Mr. Brooks (2007)

A well-respected businessman is sometimes controlled by his murder and mayhem-loving alter ego.

Director:

Bruce A. Evans

Writers:

Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon

Stars:

Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, William Hurt

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Costner	...	Mr. Earl Brooks
Demi Moore	...	Det. Tracy Atwood
Dane Cook	...	Mr. Smith
William Hurt	...	Marshall
Marg Helgenberger	...	Emma Brooks
Ruben Santiago-Hudson	...	Hawkins
Danielle Panabaker	...	Jane Brooks
Aisha Hinds	...	Nancy Hart
Lindsay Crouse	...	Captain Lister
Jason Lewis	...	Jesse Vialo
Reiko Aylesworth	...	Sheila - Jesse's Lawyer
Matt Schulze	...	Thorton Meeks
Yasmine Delawari	...	Sunday
Thunderbird Dinwiddie	...	Sarah Leaves (as Traci Dinwiddie)
Michael Cole	...	Atwood's Lawyer

Storyline

Earl Brooks is a highly respected businessman and was recently named Portland's Man of the Year. He hides a terrible secret however: he is a serial killer known as the Thumbprint Killer. He has been attending AA meetings and has kept his addiction to killing under control for two years now but his alter ego, Marshall, has re-appeared and is pushing him to kill again. When he does kill a couple while they are making love, he is seen and photographed by someone who also has his own death and murder fetish. In a parallel story, the police detective investigating the murder is having problems of her own. She is going through a messy divorce and a violent criminal who had vowed revenge some years before has escaped from prison and is after her.

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Plot Keywords:

schizophrenia | murder | serial killer | secret | fingerprint | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes, the man who has everything... has everything to hide.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Earl Brooks was written with Kevin Costner in mind to play him.

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Goofs

When Mr. Brooks and Marshall are doing research on the computer about Tracy Atwood, it shows her age listed as 38 and her birthday as Nov 11, 1972. However, it shows that she was sued for support by Jesse Viaol on March 20, 2006. At that time she would be 33 years old. During the movie they show her being served with papers for this claim. Her date of birth and age are obviously wrong as the movie would have take place sometime after November 11th, 2010 and before November 11th, 2011. Since they show Jesse and Tracy not only dealing with the issue currently (not for over 4 years) but has Captain Lister telling Tracy she'll be put on desk duty until it's sorted out, they've obviously made an error.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mr. Earl Brooks: [voice-over] Oh God... God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
Marshall: [voice-over] Why do you fight it so hard, Earl?

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Crazy Credits

A thumbprint forms the backdrop for the end credits.

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Connections

Featured in The Birth of a Serial Killer: The Writing of 'Mr. Brooks' (2007)

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Soundtracks

Vicious Traditions
Composed by Finn Andrews
Performed by The Veils
Courtesy of Rough Trade Records

User Reviews

There's something about Mr. Brooks all right....

This movie was not what I expected, but in a good way. I saw that Kevin Costner was in it, and figured it would be a light-hearted drama. Then I read that it was suspense, and figured he was a good-guy spy or something. Not so.

I don't want to spoil exactly what Mr. Brooks is (even though it's revealed in the early part of the movie), but let's just say he's not a good guy. He is cold, brilliant, methodical, and heartless. Definitely not the traits we normally expect from Kevin Costner. And yet, it's fascinating to watch. I found myself rooting for him, and then had to kick myself because his character is so despicable. Top notch acting from him.

Dane Cook seems an odd casting choice for a suspense thriller, and yet he is believable in his role as a cowardly average joe trying to get the better of Mr. Brooks.

This movie is surprisingly graphic and brutal in some scenes. Yet it is so engrossing that you will be hooked on every twist and turn (and there are some good ones).

Not for the faint of heart, not your normal Costner flick, but a very good movie.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mr. Brooks

Filming Locations:

Minden, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,017,067, 3 June 2007

Gross USA:

$28,549,298

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$48,443,734

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Eden Rock Media, Element Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1