The Brothers McMullen
Many people profess a religious faith, but how strongly held are the beliefs? When the people are faced with a choice between the religious dogma or a personal desire, which is most important? This movie illustrates the lives of three brothers who were raised Catholic.
The most religious brother, Patrick (Mike McClone), wears his faith on his sleeve, and he lets everyone know about it. But his actions are at odds with it. He has premarital sex using birth control. When his girlfiend becomes pregnant anyway, he must accept her choice to have an abortion. After they break up, he falls for a childhood friend who has become a pro-abortion activist and has renounced Catholicism.
The other two brothers are less devout. The oldest, Jack (Jack Mulcahy) sounds agnostic: "Why should I spend all my time and waste all my faith on something I have absolutely no proof ever existed?" The third brother, Barry (played by Edward Burns, who also wrote, produced, and directed) is a cynic who is the most troubled by the actions of their late father.
The movie is low budget but well-acted and heartfelt, as the brothers struggle to find happiness in their lives. Their religious faith, or lack of it, doesn't appear to be an essential ingredient, although they discuss it frequently. The movie is on video.