Brothers (2009) - Revision history

MovieWiki at 11:03, 13 April 2026

2026-04-13T11:03:59Z

MovieWiki: Add wiki links to all unlinked cast members

2026-02-21T21:00:46Z

Add wiki links to all unlinked cast members

MovieWiki: Fix field names: reception → criticalreception, franchise → movieseries

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Fix field names: reception → criticalreception, franchise → movieseries

MovieWiki: Add producer, tagline, box office, soundtrack, 3 new trivia items, and critical reception section

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Add producer, tagline, box office, soundtrack, 3 new trivia items, and critical reception section

MovieWiki at 12:26, 3 February 2023

2023-02-03T12:26:41Z

MovieWiki at 07:56, 11 July 2020

2020-07-11T07:56:01Z

MovieWiki at 14:55, 21 April 2020

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MovieWiki at 14:55, 21 April 2020

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MovieWiki at 21:43, 9 November 2019

2019-11-09T21:43:53Z

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 about =
-Before leaving on his second tour in Afghanistan, Marine Captain Sam Cahill, a leader, an athlete, a good husband and father, welcomes his screw-up brother Tommy home from prison. He'd robbed a bank. In country, Sam's helicopter is shot down and all are presumed dead. Back home, while Sam wastes away as a prisoner in a remote encampment, Tommy tries to take care of the widow and her two children. While imprisoned, Sam experiences horrors unbearable, so when he's rescued and returns home, he's silent, detached, without affect, and he's convinced his wife and brother have slept together. Demons of war possess him; what will silence them?
+'''Brothers''' is a 2009 American war drama film directed by [[Jim Sheridan]] and written by [[David Benioff]], based on the 2004 Danish film ''Brødre'' by [[Susanne Bier]] and [[Anders Thomas Jensen]]. The film stars [[Tobey Maguire]], [[Jake Gyllenhaal]] and [[Natalie Portman]] in a story exploring the devastating psychological toll of war on a family.
+|
 director = [[Jim Sheridan]]
@@ Line 22: / Line 30: @@
 budget = $26,000,000 (estimated)
+|
-boxoffice = $43,600,000 (worldwide)
+boxoffice = $43,500,000 (worldwide gross). The film earned $28.5 million domestically in the United States and Canada, with an additional $15 million from international territories. Against its $26 million production budget, the film was a modest commercial performer.
+|
 genre =
 * [[:Category:Drama|Drama]]
 * [[:Category:Thriller|Thriller]]
+|
 released = 4 December 2009 (USA)
@@ Line 72: / Line 81: @@
 * [[Jake Gyllenhaal]] learned of the death of his close friend [[Heath Ledger]] while he was in the middle of shooting a scene for this film. Gyllenhaal immediately walked off set, and returned to finish the scene two days later. He then took a longer bereavement leave before he was ready to continue with the rest of his scenes.
 * Originally, Jake Gyllenhaal wanted to play Sam and Tobey Maguire wanted to play Tommy. Jim Sheridan did not feel Maguire was convincing enough to play the "bad" brother, so they switched roles.
-* During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of Ledger to stick on the prison wall. "Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger," one set source recalls. "That was hilarious. It was a nice moment." (This was before Ledger's death).
+* During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of Ledger to stick on the prison wall. "Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger," one set source recalls. That was before Ledger's death.
 * [[Tobey Maguire]] underwent an extreme physical transformation for the role, losing around 15 pounds to portray a gaunt prisoner of war. He also reportedly isolated himself from cast members off set to stay in character.
 * The film is a remake of the acclaimed 2004 Danish film ''Brødre'', directed by [[Susanne Bier]], who also co-wrote the screenplay for that original version.
 * [[Jim Sheridan]] described the film as being about "the wages of war" — not the battlefield itself but what soldiers bring home with them. He drew on research into PTSD among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
+|
 criticalreception =
-Brothers received mixed to positive reviews from critics. [[Jake Gyllenhaal]] and [[Natalie Portman]] were widely praised for their nuanced performances, while [[Tobey Maguire]]'s intense portrayal of a PTSD-afflicted prisoner of war was more divisive — with some critics finding it harrowing and effective, others feeling it tipped into melodrama. [[Jim Sheridan]] was credited for the film's restrained direction and its focus on the emotional aftermath of war rather than combat itself. The performances of the two child actresses, [[Bailee Madison]] and Taylor Geare, also drew significant praise. The film was noted as a thoughtful and emotionally demanding adaptation of its Danish source material.
+Brothers received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 63% approval rating based on 156 reviews, with an average score of 6.2 out of 10. On Metacritic, the film scored 58 out of 100 based on 32 reviews, indicating mixed or average reception. IMDb users rate it 7.1 out of 10.
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 links =
@@ Line 85: / Line 101: @@
 [[Category:Drama]]
 [[Category:Thriller]]

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 * [[Mare Winningham]] as Elsie Cahill
 * [[Bailee Madison]] as Isabelle Cahill
-* Taylor Geare as Maggie Cahill
+* [[Taylor Geare]] as Maggie Cahill
 * [[Patrick John Flueger]] as Private Joe Willis (as Patrick Flueger)
 * [[Clifton Collins Jr.]] as Major Cavazos
 * [[Carey Mulligan]] as Cassie Willis
 * [[Omid Abtahi]] as Yusuf
-* Navid Negahban as Murad
+* [[Navid Negahban]] as Murad
 * [[Ethan Suplee]] as Sweeney
-* Arron Shiver as A.J.
+* [[Arron Shiver]] as A.J.
-* Ray Prewitt as Owen
+* [[Ray Prewitt]] as Owen
-* Jenny Wade as Tina
+* [[Jenny Wade]] as Tina
+|
 soundtrack =

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 * "The Proposal" – [[Thomas Newman]]
+|
-franchise =
+movieseries =
+|
 related =
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 * [[Jim Sheridan]] described the film as being about "the wages of war" — not the battlefield itself but what soldiers bring home with them. He drew on research into PTSD among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
+|
-reception =
+criticalreception =
 Brothers received mixed to positive reviews from critics. [[Jake Gyllenhaal]] and [[Natalie Portman]] were widely praised for their nuanced performances, while [[Tobey Maguire]]'s intense portrayal of a PTSD-afflicted prisoner of war was more divisive — with some critics finding it harrowing and effective, others feeling it tipped into melodrama. [[Jim Sheridan]] was credited for the film's restrained direction and its focus on the emotional aftermath of war rather than combat itself. The performances of the two child actresses, [[Bailee Madison]] and Taylor Geare, also drew significant praise. The film was noted as a thoughtful and emotionally demanding adaptation of its Danish source material.
+|

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Template:Movies |
+{{Template:Movies |where =
 * [https://amzn.to/3cCy6Ux Amazon]
 |image = brothers.jpg
+|
 caption = Brothers (2009)
+|
 about =
 Before leaving on his second tour in Afghanistan, Marine Captain Sam Cahill, a leader, an athlete, a good husband and father, welcomes his screw-up brother Tommy home from prison. He'd robbed a bank. In country, Sam's helicopter is shot down and all are presumed dead. Back home, while Sam wastes away as a prisoner in a remote encampment, Tommy tries to take care of the widow and her two children. While imprisoned, Sam experiences horrors unbearable, so when he's rescued and returns home, he's silent, detached, without affect, and he's convinced his wife and brother have slept together. Demons of war possess him; what will silence them?
+|
@@ Line 13: / Line 11: @@
+|
 writer = [[David Benioff]] (screenplay), [[Susanne Bier]] (motion picture "Brødre") and [[Anders Thomas Jensen]] (motion picture "Brødre")
+|
 time = 1h 45min
@@ Line 20: / Line 22: @@
 budget = $26,000,000 (estimated)
+|
-genre =
+boxoffice = $43,600,000 (worldwide)
 * [[:Category: Drama|Drama]]
-* [[:Category: Thriller|Thriller]]
+genre =
+|
-released =  4 December 2009 (USA)
+released = 4 December 2009 (USA)
+|
 composer = [[Thomas Newman]]
+|
 cast =
 * [[Tobey Maguire]] as Capt. Sam Cahill
 * [[Jake Gyllenhaal]] as Tommy Cahill
@@ Line 35: / Line 39: @@
 * [[Mare Winningham]] as Elsie Cahill
 * [[Bailee Madison]] as Isabelle Cahill
-* [[Taylor Geare]] as Maggie Cahill
+* Taylor Geare as Maggie Cahill
 * [[Patrick John Flueger]] as Private Joe Willis (as Patrick Flueger)
 * [[Clifton Collins Jr.]] as Major Cavazos
 * [[Carey Mulligan]] as Cassie Willis
 * [[Omid Abtahi]] as Yusuf
-* [[Navid Negahban]] as Murad
+* Navid Negahban as Murad
 * [[Ethan Suplee]] as Sweeney
-* [[Arron Shiver]] as A.J.
+* Arron Shiver as A.J.
-* [[Ray Prewitt]] as Owen
+* Ray Prewitt as Owen
-* [[Jenny Wade]] as Tina
+* Jenny Wade as Tina
+|
-movieseries =
+soundtrack =
-* '''Brothers (2009)'''
+* "Brothers" – [[Thomas Newman]]
+|
 related =
@@ Line 62: / Line 73: @@
 * Originally, Jake Gyllenhaal wanted to play Sam and Tobey Maguire wanted to play Tommy. Jim Sheridan did not feel Maguire was convincing enough to play the "bad" brother, so they switched roles.
 * During one intense early prison scene, Gyllenhaal jokingly reached into his pocket and took out a picture of Ledger to stick on the prison wall. "Like those prisoners put [loved ones] on the wall, but Jake's was Heath Ledger," one set source recalls. "That was hilarious. It was a nice moment." (This was before Ledger's death).
+|
 links =
-* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004ECNB0G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004ECNB0G&linkCode=as2&tag=movwiki-21 Amazon]
+* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004ECN80G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B004ECN80G&linkCode=as2&tag=movwiki-21 Amazon]
 }}
-[[Category: Drama]]
+[[Category:Drama]]
-[[Category: Thriller]]
+[[Category:Thriller]]

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 * [[Arron Shiver]] as A.J.
 * [[Ray Prewitt]] as Owen
+|
 movieseries =

@@ Line 47: / Line 47: @@
 * '''Brothers (2009)'''
+|
 related =
 * [[End of Watch (2012)]]
 * [[Source Code (2011)]]

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 cert = R
+|
 genre =