The Groomsmen (2006)

A groom (Ed Burns) and his four attendants wrestle with issues related to friendship and maturity a week before the big day.

Director:

Edward Burns

Writer:

Edward Burns

Stars:

Edward Burns, Matthew Lillard, Brittany Murphy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edward Burns	...	Paulie
Heather Burns	...	Jules
John Leguizamo	...	TC
Matthew Lillard	...	Dez Howard
Donal Logue	...	Jimbo
Jay Mohr	...	Cousin Mike Sullivan
Brittany Murphy	...	Sue
Shari Albert	...	Tina Howard
Jessica Capshaw	...	Jen
Spencer Fox	...	Little Jack
Kevin Kash	...	Strip Club MC
Amy Leonard	...	Crystal
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Mr. B (as Arthur Nascarella)
John F. O'Donohue	...	Pops (as John O'Donohue)
Joe Pistone	...	Top Cat

Storyline

The story follows the misadventures and confusion of a groom (Ed Burns) and his four groomsmen the week before a wedding. Wrestling with issues of fatherhood, honesty and growing up, the five thirty-somethings discover their extended adolescence might be finally coming to a close.

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Plot Keywords:

walking in the middle of the street | washing one's face with one's hands | pushing | aerial camera shot | drinking from a bottle | 

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Taglines:

Till death do we party!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Bauer Martinez Entertainment [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 September 2006 (Spain)

Also Known As:

The Groomsmen

Filming Locations:

Antarctica Bar - 287 Hudson Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,046, 16 July 2006

Gross USA:

$128,911

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$818,970

Company Credits

Production Co:

Marlboro Road Gang Productions, Bauer Martinez Studios, Blue Rider Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Mahoney played the father of Edward Burns in this film, but all of his scenes were cut. However, you can catch a glimpse of him on the left during the wedding footage as the camera follows Edward Burns and Brittany Murphy out of the church. The deleted scenes can be found on the DVD bonus features.

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Goofs

When Mike and TC are tussling there is a pool cue that disappears and reappears on the right edge of the table; when they are finished and Paulie and TC are going to play, the cues are set differently than before.

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Quotes

Mike Sullivan: [to T.C] Gay pride! Woo-hoo!

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Connections

References Little House on the Prairie (1974)

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Soundtracks

Mystery Achievement
Written by Chrissie Hynde
Performed by The Pretenders
Published by EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Warner Music U.K., Ltd.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

While The Groomsmen suffers from being a tad flat, largely because of misled expectations, it is earnest, and deliberately takes its time

"There's a difference between getting older and growing up." That is The Groomsmen's other, more appropriate tagline, but the one they used was "Till death do we party!". Having said that, one can say that The Groomsmen is a surprise; for one, it's not a laugh-out-loud comedy, despite starring sitcom staples and a misleadingly happy poster. It does have comedic elements but it is more dramatic than funny. The audience gets the feeling that Burns is trying to communicate honest men's points of view ala Sex in the City via such varied characters.

Paulie (the incredibly talented writer/director/producer/actor Edward Burns) knocks up his longtime girlfriend Sue (Brittany Murphy), and so they plan to get married. A week before the wedding, he meets up with his four groomsmen, each with a different take on being a thirty-something and how that affects their friendship.

Donal Logue (from TV's Grounded for Life) plays Jimbo, Paulie's older brother who is having marital and job troubles and frequents a strip bar. Mike (Jay Mohr) still lives with his father and was dumped by his hot girlfriend for being too childish. T.C. (John Leguizamo) was the one who went AWOL on them for eight years, harboring a personal secret and is finally able to come to grips with it by finally telling his childhood friends. Dez (Matthew Lillard) takes a startling turn as the responsible, got-it-together guy in the group, with the kids and the wife. Amazing that he gets this role after being typecast in such movies like Scream, Without a Paddle and Scooby Doo.

While The Groomsmen suffers from being a tad flat, largely because of misled expectations, it is earnest, and deliberately takes its time, soaking in Burns' version of suburban New York.