Main Cast: Edward Burns, Brittany Murphy, John Leguizamo, Jay Mohr, Matthew Lillard
Release Year: 2006
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Five longtime friends enjoy a few days of celebratory carousing as they try to forget their adult responsibilities in this slice-of-life comedy drama from director/writer/actor Edward Burns. Paulie (Burns) is a working-class guy from Long Island who has learned that his longtime girlfriend (Brittany Murphy) is pregnant, and he decides he should do the right thing and marry her. Paulie has asked several of his best friends to stand with him at the wedding, and shortly before the big day, they get together at a local watering hole to give Paulie a proper send-off. Over the course of a weekend, the guys knock back a lot of beer, play a little softball, swat some golf balls, head out fishing and share their thoughts, with each man having some unresolved baggage to deal with. While Paulie is excited about his upcoming marriage, he's scared of how parenthood will change his life. His older brother, Jimbo (Donal Logue), has been arguing with his wife and spending his time in topless bars, but inside he's worried about the fact his wife hasn't been able to get pregnant, and he's convinced it's his fault. Des (Matthew Lillard) is a seemingly happy husband and father, but he seems to be more interested in getting his old rock band back together than spending time with his family. Mike (Jay Mohr) wants to settle down and have kids, but he can't imagine doing so with any woman other than the girl who dumped him some time ago. And while T.C. (John Leguizamo) goes out of his way to like one of the guys, he doesn't have the nerve to tell his best friends that he's gay. The Groomsmen received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Laura Rosenthal - Casting, Ali Farrell - Casting, Catherine Marie Thomas - Costume Designer, Edward Burns - Director, James Kirkpatrick - Editor, Walter Josten - Executive Producer, Alan Latham - Executive Producer, Karinne Behr - Executive Producer, Robert Gary - Composer (Music Score), P.T. Walkley - Composer (Music Score), Tracy McKnight - Musical Direction/Supervision, Dina Goldman - Production Designer, William Rexer II - Cinematographer, Edward Burns - Producer, Philippe Martinez - Producer, Margot Bridger - Producer, Aaron Lubin - Producer, Benjamin Cheah - Sound/Sound Designer, Edward Burns - Screenwriter
A groom and his four groomsmen wrestle with issues such as fatherhood, homosexuality, honesty and growing up in the week leading up to his wedding.
Paulie (Burns), a self-supporting writer, is making plans for his marriage to Sue (Murphy), his girlfriend who is in her 5th month of pregnancy. In real-life, Burns' then girlfriend, supermodel Christy Turlington, was also five months pregnant when they married in June 2003. Christy inspired Burns to re-work the manuscript for this movie, which he hadn't worked on in many months.
Paulie is strongly advised by his older brother Jimbo (Logue) to not go through with the wedding. Jimbo, who runs a struggling business, is envious of Paulie, partly because his own childless marriage is unraveling.
T.C. (Leguizamo), who left the neighborhood without explanation eight years earlier, returns for the wedding. Apparently, before leaving, T.C. had stolen a Tom Seaver baseball card from Paulie's cousin Mike (Mohr). Mike still harbors such resentment over the loss that he immediately starts a fight with T.C. Later, T.C. hesitantly reveals that he abruptly left the neighborhood because he's gay and that he stole Mike's card because, even though they were best friends, he hated him for his constant gay bashing.
The neighborhood bar is owned by Dez (Lillard), who is married with two children and is the most content and functional member of the gang. He is continually trying to "get the band back together". He has even pushed his own sons into learning the guitar and is seen riding them to become better.
John Mahoney...Father of Paulie & Jimbo (cut from film- seen in bonus footage only)
Box office
The film garnered mixed reviews and only managed a limited release of 26 theaters in the US. It grossed less than one million dollars foreign and domestic.
