Brothers Movie Cast, Plot and Everything to Know

Plot

When a decorated Marine goes missing overseas, his black-sheep younger brother cares for his wife and children at home—with consequences that will shake the foundation of the entire family.

“Brothers” tells the powerful story of two siblings, thirty-something Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) and younger brother Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal), who are polar opposites. A Marine about to embark on his fourth tour of duty, Sam is a steadfast family man married to his high school sweetheart, the aptly named Grace (Natalie Portman), with whom he has two young daughters (Bailee Madison, Taylor Grace Geare). Tommy, his charismatic younger brother, is a drifter just out of jail who’s always gotten by on wit and charm. He slides easily into his role as family provocateur on his first night out of prison, at Sam’s farewell dinner with their parents, Elsie (Mare Winningham) and Hank Cahill (Sam Shepard), a retired Marine.

Shipped out to Afghanistan, Sam is presumed dead when his Black Hawk helicopter is shot down in the mountains. At home in suburbia, the Cahill family suddenly faces a shocking void, and Tommy tries to fill in for his brother by assuming newfound responsibility for himself, Grace, and the children.

But Sam is not dead; he and a fellow soldier have been captured by Taliban fighters. In Afghanistan’s harsh, remote Pamir Mountains, Sam is subjected to traumas that threaten to rob him of his very humanity. At the same time that Sam’s sense of self is being destroyed overseas, Tommy’s self-image is strengthening at home. And in the grief and strangeness of their new lives, Grace and Tommy are naturally drawn together. Their longstanding frostiness dissolves, but both are ashamed of the mutual attraction that has replaced it.

When Sam unexpectedly returns to the States, a nervous mood settles over the family. Sam, uncharacteristically withdrawn and volatile, grows suspicious of his brother and his wife. Their familiar roles now nearly reversed, Sam and Tommy end up facing the ultimate physical and mental challenge when they confront each other. In the shifting family dynamics, who will dominate? And how will the brothers come to terms with issues of love, loyalty, and manhood—and with the woman caught between them?

Drama

• 
  Tobey Maguire

  The Great Gatsby, Labor Day

• 
  Jake Gyllenhaal

  The Bride!, Remain

• 
  Natalie Portman

  Fountain of Youth, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - 25th Anniversary

• 
  Bailee Madison

  Just Go With It, A Week Away

• T
  Taylor Geare

  Dream House

• S
  Sam Shepard

  The Notebook, Out of the Furnace

• C
  Clifton Collins

  Transcendence, Small Town Crime

• M
  Mare Winningham

  St. Elmo’s Fire, Geostorm

Who is making Brothers – Crew List

A look at Brothers behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Jim Sheridan last helmed Dream House and Get Rich or Die Tryin'. The film's writer David Benioff last penned Gemini Man and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Director

Jim Sheridan

Screenwriter

David Benioff

Producers

Ryan Kavanaugh
Michael De Luca
Joni Sighvatsson

Production – What we know about the Brothers

Copy link to Production – What we know about the Brothers

Key Facts

• A remake of 2004 Danish film.

Movie Filming Timeline: Production Status Updates

Mar 2010

Completed

Changed Brothers movie production status. The movie is ready for release.

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Additional Information

Q&A: Asked about Brothers

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