Brother to Brother (film)

Brother to Brother is a film written and directed by Rodney Evans and released in 2004. The film debuted at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival before playing the gay and lesbian film festival circuit, with a limited theatrical release in late 2004.

Brother to Brother
Promotional movie poster for the film
Directed byRodney Evans
Written byRodney Evans
Produced byRodney Evans
Jim McKay
Isen Robbins
Aimee Schoof
StarringAnthony Mackie
Roger Robinson
Duane Boutte
CinematographyHarlan Bosmajian
Edited bySabine Hoffmann
Music byBarney McAll
Marc Anthony Thompson
Dave Warrin
Distributed byWolfe Releasing
Release date
  • January 17, 2004 (2004-01-17)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$80,906[1]

Plot

Black art student Perry (Anthony Mackie) is thrown out by his parents for his homosexuality and is further disturbed by a potential romantic entanglement with a white boy in his class. He befriends an elderly homeless man named Bruce Nugent (Roger Robinson), who turns out to have been an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Through recalling his friendships with other important Harlem Renaissance figures Langston Hughes (Daniel Sunjata), Aaron Douglas (Leith M. Burke), Wallace Thurman (Ray Ford) and Zora Neale Hurston (Aunjanue Ellis), Bruce chronicles some of the challenges he faced as a young, black, gay writer in the 1920s. Perry discovers that the challenges of homophobia and racism he faces in the early 21st century closely parallel Bruce's.

Inspiration

The film was inspired by a 1991 anthology titled Brother to Brother: New Writing by Black Gay Men. The editing of the book was started by Joseph Beam and, when he died in 1988, finished by Essex Hemphill. Evans chose the title. In an interview after the film's release, Evans said: "I thought of the film as a cinematic corollary to that book, which looked at Black gay life from different perspectives. I thought the piece was about relationships between Black men; the relationships were not necessarily sexual and the men were not necessarily gay."[2]

Cast
  • Anthony Mackie as Perry
  • Roger Robinson as Bruce
  • Alex Burns as Jim
  • Kevin Jackson as Isaiah - College Professor
  • Billoah Greene as Rahsan
  • Brad Bailey as Subway Grifter (billed as Brad Baily)
  • Brian Everett Chandler as Mr. Williams
  • Shantell Herndon as Classroom Girl #1
  • Ryan Michelle Bathe as Classroom Girl #2
  • Duane Boutte as Young Bruce (billed as Duane Boutté)
  • Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Marcus (billed as Larry Gilliard Jr.)
  • Oni Faida Lampley as Evelyn
  • James Martinez as Julio - Perry's Boyfriend in Flashbacks
  • Lucas Papaelias as Danny
  • Daniel Sunjata as Langston Hughes
  • Ray Ford as Wally (Wallace Thurman)
  • Randy Frazier as Tom
  • Carlton J. Smith as Homophobic Subway Preacher (billed as Carlton Smith)
  • Lance Reddick as James Baldwin
  • Chad L. Coleman as El (billed as Chad Coleman)
  • Leith M. Burke as Aaron Douglas
  • Aunjanue Ellis as Zora Neale Hurston
  • Anthony Briatico as Young Italian Kisser
  • Reid Mihalko as Harald
  • Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt as Young Italian Kisser #2 (billed as BJ Perlmutt)
  • Richard Bekins as Carl
  • Adam Wade as Sam, the Bartender
  • Bradley Cole as MacAllister - Book Publisher
  • Raphael Peacock as Newsstand Cashier
  • Lizan Mitchell as Protesting Woman
  • Laurine Towler as Protesting Woman #2
  • Adrian Bethea as Protesting Man #1
  • Stanley Mathis as Protesting Man #2 (billed as Stanley Wayne Mathis)
  • Tom Wiggin as Mr. Lewis
  • J. Kyle Manzay as Attacker #1
  • Michael Duvert as Attacker #2
  • Tracie Thoms as Mom on Subway
  • Curtis McClarin as Black Man on Subway (billed as Curtis L. McClarin)
  • Michael Mosley as White Man #1 on Subway
  • Daniel Stewart Sherman as White Man #2 on Subway
  • Charles Vickers as Bathhouse Patron
  • John Hartman as Bathhouse Patron
  • Colin Howie as Bathhouse Patron
  • Andre Dettler as Bathhouse Patron
  • Ashley Fernandez as Bathhouse Patron
  • Patrick Torso as Bathhouse Patron

Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics, who applauded its handling of themes of queer community and racial turmoil and fetishization. At NPR, Allison Keyes wrote that "the voices of gay activists were often silenced during the civil rights movement and, before that, the Harlem Renaissance" and "Brother to Brother examines this silence."[3]

Michael D. Klemm wrote in Cinema Queer that the film is "a revelation," "beautifully acted and directed" and "almost overflows with ideas."[4]

Awards and nominations

Home media

Brother to Brother was released on Region 1 DVD on June 14, 2004.

References
  1. "Brother to Brother (2004) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  2. Davis, Andrew. "Rodney Evans: Talking Brother to Brother". Windy City Times. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  3. Keyes, Allison. "'Brother To Brother': Blacks and Homosexuality". NPR.org. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  4. Klemm, Michael D. "Sentimental Journey". Cinema Queer. Retrieved November 21, 2021.

Further reading
  • Padva, Gilad (2014). Black Nostalgia: Poetry, Ethnicity, and Homoeroticism in Looking for Langston and Brother to Brother. In Padva, Gilad, Queer Nostalgia in Cinema and Pop Culture, pp. 199–226. Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 978-1-137-26633-0.
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