The Brothers: A Love Story

In this 1973 film by Jason Soto, The Brothers, a soldier home on leave from Vietnam discovers love - the love of his brother! The Brothers: A Love Story begins with a one-night stand. Vince tells his lover that he has to go pick up his brother Rick from the airport. The lover asks if he's as cute as Vince. Vince gives the lover his card and leaves. He says he hasn't seen his brother in four years, due to constant traveling and the fact that he enlisted in the army. Once Rick arrives, he quickly notices Vince's constant cruising, after Vince interrupts their conversation, during a walk through a marina, to exchange numbers with a young man. Later that night, Vince's roommate Penny entertains Rick by lipsynching to a Nat King Cole song, while Vince makes dinner. Vince asks Penny to take Rick out for the night because he invited the man he met at the marina over to fool around. Penny agrees, but teases that he should wait to get his rocks off until after his baby brother leaves, and that she thinks he wants to get into his little brother's pants. Vince fools around with the young blond-haired boy he met at the marina as Rick and Penny listen to 50s pop hits at her apartment. When they start to dance, Penny suddenly becomes uncomfortable and asks Rick to leave. When Rick returns to Vince's house, Vince asks Rick how the night was. Rick tells Vince he knows and says that he doesn't need to put up a front. Vince doesn't want to talk about the issue any further. The next day, while Vince is out, Vince's friend Jake comes to the house with a trick. Rick sees them having intercourse and leaves the house in a rush. Vince arrives back to the house just as Rick gets out the front door. Vince is upset when he enters to find Jake and the trick lying naked on the floor. Rick takes a long walk along the beach. He calls Penny, and she tells him angrily that she is not interested in him and that she doesn't want to see him again. Rick returns to the house and tells Vince to stop being guarded. He then reveals to Vince that he loves him and proceeds to put his hand on Vince's shoulder. They embrace and kiss tenderly. Then Vince and Rick make passionate love together, family style. The next day Vince drops Rick off at he airport, and Rick salutes Vince as he leaves to return to the army. The Brothers ends with a scene of Vince at a vast cemetery kneeling to touch a gravestone. It is assumed Rick has been a casualty of the Vietnam War, news accounts of which have been audible, throughout the movie, in radio news reports. The camera pans away from Rick, revealing the endless sea of gravestones. Cast: Bill Hallmark, Lief, Jay Jay Kent, Rick Keeling, Penelope Spheeris (Penny), Rick Jule (Rick), Mountain (Vince)