Five Friends (2010)

We live in the age of the "bromance." Never has pop culture been so fascinated with male friendships. What do they look like? Why are they important? And how do we talk about them without seeming...unmanly? Films like "I Love You, Man" or the recent GQ article entitled "Are You Man Enough for the Man-Date?" are just a couple of examples of how society is wrestling with what male relationships look like in our evolving society. But even the word "bromance" implies a certain awkwardness and an uncertainty about how to refer to these close relationships between men. Early American writer and philosopher, Elbert Hubbard, said, 'My father always used to say that when you die if you've got five real friends you've had a great life.' Five Friends is the story of how one man sought to live that life. Beautifully shot, from the mountains of Southern California to the New England coastline, "Five Friends" captures the intimate relationships of a 65-year-old man and his five friends as they reflect on their lives together, support each other in personal struggle and mine the depths of meaningful friendship. Success, conflict, marriage, divorce, fatherhood, children and dying. These men reveal their fears and dreams to one another in a profound exploration of vulnerability and transparency among men. From touching moments to horrific tragedy and darkness, the spectrum of human emotion colors this breathtaking portrait.