Brother to Brother (2004)

A drama that looks back on the Harlem Renaissance from the perspective of an elderly, black writer who meets a gay teenager in a New York homeless shelter.

Director:

Rodney Evans

Writer:

Rodney Evans

Stars:

Anthony Mackie, Roger Robinson, Alex Burns

8 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Mackie	...	Perry
Roger Robinson	...	Bruce
Alex Burns	...	Jim
Kevin Jackson	...	Isaiah - College Professor
Billoah Greene	...	Rahsan
Brad Bailey	...	Subway Grifter (as Brad Baily)
Brian Everett Chandler	...	Mr. Williams
Shantell Herndon	...	Classroom Girl #1
Ryan Michelle Bathe	...	Classroom Girl #2
Duane Boutte	...	Young Bruce (as Duane Boutté)
Lawrence Gilliard Jr.	...	Marcus (as Larry Gilliard Jr.)
Curtis McClarin	...	Black Man on Subway (as Curtis L. McClarin)
Michael Mosley	...	White Man #1 on Subway
Daniel Stewart Sherman	...	White Man #2 on Subway
Olubunmi Banjoko

Storyline

A drama that looks back on the Harlem Renaissance from the perspective of an elderly, black writer who meets a gay teenager in a New York homeless shelter.

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Plot Keywords:

gay | harlem renaissance | gay teenager | new york city | manhattan new york city | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Wolfe Releasing [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

De Irmão Pra Irmão

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miasma Films, C-Hundred Film Corporation, Intrinsic Value Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Earle Hyman was originally cast in the role of "Bruce," played by 'Roger Robinson' in the film.

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Connections

Featured in 2005 Glitter Awards (2005)

User Reviews

Good film, but the timing was a problem.

Unless I missed something in the screening I saw tonight, we had a college age kid get involved with a man who had to be at least 100 years old.

The premise was a young sensitive black and gay student who's going through his own angst happens to meet up with a survivor from the Harlem Renaissance era of the 1920s. Anthony Mackie as the student and Roger Robinson as the artist/survivor both give fine performances and I was deeply moved. A lot of issues that they talked about are as relevant today as during the 1920s, although God knows a whole lot of history has occurred in the intervening years.

After the film though I started thinking. Roger Robinson looks about 75 in the film, he was born in 1940 which would make him sixty five. But 105 would be a more appropriate age if we're to believe he was hanging out with Langston Hughes, Zora Hurston, etc. back in the day. I'm sure some other people had to realize that as well.

In order to make the film more plausible, the writer and director should have placed the modern story circa 1980. That would have been more believable with the players ages.

Still and all, it's a deeply moving film and one to be seen and treasured.

PS. After writing this review I looked up Richard Bruce Nugent and found that he was born in 1906, died in 1987 and that he died in Hoboken, New Jersey.