The Groomsmen

Writer, director, actor Ed Burns mines familiar territory with yet another story of Irish-American males struggling with growing up. This time Burns casts himself as a reluctant father-to-be who gets together with his longtime pals to discuss, continuously, their individual plights and struggles, none of which are very interesting or extraordinary, before resigning himself to a life of monogamy and responsibility. Nearly everything is a retread of past Burns' flicks except for the excellent ensemble cast, which includes Jay Mohr as still juvenile cousin Mike and John Leguizamo as T.C., the prodigal friend who returns with a long-held secret. Burns' first version of this story, "The Brothers McMullen" (1995), is still his best.