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Brother to Brother

Play trailer Poster for Brother to Brother 2004 1h 34m Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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76% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Perry (Anthony Mackie) is a would-be painter struggling to find his voice as an artist and his identity as a black gay man. When his disapproving father kicks him out, he winds up in a homeless shelter where he meets a sympathetic gay poet named Bruce (Roger Robinson). As they get to know each other, Perry learns that Bruce was at the center of the 1920s and '30s Harlem Renaissance and faced many of the same prejudices and challenges in his day that Perry faces now.

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Brother to Brother

Brother to Brother

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Critics Consensus

Led by two fine lead performances, Brother to Brother is a moving and thought-provoking dramatization of the Harlem Renaissance.

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Critics Reviews

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John Leonard New York Magazine/Vulture Jan 19, 2018
... it is more than welcome, full of generous quotations and ancestor worship-a memory book, a bildungsroman, and practically a palimpsest, with the past written over but not at all erased, still signifying. Go to Full Review Richard Porton Chicago Reader Sep 29, 2017
Evans's admirable desire to introduce a misunderstood era's legacy to a wider public helps to excuse the film's occasional clunky dialogue and narrative longueurs. Go to Full Review Philip Wuntch Dallas Morning News Apr 21, 2005
B-
Takes on a plethora of phobias. Homophobia, racial prejudice and age discrimination are among its targets, and it hits them squarely and fairly. Go to Full Review Alistair Lawrence Common Sense Media Jun 30, 2021
3/5
Despite its modest budget, this honorable drama that fearlessly portrays the lives of gay, Black American men through two different eras, has becomes something of a cult favorite. Go to Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site Feb 15, 2021
Evans manages to treat the Harlem Renaissance without a single reference to the impact of the Russian Revolution and socialism on figures like Langston Hughes. Go to Full Review Kam Williams AALBC.com Jan 9, 2007
4/4
A refreshingly-honest empowerment flick set against an historical examination of African-American homosexuality. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Garry A @heavyg Feb 1, 2026 There was a lot going on in this film. Topics of racism, gay bashing, and people struggling to be their selves in an authentic way were all handled in thought provoking ways. See more Jul 8, 2022 According to Amazon, they thought this might be a decent view, it's not. Don't waste your time, keep scrolling. See more Oct 31, 2015 Fine performances all around. The Harlem Renaissance from 1918 - 1929 and the rebirth of African American culture and intelligence through art, poetry, and the written word were explored through the eyes of racism, homophobia, and age discrimination. Interesting theme in that words and art were used as power back then... not guns and excuses. Would have been 5 stars, but I thought the film was attempting too many subplots that were distracting. #langstonhughes #wallacethurman #zoranealehurston See more Nov 29, 2012 deep movie that gives you a inside look to another life See more Nov 17, 2012 I liked seeing Anthony M in this..so cute! And it was an informative movie about gays at one time in Harlem and Anthony Mackie's character was very interesting. Worth watching at least once. See more Aug 12, 2012 Rodney Evans' biopic on Bruce Nugent, intercut with the modern-day struggles of a young black man, doesn't reach the satisfaction that it should. It's main flaw is that Evans merges two fascinating stories into one film, resulting in neither chief protagonists being fully explored or developed, especially since very little is known about Nugent et. al. outside of the United States. On the plus side, 'Brother to Brother' is a well-photographed piece (despite its obvious low budget) and the performances are solid, particularly from Anthony Mackie, Alex Burns and Roger Robinson. A good film - and one to be recommended - but it could've been a masterpiece. See more Read all reviews
Brother to Brother

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Cast & Crew

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Rodney Evans

Director

Anthony Mackie

Perry

Roger Robinson

Bruce Nugent

Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

Marcus

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Zora

Duane Boutte

Young Bruce

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Brother to Brother

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Movie Info

Synopsis Perry (Anthony Mackie) is a would-be painter struggling to find his voice as an artist and his identity as a black gay man. When his disapproving father kicks him out, he winds up in a homeless shelter where he meets a sympathetic gay poet named Bruce (Roger Robinson). As they get to know each other, Perry learns that Bruce was at the center of the 1920s and '30s Harlem Renaissance and faced many of the same prejudices and challenges in his day that Perry faces now.
Director
Rodney Evans
Producer
Rodney Evans, Jim McKay, Isen Robbins, Aimee Schoof
Screenwriter
Rodney Evans
Distributor
Wolfe Video
Production Co
Miasma Films, Intrinsic Value Films, C-Hundred Film Corp.
Genre
Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 17, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 22, 2016
Runtime
1h 34m
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