I'd heard Ed Burns say that he had tried to sell his scripts in Hollywood for two or three years. And that he couldn't even get an agent. Because of which he decided to shoot one of his own scripts himself. In fact, he wrote, directed and starred in "The Brothers McMullen."

Impressed with him in interviews and in later films and intrigued that this picture put him on the map (it won Sundance), I decided to pick it up on tape and view it at home. (Ten years after the fact.)

Burns succeeded early in what he continues to do well, write good chatty dialogue. Dialogue that rings true, speaks frankly on the topics many people want to hear talked about (dating, sex, love), with some depth and a relaxed sense of humor. For the most part, the film is well acted, though it has its rough spots. Burns himself is good, but Mike McGlone as his younger brother is the backbone of the film, both in character and acting.

Not too intense, the film would make a good Movie of the Week. Always engaging, a bit soapy, but with real circumstance and intelligent (or at least plausable) talk. However, for a film that fancies itself somehow smarter than other such in the genre, it still can't help but to tidy up too neatly in the end. Two out of three would have been more than enough. Most noticeably awry, the script writes Molly unrealistically under hurt and over-forgiving.

Overall, just a shade above average.