up for a HBO series by Burns anytime, but this is the last of his movies I will probably try. Not that they are particularly bad, but they just aren't good enough to be recycled constantly.