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Brother's Keeper

7.2

95

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Original title: Brother's Keeper
Year: 1992
Running time: 104 min.
Country: United States
Director: Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
Cast: Documentary
Music: Molly Mason, Jay Ungar
Cinematography: Douglas Cooper, Richard Hissong
Producer: American Playhouse, Hand to Mouth Productions
Genre: Documentary. Mystery | Crime. Courtroom Drama / Lawyers. Small Town Life (North-american)
Synopsis: This documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky details the murder trial of Delbert Ward. Delbert was a member of a family of four elderly brothers, working as semi-literate farmers and living together in isolation from the rest of society until William's death. A police investigation and Medical Examiner's autopsy suggested that Bill may not have died from natural causes and Delbert was arrested on charges of Second-Degree Murder. Under questioning by police, Delbert appears to have waived his rights and signed a confession, but this film suggests that he may not have been competent to do so. The film explores possible motives for the crime, from 'mercy-killing' (Bill was ill at the time) to progressively more bizarre hypotheses. It also shows how residents of the rural community of Munnsville, NY rallied to the support of one of their own residents (previously considered a social outcast), against what they felt were intrusive 'big-city' police and District Attorney tactics.

Awards: 1992: Sundance: Audience Award

1992: New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Documentary

1992: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Best Director / Documentary

1992: Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Documentary

1992: National Society of Film Critics (NSFC): nominated to Best Documentary.

1992: National Board of Review (NBR): Best Documentary.

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Critics' reviews

"'Brother's Keeper' has the texture, emotion and raw urgency of a Woody Guthrie anthem -- it keeps coming back to haunt you."

Peter Travers: Rolling Stone
"A documentary as compelling as the best whodunit."

Rita Kempley: The Washington Post
"'Brother's Keeper', the year's best documentary, has an impact and immediacy that most fiction films can only envy. It tells a strong story, and some passages are truly inspirational"

Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times
"On par with the most compelling courtroom dramas, Brother's Keeper is all the more fascinating because it presents a reality as complex as any fictional plot could ever be"

Seattle Times
"A celebration of brotherly love in the form of a documentary about a possible mercy killing. It explores, with mercy and compassion, the paradoxes inherent to the concept of mercy killing, a crime of love rather than hate."

Nathan Rabin: AV Club

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User history

Brother's Keeper

1992

Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

7.2

(95)