While seriously lacking in polish, Burns's debut has an edge on most of its big-ticket competition thanks to its bright dialogue and a couple of sweet performances, including one by the writer-director himself.

This is not a "religious" film, and the brothers are far from saints. But they know right and wrong, and in their imperfect ways they are struggling to attain a state of grace. Sometimes they slip. Sometimes they don't struggle so hard. Life's like that.

Burns is by far its most compelling presence, and the movie can sag when he is off-screen. But it presents glancing insights into repression, the terror of modern relationships, and... the male need for a protective shield.

While the movie is a beloved favorite for many, and it deserves a certain margin of error for being a first film and realistically evoking city life, it does not age as well as some of Burns’ other movies in terms of momentum