Four Brothers (2005)

Four brothers look to avenge their mother's death.

Director:

John Singleton

Writers:

David Elliot, Paul Lovett

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson, André Benjamin

6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Wahlberg	...	Bobby Mercer
Tyrese Gibson	...	Angel Mercer
André Benjamin	...	Jeremiah Mercer
Garrett Hedlund	...	Jack Mercer
Terrence Howard	...	Lt. Green
Josh Charles	...	Detective Fowler
Sofía Vergara	...	Sofi
Fionnula Flanagan	...	Evelyn Mercer
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Victor Sweet
Taraji P. Henson	...	Camille Mercer
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Councilman Douglas
Jernard Burks	...	Evan
Kenneth Welsh	...	Robert Bradford
Tony Nappo	...	Charlie
Shawn Singleton	...	Victor Hoodlum

Storyline

Four adopted brothers come to avenge their mother's death in what appears to be a random killing in a grocery store robbery. However, the boys' investigation of the death reveals more nefarious activities involving the one brother's business dealings with a notorious local hoodlum. Two cops who are trying to solve the case may also not be what they seem.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | funeral | four brothers | robbery | adopted son | 

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Taglines:

They came home to bury mom... and her killer

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language and some sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 August 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Mark Wahlberg Project

Filming Locations:

Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$289,058 (Australia) (11 November 2005)

Gross:

$74,484,168 (USA) (18 November 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Four Brothers Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on the Henry Hathaway western The Sons of Katie Elder starring John Wayne and Dean Martin.

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Goofs

After the kid tells Bobby the lights go off at ten, Bobby checks his watch on his left hand. In the next shot, the watch is on his right hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Evelyn Mercer: Ok, Darnell, so the candy just happened to jump into your pocket, huh? Well I don't think so. Samir's going to call the police right now. Samir, the police!
Darnell: Please don't call the police, man, please!
Evelyn Mercer: That's what happens when you shoplift. There's consequences.
Darnell: But it's just some damn candy! I don't wanna go to jail!
Evelyn Mercer: Well you can probably get away with stealing sometimes, Darnell, but sooner or later you're gonna get caught. Is that the way you want to lead your life?
Darnell: No.
Evelyn Mercer: I happen ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The Paramount logo in the beginning has snow falling upon it. The end credits show scenes of each of the brother's past. Bobby is seen fighting in a hockey game and has the front of his teeth knocked out. Jeremiah is seen leading a worker's protest outside of a factory. Angel is seen trying to buy an airline ticket with a stolen credit card (once the clerk finds out, Angel runs away). Jack is seen playing the guitar and singing in a band (he waves his pierced tongue at his fans).

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Connections

Remake of The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

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Soundtracks

"TROUBLE MAN"
Written & Performed by Marvin Gaye
Courtesy of Motown Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Well Crafted Revenge Film

I'm drawn to movies whose trailers inspire a visceral reaction...This one's is so clichéd...Poor old Mom gets whacked and her adopted sons go after the crooks...Still, the action in the trailer inspired me...gave me that feeling of wanting to see the bad guys get it, and after seeing the film, I can say I was not disappointed. The story moves along and does not step outside of itself. There are some intriguing plot twists, but the goal of revenge always remains. The performances are solid; we have experienced film actors and a director here who know what they're doing. Even the newer actors settle into their respective roles...

John Singleton stated he wanted to do something with a "western edge" and in this film he has done just that. The story could be transplanted 100 years back and still work. While there is a great deal of action, violence, and bloodshed, it is not shot with an abundance of CGI or special effects...to that end, the action looks and feels more realistic. The film pulls you in and takes you for a nice ride, which is more than can be said of a lot of recent releases...It's not going to win Oscars, but it should be a hit. It's definitely worth a look!