I saw this film recently on cable and found it almost Shakespearean in its depiction of family trouble: fundamental character flaws or weaknesses leading to tragedy, pride keeping the truth from being known when it would be better to bring things out in the open, old secrets coming back to wreak havoc.It's not always an easy film to watch, because you want to stop certain things from happening. But every character is multi-dimensional and real, and - as in Shakespeare - there is humor in the story and hope for recovery and redemption in the end. I cared about these people and their situation.Slow going at times, but give it a chance - it lingers.

When a young man, Tom (Peter Berg), comes home to visit his family, he finds that since he has left the Warrens have become majorly disfunctional as a result of his father's hidden infidelity. His father, Edward (Peter Coyote), refuses to deal with these problems, going into denial and pretending that everything is fine. His older brother Charley (Vincent D'Onofrio) attempts to get kicked out of the family by causing emotional trouble, becoming violent, and he finally beats up Tom in the end, to no avail; Tom realizes that Edward won't throw Charley out because that would be letting him win.This is the sort of dark little film which is original and wonderfully written but too subdued and depressing to ever gain wider acceptance. The tale of a family's descent into mutual distrust and self pity is not something most people would be willing to watch, regardless of the quality of the work.Good directorial work and writing here. The performances are also all solid, especially D'Onofrio as the aggressive sociopath son and Noah Wyle as his brother Ask, such a riveting performance from a young Wyle. Take the time to watch this at least once if you see it on the movie channels. It's too extreme for many people to relate to, but it does keep you entertained, and it has a good, realistic ending.

This would have to be one of my all-time favourite films!!! It's one of those brilliant little gems that get lost in the midst of all the over-hyped, formulaic things that Hollywood insists upon pumping out time after time. It is a story of a family torn apart by the indescression of one member. It is real & true & what people are willing to do to the ones they love. It is a must see for anyone sick of Hollywood hype. But be prepared to cry!!!

This film starts out as a portrail of idealistic family life, then desends into something much deeper and darker. Many facets of relationships are shown, especially between father and sons. I enjoyed this film I liked the central theme of "can you trust another member of your family" which seemed to be concurrent throughout the film