The Brothers McMullen

Shot on weekends over an eight-month period with practically no budget, writer/director/producer/actor Edward Burns' first feature is a family drama centering on the tumultuous love lives of three small-town, Irish-American brothers. Burns stars as Barry, the middle child who finds himself needing a place to stay and moves in with big brother Jack (Jack Mulcahy). Despite being seemingly happily married to Molly (Connie Britton), Jack gives in to temptation and begins having a sexual affair. All the while, devout-Catholic baby brother Patrick (Mike McGlone) faces an ongoing struggle to deal with the religious leanings of the women in his life. The Brothers McMullen premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival, where it was at the center of a fierce bidding war. — Matthew Tobey