Brother's Keeper (1992)

This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert's of a family of 4 brothers (the other 3 being Roscoe, Lyman and William - Bill, for ... See full summary »

Directors:

Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Stars:

Delbert Ward, Roscoe Ward, Lyman Ward

11 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Delbert Ward	...	Himself
Roscoe Ward	...	Himself
Lyman Ward	...	Himself
Walt Geisler	...	Himself - Ward Supporter
Ken Elmer	...	Himself - Neighbor
John Teeple	...	Himself - Neighbor
Dave Goff	...	Himself - Cousin
Joseph F. Loszynski	...	Himself - Bureau of Criminal Investigation, New York State Police (as Captain Joseph F. Loszynski)
Harry Thurston	...	Himself - Friend
Ralph A. Cognetti	...	Himself - Defense Attorney
Maynard A. Cosnett	...	Himself - Bureau of Criminal Investigation, New York State Police (as Investigator Maynard A. Cosnett)
John W. Graham	...	Himself - Bureau of Criminal Investigation, New York State Police (as Investigator John W. Graham)
Robert J. Killough	...	Himself - Bureau of Criminal Investigation, New York State Police (as Investigator Robert J. Killough)
Donald F. Cerio	...	Himself - Madison County District Attorney

Storyline

This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert's of a family of 4 brothers (the other 3 being Roscoe, Lyman and William - Bill, for short), working as semi-literate farmers, and living together in isolation in a ramshackle shack, until William's death. The subsequent police investigation and medical examiner's autopsy suggested Bill may not have died from natural causes, and Delbert was arrested on charges of second-degree murder. Under questioning by police, Delbert appears to have waived his rights and signed a confession, but, it seems he might not have been competent, and was coerced into doing so. The film explores possible motives for the crime, from mercy-killing (Bill was ill at the time), to progressively more outré hypotheses. It also shows how residents of the rural community of Munnsville, NY rallied to the support of one of their own (residents previously considered the Wards as social outcasts), against what they ...

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Plot Keywords:

murder | murder trial | trial | siblings living together | title based on the bible | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Crime | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fylakas tou adelfou mou

Filming Locations:

Munnsville, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,305,915

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, Hand to Mouth Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Picked by Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the "50 Greatest Independent Films" in a special supplement devoted to independent films that was only distributed to subscribers in October 1997.

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Crazy Credits

Dedicated to the memory of William J. Ward (1925-1990) May you rest in peace

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Connections

References Jeopardy! (1984)

User Reviews

Politics all over again..

I didn't think I was going to like this and I was very afraid that the Ward brothers and their rural lifestyle would be made fun of or otherwise trashed, but this was so thoughtful and careful in its examination. The political motivations of some of the real-life people: the cops, the medical examiner, the prosecutor, were a great foil for the (some would think surprisingly) open- minded townspeople and the hardworking defense attorney. Loved the story and really felt for the brothers and the townspeople. Though I work in Boston now, I've lived and worked in rural areas just like this, and maybe that's part of the deal for me.