Product Description

Get ready for the out-of-control bachelor party that’s absolutely hilarious from beginning to end. There is a difference between getting older and growing up!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24947 in DVD
• Brand: UNIVERSAL MUSIC VIDEO DIST.
• Released on: 2006-11-14
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Full Screen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 98 minutes

Features

• 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. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: NR Age: 855280001687 UPC: 855280001687 Manufa

Amazon.com
It's inevitable that The Groomsmen would invite comparisons to Wedding Crashers, but it's actually closer in spirit to Diner. Or Fellini's semi-autobiographical I Vitelloni, which writer/director Edward Burns has claimed as an influence. Sure, the film has its comedic moments, but it isn't a comedy. Sure, Burns and his on-screen pals can be louts, but that's where the similarities to the Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn vehicle end. There's only one wedding in the picture and Paulie (Burns) doesn't need to crash it--he's the one getting married. His fiancée, Sue (Brittany Murphy, who worked with Burns on Sidewalks of New York), is pregnant, so the time has come. Paulie, a Long Island reporter, isn't sure he's ready for the responsibility of marriage and fatherhood. His best buddies, Dez (Mathew Lillard), T.C. (John Leguizamo), cousin Mike (Jay Mohr), and brother Jimbo (Donal Logue), aren't exactly helping to prepare him for the big day. That's because they've got problems of their own and because they're more concerned about getting the band together one last time (a humorous, if overly familiar plot device). Since 1995 breakout hit The Brothers McMullen, originality hasn't been Burns's strong suit and The Groomsmen is no exception, although the believable camaraderie between characters serves to distract from the clichés. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Terrible DVD Cover, swell movie
I Just reviewed LOOKING FOR KITTY, Ed Burns' other neglected 2006 release. This is the finer film (That one is OK, too), a very plausible slice-of-life looking at a group of mid-thirties guys looking at their lives when one, Burns, is getting married (to Brittany Murphy, who has prominence on the cover, and is important, but secondary to the male leads). It's well-tread territory, but Burns has an excellent supporting cast (John Leguiziamo, Jay Mohr, Donnell Logue and Matthew Lillard, who gives his best performance to date) and doesn't force things; there are several well-played scenes where the actors get to do their thing.

The state of theatrical film release in 06 is such that this crowd-pleaser barely got out of New York and L.A., which is a shame; in a summer of overheated overpriced Hollywood flicks it was a nice change of pace. Of course, the dvd box has that "REAL GENIUS/ MODERN LOVE what where they thinking?" photoshop quality -- Burns is never seen wearing that ridiculous shirt at any time in the movie (it looks like its 1985 and he's going to the Flock of Seagulls concert or something), nor does he ever carry her on his shoulders like that. The theatrical poster showed the five guys in a bar having a drink, and that should've stayed the cover, as it didn't mislead the viewer. The film is a comedy, but it's not a WEDDING CRASHERS comedy, definitely more of a meeting of BIG CHILL or RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS SEVEN with THE BREAKFAST CLUB. Take a look.

Don't look for truth in packaging here,
It looks like a fun movie, but it's not really funny. It's kind of sad and annoyingly tiring as you watch grown men hmmm and hawww as they decide whether to do the various right things or not.

Of course they all do, mostly, in the end, albeit still with a sort of adolescent crescendo of silliness and overstated comaradarie that also gets kind of old.

What this is, actually, is something of a male drama about five "30 something" friends going through various stages of life, trying to be supportive and helpful to each other as they prepare for one of their "own's" weddings. It's okay, it's fairly well edited, it's sometimes interesting, and it's full of talented actors and actresses, but it's still not outstanding entertainment.

This could be a decent rental on a rainy day but never quite crosses the threshold into solid entertainment. Some good moments and commentary on married and single life, parents and friends. Not highly recommended, but not too bad, either.

Thirtysomething Men Facing Mid Life Crises
The Groomsmen is a movie about growing up and dealing with the facts of life as one approaches the thirty- something years. This movie features Edward Burns who stars, directs, and wrote this movie. He plays Paulie, a man who is more stable than the guys he has chosen for his wedding party but who starts to fall apart as his wedding day draws nearer. He is starting to wonder whether or not he should really get married and talking to his brother and friends only complicates matters. He is starting to doubt how he feels even though, deep down inside, his feelings are true. It appears to be an instance of cold feet but it is up to Paulie to figure this out and he has only seven days to come to his senses.

Each of the five friends/family in this movie has some sort of personal problem/issue and this forms the basis of the film. The guys are a little juvenile at times and a little abrasive at others. They are outspoken and yet they have a difficult time expressing certain personal concerns. This basically sums up what the movie is all about. It isn't a goofy slapstick comedy about a guy and his wedding party. In fact, there are no actual wedding scenes relating to the movie until the end when the credits roll. This is actually a movie about family matters, friendship, confession, reconciliation, and acceptance.

This movie is part comedy and part drama with the bulk of the time spent on serious moments and emotional trauma. I watched this film hoping for some comedy but I wasn't disappointed with what I got. The Groomsmen is generally a serious movie and I admit I wasn't impressed when I started to view it. At first, it appeared to be an annoying waste of time with a bunch of guys drinking away their problems, allowing their tempers to flare at each other, and trying to reconnect with their younger days. The film slowly takes shape near the end when the pieces start to fall into place.

Performances in this film are nice and those who view will likely find someone they can relate to. Emotions run high in this movie, whether it's an adrenaline- fueled outburst or a personal moment between one of the guys and his wife. And the guys and girls in this movie are effective in conveying these emotions. Ironically, Edward Burns himself might be the least acceptable of the cast. His Paulie character is a little stiff and Burns performance is nothing exceptional. But he is still adequate and the support he gets from those around him easily compensate for his own blandness.

The Groomsmen isn't a film that will appeal to everyone. The primary audience for this movie is thirty something males and the women who live with them. The movie seems a little shallow at first and I know that some viewers will be turned off by the constant cussing and the physical fighting. But I must give Edward Burns credit for taking what looked to be a hodgepodge of a film and turning it into a worthwhile piece of entertainment with a messages that ring clear: Communicate, be honest, and let others know how you feel. Don't wait until tomorrow to get something off your chest. Be true to yourself and let your feelings be known. Too much waiting and you could miss out on some of the best years of your life.