Killing Willis (BOOK REVIEW)

Killing Willis:

From Diff’rent Strokes to the Mean Streets To the Life I Always Wanted

by Todd Bridges

with Sarah Tomlinson

Touchstone Books

Hardcover, $26.00

300 pages, Illustrated

ISBN: 978-1-4391-4898-3

 

               

Book Review by Kam Williams

 

“AlI I ever wanted as a kid was to be a famous TV star... My dream came true when I was lucky enough to land the role of Willis Jackson on ‘Diff’rent Strokes.’ I thought I had it made, and for a little while, I did. But I didn’t know God had other plans for me.”

 -- Excerpted from the Preface (pg. 1)

 

                “What you talking ‘bout, Willis” was Gary Coleman’s character’s signature catchphrase on “Diff’rent Strokes” which millions of viewers kept tuning in to hear every week over the course of the cursed TV show’s eight-year run from 1978 until 1986. I say the sitcom was cursed because of the well-publicized host of woes which would be visited upon the trio of child actors who starred on the program.

The diminutive Coleman had to declare bankruptcy after his trust fund was squandered by his parents. He ended up working as a working as a security guard in a mall where he was charged with assault for punching a female patron.

Today, the 40 year-old virgin needs dialysis daily due to the congenital kidney disease which stunted growth at 4’8”. He was most recently back in the tabloids in January of this year when he was arrested for domestic violence.

The late Dana Plato, who played Kimberly on the program, died of a drug overdose in 1999. But that came after having her life savings stolen by her accountant, pulling an armed robbery, appearing nude in Playboy and making a porno film.

Todd Bridges, Coleman’s big brother Willis on the show, had his own share of problems after the program was canceled. He not only ended up broke like his co-stars, but became a crackhead as well. He was later arrested for the attempted murder of another dealer and for stabbing his landlord in the chest in a dispute over unpaid rent.

In Killing Willis, Bridges honestly and eloquently chronicles his rise and fall in graphic detail, including his bottoming-out behind bars before finally finding redemption on the long road back to sobriety. Today, the happily-married father of two says, surprisingly, that he has no regrets because he feels blessed to have his wife and kids.

A heartbreaking memoir of innocence lost, exploitation, failing and recovery, with a happy ending that’s all too rare when it comes to former child stars.

Mo’Nique: The “Spread the Love Tour” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Academy Award-Winner in the House!

Mo’Nique collected a basketful of Supporting Actress accolades over the course of the awards season for her gripping portrayal of Mary Jones, the relentlessly-monstrous mother in Precious. The versatile comedienne/actress/talk show host’s powerful performance not only earned her a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, NAACP Image, Sundance Film Festival, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award, but was recognized as the best of 2010 by most critics’ guilds as well. Still, the icing on the cake arrived no March 7th when the talented sister won a well-deserved Academy Award.
Here, in the first interview I’ve ever conducted which actually brought me to tears, Mo’Nique reflects upon a variety of subjects, ranging from family to spirituality to surviving incest to what winning the Oscar means to her. And she also talks about “Spread the Love,” the standup comedy victory tour during which she’ll be making stops in 20 cities around the country between now and the end of May.

Kam Williams: Hey, Mo’Nique. The last thing I said to you, when we spoke back in October, was that the next time we spoke I’d be congratulating you on your Oscar. Well, Congratulations, sister!
Mo’Nique: Thank you, brother, I appreciate that.
KW: It was easy to predict. Listen, I watch over 500 movies a year, and let me say that was not only the best performance of 2010, but in my opinion it would even have won if they gave out an Oscar for the best performance of the decade.
M: Wow! Thank you, brother.
KW: Well, I want to thank you for still making yourself available to me now, because it often becomes impossible to land another interview with an actor or actress after they’ve just landed an Oscar nomination. They don’t even have to win the Oscar to suddenly be unavailable.
M: And that’s a damn shame, Kam. Me? I appreciate the brothers and sisters who were there before anybody was calling. So, how could I not talk to you?
KW: I certainly appreciate that, especially since I remember how over the years you’ve done a lot of little things for me like arrange to put a couple passes aside if you were doing a comedy show nearby. Speaking of standup, what inspired you to do this “Spread the Love Tour,” when you must already be very busy from hosting your late night TV talk show on BET?
M: Well, standup is my first love. When I told my husband [Sidney Hicks], “Baby, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to get back out there,” he said, “Okay, then let’s come up with a title. What are you trying to say?” and I said, “Let’s spread the love! Let’s spread the love with jokes, baby, through humor. Let’s laugh out loud, but while we doing it, we’re gonna be loving on each other at the same time.”
KW: I see that you’re taking DJ Ant on the road with you. What’s up with the music?
M: Oh, Lord, honey! As a comedienne, I always loved when the audience was entertained from the moment the doors opened up ‘till the time they closed. I never understood why people would have to sit patiently waiting in silence for the comedians to come on. I say, “Give ‘em a full show! Let ‘em feel good! Let ‘em party! Let that music move through ‘em, baby. So, by the time we come to the stage, the house is already on fire. The music helps amplify the experience.
KW: And why’d you decide to have two comedians accompanying you on the tour, Rodney Perry and Tone-X?
M: Now, Rodney Perry is my co-host on the talk show. What I love about him is that he’s so brilliantly funny, and he’s fearless. And his act is so full of love. You feel like he’s Uncle Rodney. And it’s the same thing with Tone-X. He’s just fearless, and our whole goal is to make you laugh, but to make you feel good at the same time.
KW: And what type of jokes will you be doing?
M: Adult! You know me, Kam. [Laughs] Adult jokes. But they’re very honest. Whenever people ask, “Who is Mo’Nique?” I always say, “Come to a comedy show, baby. You will find out who she is right there.”
KW: I guess you’ll have to touch on winning the Oscar, too.
M: Kam, you know I’m a have to touch it, hit it, slap it and rub it down, because it’s been quite a journey, especially after reading some of the articles, and hearing some people’s opinions. After all, I’m a comedienne. So, you know, I got to take that and bring it up on the stage.
KW: I’m not you, yet my eyes are tearing up, when I think of all the criticism leveled at you last fall for not kissing-up to the film industry, as if your performance couldn’t stand on its own. I admired how you stuck to your guns, even though I thought it might hurt you with the voters. That’s why the headline of my article back then was, “Just Give Mo’Nique the Oscar!”
M: It’s all about the performance, baby.
KW: What should anything else have to do with it? But they were like sharks circling you in the water, trying to figure out how to prevent you from getting it. It’s a further tribute to your performance that you won in the face of negative buzz trying to poison the minds of the Academy voters by suggesting that you were thumbing your nose at the Hollywood establishment.
M: I’m a big believer that when you do it right, and you don’t waiver, you win an Oscar. When I say do it right, I mean you stay humble, full of love, and focused on your goal, baby, and that other stuff don’t matter. It ends up rolling right off of your back. And you still got to love those people who done wrote that stuff about you.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
JK: Oh my God! It was about my baby Jonathan, just this morning in the kitchen. He said, “Mommy, do you know what David [his twin brother] did?” because he was getting ready to tell on him. I said, “What?” And he paused for a long time before saying, “Nothin’.” It was the cutest thing. I said, “I’m proud of you! You were getting ready to tell on your brother, then you thought about it.” My kids and my husband, Sidney, make me laugh all the time.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
M: What is my earliest childhood memory? Wow! Wow! I remember coming home on the first day of school, maybe in the second grade, and I told my dad, “My teacher said I’m gonna pass.” But the teacher hadn’t told me that, but I wanted some attention. [LOL] I’ve always been that kid.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
M: Hmm… That my husband and I would be able to meet the next generation of the Hicks family.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
M: The Shack. Kam, believe me when I tell you that this book is amazing. It’s about this guy whose daughter is molested and brutally-murdered. And he has to go back to where it happened. He meets god, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God is a big, black woman who talks real slick in her mouth. Jesus looks like he’s Iraqi, and the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman. I tell you, Kam, you can just feel the love coming off of the pages. It is a book that I suggest to you, because I believe your spirit can withstand it. Get it!
KW: I definitely will.
M: It’s so amazing, that as you read it, you’ll go “Oh my God!”
KW: The next time we speak, I’ll tell you what I thought of the book.
M: Yes… Yes, yes, yes!
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
M: This morning, I worked out to Barry White.
KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell says, "You go girl" and asks, what keeps you going as an actress: a thought, a personal wish, a subconscious force?
M: What keeps me going? These are some great questions, Kam! I think what keeps me going is just today. I’m so appreciative of this gift, because I can’t explain it. So, today keeps me going in the hope that I’ll get to tomorrow.
KW: Tommy also asks, what do you think the most important political initiative is for President Obama in his first administration?
M: I think it’s love, and I think he’s doing it. I think the moment that Americans get behind this man is the moment that the world will get behind America.
KW: Barbara Darko noticed that you gave your husband, Sidney, a lot of credit during your Oscar acceptance speech. She asks, how would you describe your relationship?
M: I thank God every day for allowing me to spend this journey with his son.
KW: Rev. Florine Thompson asks, what life experiences prepared you most for your role in Precious?
M: [Pauses, clears her throat] I was molested by my eldest brother, Gerald. So, I knew who Mary Jones was. And when Mr. Daniels [director Lee Daniels] asked me to portray a monster, I was very familiar with that monster. And please let me say this. You know how you might be unable to fully understand something you’re going through at the time that it’s happening? And you might even want to be mad at God?
KW: Yeah.
M: Well, the moment we wrapped that movie, I understood why I had gone through what I went through as a little girl, which allowed me to stop resenting my brother. It was life-changing for me.
KW: Reverend Thompson also asks, what would you say to those mothers who sit in silence while their significant other, or perhaps I should say insignificant other, sexually abuses their daughter?
M: The first thing I would say is, this is the “No Judgment Zone.” We ain’t judging. All we would ask you is that you get some help. And get some help for the family, even for the person who is doing it to your child. Remove the predator from the situation, of course, but get help for everybody involved. And love him when he’s unlovable.
KW: She was also wondering, whether this movie has empowered you to champion the cause of domestic abuse?
M: Yes... yes… And domestic abuse is such an umbrella. So much fits under that umbrella that what we’re championing and the mission for us is love. Because when you truly got that thing called L-O-V-E, you’re not judging. You simply want to say, “Listen, baby, what you did, you have to pay for under the law, but we’re gonna love you through it.” Maybe that way you can talk to the next person that’s thinking about becoming a molester, that’s telling you the thoughts they’re having. So, you can suggest they get some help before they act on those urges. That’s the whole mission, Kam, it really is.
KW: The good Rev asks, what do you most thank God for?
M: Today. I’m so thankful for today, that I could wake up to my children who are so full of joy and love, saying “Good morning, mommy!” Man, I’m so thankful for today, because tomorrow, I may not get.
KW: Larry Greenberg says, people might not know that you have been in quite a few action films, like Shadowboxer, Half Past Dead and his favorite, Domino. He wants to know whether there’s any chance of your going back to the action genre.
M: You tell Larry that I am a superhero, and I’m going to be flying in somebody’s film real soon, sugar. So, yes, I can’t wait to put a cape on! [Laughs]
KW: Barbara asks if you plan to bring your daily talk show to mainstream network TV?
M: I get that question often. Would you do me a favor, Kam, and ask Barbara exactly what does she mean by mainstream? Because the stream I’m in right now is my mainstream.
KW: That’s a brilliant analysis. I feel the same way. The New York Times would never consider hiring me or printing any of my articles, so why should I consider that mainstream when I have so many outlets who do appreciate what I do.
M: Kam is my mainstream. People invest so much into that word “mainstream.” What does it mean? And is that supposed to be some sort of validation because you think I should go to mainstream? The stream I’m in right now is my mainstream. If you want to come on over and play with me, come on!
KW: Here’s another one more from Reverend Thompson, how does your spirituality inform you and enable you to play the role of Precious' mother?
M: Wow! You know, when we went into this, we knew we had to be honest, because if we weren’t, we would not be able to change lives, or to serve as the vessels we were supposed to be used as. So, we just wanted to make sure we were dead honest, so that people who watched the film could literally watch themselves.
KW: Well, thanks again, Mo’Nique. This is the first time I’ve ever ended an interview with tears in my eyes. I guess I’m crying because I’ve known you at different stages of your career, and I’m just so moved by what you’ve achieved and touched by the absence of bitterness about what you’ve had to overcome, and I’m honored by how openly you’ve shared your feelings about it all with me.
M: Kam, I love you, brother. And for the rest of my career, baby, as long as you’re doing what you’re doing, me and you will keep on talking.
KW: I really appreciate that, and I love you, too, Mo’Nique.
M: God bless you.

Fantastic Mr. Fox DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Animated Version of Roald Dahl Classic Arrives on DVD


Fantastic Mr. Fox represents a substantial departure for director Wes Anderson from his ordinarily wry fare into an animated adventure ostensibly aimed at kids. Based on Roald Dahl’s children’s novel of the same name, the film stars George Clooney in the title role with a supporting voice cast featuring Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Jason Schwartzman.
Superficially, the movie looks a lot like Chicken Run (2000), another stop-motion cartoon set on a farm. But that’s where any similarities end because Fantastic Mr. Fox proves to be not nearly as charming, coherent or comedic as that delightful crowd-pleaser.
The plot is only loosely based on the book, and revolves around a chicken thief (Clooney) who tries to go straight after being caught in a trap while burglarizing a hen house. However, missing both the taste of chicken and the excitement of staging daring raids, Fantastic Mr. Fox decides to pull off one last big job before finally retiring for good. So, with the help of Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky), an opossum, he hatches an elaborate plan to steal poultry and cider from a trio of neighboring agribusinesses owned by a trio of mean, gun-toting fox-haters: Franklin Bean (Michael Gambon), Walter Boggis (Robin Hurlstone) and Nathan Bunce (Hugo Guinness).
In the wake of the heist, during which Mr. Fox suffers the indignity of having his tail shot off, the irate farmers resort to desperate measures to catch him. Unfortunately, neither side looks particularly sympathetic in the ensuing, escalating battle of wits. The owners destabilize the local eco-system, excavating fields and flooding foxholes, to flush out the wily predator, while the four-legged perp selfishly endeavors to devour rather than rescue the livestock caged by the corporate conglomerates.
The movie’s glaring absence of a moral compass might be forgivable if it at least elicited a few side-busting belly laughs along the way. Instead, what we have here is a creepy cartoon filled with inappropriate inside jokes that are mostly over the head of the desired tyke demographic, exactly what one would you expect of a claymation vehicle crafted by the cerebral Wes Anderson.

Fair (1.5 stars)
Rated PG for action, smoking and slang.
Running time: 88 minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Extras: “From Script to Screen,” “Still Life (Puppet Animation)” and “A Beginner's Guide to Whack-Bat” featurettes, plus the theatrical trailer.

The Bounty Hunter

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Aniston and Butler Square-Off in Battle of the Exes Romp

Milo (Gerard Butler) and Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) were only married a few years before they went their separate ways, basically because he was such a pompous jerk. Nothing much has changed since, except that he’s no longer a cop in the NYPD, having been fired for the same sort of immature behavior that cost him his marriage.
Nowadays, he plies his trade as a bounty hunter, rounding up fugitives from justice for Sid (Jeff Garlin), a bail bondsman who hates the idea of losing any of the money he’s posted for the assorted miscreants who’ve asked for his help. Milo has no reason to believe that his ex might be one of his boss’ clients; after all, she’s a very successful, investigative journalist who’s never landed on the wrong side of the law.
But she did get arrested for ignoring a pile of parking tickets, and then relied on Sid’s services to get out of jail. However, she subsequently failed to show up in court, and Sid currently finds himself facing the prospect of losing the $50,000 he put up as collateral.
So, Milo gets the shock of his life when he opens the file the Friday he learns that his latest assignment is to track down Nicole by Monday morning. Of course, this proves easier said than done, since he still has feelings for her and would rather reconcile than send her up the river. On top of that, she’s currently close to cracking the case of the mysterious disappearance of Jimmy (Adam Rose), the bartender at a local haunt named O’Doul’s.
The evidence that something’s amiss is that his car’s windshield is smashed. Nicole passes herself off as Jimmy’s girlfriend, Lakeesha, to slip past his suspicious landlady (Jayne Houdyshell) in order to snoop around his apartment for more clues.
As it turns out he might have been a stool pigeon who made enemies of the mob. However, before Nicole has a chance to get to the bottom of the story, guess who shows up and places her in handcuffs.
What ensues is a battle of the exes/Mafia comedy which fails to do justice to either genre. For it’s never really established why Nicole would want a Neanderthal like Milo back, nor is the missing persons whodunit the least bit compelling. A romantic comedy with no chemistry between the leads, and a crime caper with no tension, adds up to a deadly combination to be avoided at all costs.
A great time killer for anybody who needs help being bored.

Fair (1 star)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, violence and sexuality.
Running time: 111 Minutes
Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Repo Men

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Forest Whitaker and Jude Law Buddy-Up in Cautionary Sci-Fi

Repo Man (1984) was a gritty cult hit about a couple of enforcers in a nasty line of work, namely, repossessing automobiles from folks who’d fallen behind in their car payments. A generation later, we now have Repo Men upping the ante, for this relatively-grisly, sci-fi adventure resurrects the same theme but applies it to the field of healthcare.
Set in the not too distant future, the picture revolves around the gruesome exploits of Jake (Forest Whitaker) and Remy (Jude Law), employees of The Union, a mega medical services corporation. The two have been best friends since grade school, and even fought in the war together while serving in a tank unit overseas. Today, they still have each other’s back on a job which literally calls for them to cut body parts out of the torsos of delinquent clients, even if they have to remove a vital organ.
This state of affairs doesn’t sit well with Remy’s wife, Carol (Carice Van Houten), who’s been pressuring her husband to quit, especially because of the example he’s setting for their young son, Peter (Chandler Canterbury). But due to mounting financial responsibilities, Remy can’t resign until he has another way of making the same money. Besides, he finds it easy to rationalize chopping hearts out of the chests of deadbeat patients, between the encouragement of his boss, Frank (Live Schreiber), and the healthy enthusiasm of his pal, Jake, for each of their assignments.
The straw that breaks the wife’s back arrives the day he excuses himself from a holiday barbecue to remove a kidney from a client in a cab parked right in front of their house. Carol subsequently not only changes the lock on the door and puts his suitcase by the curb, but she denies him visitation rights to boot. Remy takes it surprisingly in stride, finding a younger girlfriend (Alice Braga) who offers a sympathetic shoulder to lean on.
However, the plot thickens when he needs a heart transplant himself, and then has trouble meeting the monthly finance charges. And it’s not hard to guess who is assigned to chase him down when the account is 90 days past due.
So unfolds Repo Men, one of those splatter flicks which seemingly celebrates dismemberment as a beautiful blood sport. It’s hard to recall a movie where people were murdered with such glee and utter abandon. You would also think that in such a high-tech, futuristic scenario, the medical community would by then have devised a more tasteful and antiseptic way of handling patients in default.
Forest Whitaker has proven he can play a villain in the past, just look at how brilliant he was in Panic Room and The Last King of Scotland. Unfortunately, he’s woefully ill-suited for this red meat, vivisection vehicle. Best thought of as a parnoid fantasy of what’s over the horizon if the macabre rumors about the Obamacare death panels are true.

Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity, graphic violence, grisly images, sexuality and nudity.
Running time: 111 Minutes
Distributor: Universal Pictures

The Men Who Stare at Goats DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: George Clooney’s Conspiracy Theory Comedy Comes to DVD


If you listen to the radio in the middle of the night, perhaps you’ve tuned in to Coast-to-Coast AM, that nationally-syndicated, radio talk show which gives credence to guests with wild theories about all sorts of paranormal activities. Well, if you’re entertained by patently preposterous discussions of ESP and mental telepathy, then The Men Who Stare at Goats is likely to be right up your alley.
The movie is based on the best seller of the same name by Jon Ronson, a British journalist claiming to have uncovered a top secret U.S. Army unit comprised of psychics capable of walking through walls and killing animals simply by staring at them, hence the self-explanatory title. The film version, directed by Grant Heslov, has been adapted to the screen by scriptwriter Peter Straughan as more of a comedy than a piece of investigative journalism.
The picture features a stellar cast, starting with Ewan McGregor as Bob Wilton, a depressed reporter desperate to find the meaning of life after being unceremoniously left by his wife (Rebecca Mader) for his boss (Todd La Tourrette). Then, while covering the war over in the Middle East, Bob stumbles upon a big scoop, when he encounters Lyn Cassady (George Clooney).
For Cassady reveals via both demonstrations and a series of vivid flashbacks that he is a member of the New Earth Army, a motley crew of metaphysical monks first founded by Vietnam vet Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) as a force for peace, not war. Over the course of the ensuing improbably adventure, Lyn explains the powers they have attempted to harness, such as communicating telepathically with submarines, seeing into the future, optimal trajectory, phasing, cloud bursting and psychic projection.
The Men Who Stare at Goats is a one-trick pony, or should I say one-trick goat, which gets stale pretty fast. What we have here is basically a bunch of delusional wackos being indulged by the U.S. government on the remote chance that they might actually be onto something. But how long can you laugh at slight variations of the same joke, whether the wannabe psychics are trying to bend a spoon, walk through a wall, drive blindfolded or else what?
A flawed flick strictly for the paranoid conspiracy theory crowd.

Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity, drug use and brief nudity.
Running time: 94 minutes
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment/Overture Films
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, character bios, director’s audio commentary, author’s audio commentary, theatrical trailer and a couple of featurettes.

Brothers DVD

 

 

DVD Review by Kam Williams

 

Headline: Remake of Danish Dysfunctional Family Saga Due on DVD

 

Brothers amounts to a slight variation of Brodre (2004), a disturbing examination of the repercussions of War on Terror as experienced by a Danish family. As is often the case with remakes of foreign films, a lot gets lost in the English translation, and this emotionally-eviscerated, watered-down version is given to melodramatic outbursts which make for myriad inappropriate moments of levity.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire share the title role here, playing polar opposites cut from a couple of simplistically-drawn, antagonistic archetypes. At the point of departure, we meet ne’er-do-well Tommy Cahill (Gyllenhaal) who is just being paroled after serving time behind bars for committing a bank robbery. He is picked up from prison by his big brother, Sam (Maguire), a straitlaced Captain in the Marines.

Boy-most-likely Sam is blissfully in love with his high school sweetheart, Grace (Natalie Portman), and together the former football star and cheerleader are raising a couple of cute daughters (Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare) in a picture-perfect, suburban home surrounded by the proverbial picket fence. The fly in the ointment spoiling their sickeningly-sweet utopia is the stop-loss order sending the Afghan War veteran back overseas.

Prior to Sam’s departure, we witness the sharp contrast between his and Tommy’s status inside the Cahill clan. Everybody admires Rock of Gibraltar Sam, while his ex-con sibling simply can’t catch a break. What ensues after the establishment of this promising premise is bizarre beyond belief.

First, Sam is taken prisoner when his helicopter is shot down in the mountains of Afghanistan. Inexplicably, he is subsequently reported as “Killed in Action” which sets off a chain of events that plays out like a perverse variation of the Biblical parable of the Prodigal Son.

Next, seeking redemption, Tommy finally matures, and proves handy around the house while offering his grieving sister-in-law a little more than a shoulder to lean on. Even his nieces suddenly love him to pieces, as they appreciate the presence of an attentive father-figure capable of patiently playing along with their childish pranks.

Then, just when it looks like everybody’s adjusting to life without daddy, the plot predictably thickens when guess who is miraculously resurrected. Sam returns strung out with Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome-induced anger management issues soon to be exacerbated by suspicions that his wife’s been cheating on him with his brother.

A farfetched soap opera that plays like an extended episode of The Jerry Springer Show.

 

Fair (1 star)

Rated R for profanity and disturbing violence.

Running time: 105 minutes

Studio: Lionsgate Home Entertainment

 DVD Extras: Audio commentary by director Jim Sheridan, plus a couple of featurettes: “Remade in the USA: How Brodre became Brothers,” and “Jim Sheridan: Film and Family.”