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The Brother from Another Planet

  • 1984
  • R
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
Joe Morton in The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.
Play trailer1:09
1 Video
83 Photos
SatireComedySci-Fi

A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.

  • Directors
    • Craig Laurence Rice
    • John Sayles
  • Writer
    • John Sayles
  • Stars
    • Joe Morton
    • Daryl Edwards
    • Rosanna Carter
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    6.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Craig Laurence Rice
      • John Sayles
    • Writer
      • John Sayles
    • Stars
      • Joe Morton
      • Daryl Edwards
      • Rosanna Carter
    • 49User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:09
    Trailer

    Photos83

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    Top cast51

    Edit
    Joe Morton
    Joe Morton
    • The Brother
    Daryl Edwards
    Daryl Edwards
    • Fly
    Rosanna Carter
    • West Indian Woman
    Ray Ramirez
    • Hispanic Man
    Yves Rene
    • Haitian Man
    Peter Richardson
    • Islamic Man
    Ginny Yang
    • Korean Shopkeeper
    Steve James
    Steve James
    • Odell
    Leonard Jackson
    Leonard Jackson
    • Smokey
    Bill Cobbs
    Bill Cobbs
    • Walter
    Maggie Renzi
    Maggie Renzi
    • Noreen
    Olga Merediz
    Olga Merediz
    • Noreen's Client
    Tom Wright
    Tom Wright
    • Sam
    Minnie Gentry
    • Mrs. Brown
    Renn Woods
    Renn Woods
    • Bernice
    • (as Ren Woods)
    Reggie Rock Bythewood
    Reggie Rock Bythewood
    • Rickey
    Alvin Alexis
    Alvin Alexis
    • Willis
    Caroline Aaron
    Caroline Aaron
    • Randy Sue Carter
    • Directors
      • Craig Laurence Rice
      • John Sayles
    • Writer
      • John Sayles
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Sayles financed most of this movie himself. According to Wikipedia, "Sayles describes this movie as being about the immigrant experience of assimilation. He spent part of his MacArthur Fellows 'genius' grant on the film, which cost $350,000 to produce".
    • Goofs
      After Little Earl takes off his band-aid, and The Brother heals his knee, the band-aid reappears where his cut was.
    • Quotes

      Bernice: What you want for dinner?

      Odell: You mean, what do I *want*, or what do I want that you can *cook*?

      Bernice: Well, in that case, where are you taking me?

      Odell: Yeah, what do you want to have?

      Bernice: You mean, what do I *want*, or what do I want that you can *afford*?

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Teachers/Country/The Brother from Another Planet/Old Enough (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Homeboy
      Sung by Joe Morton
      By Mason Daring and John Sayles
      Sweet Melodies Publishing/ASCAP

    User reviews49

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10

    Great Cult Film.

    This is one of the best and most underrated movies I have ever seen. This is a brilliant black comedy with great social commentary on racism and classism. I loved it the first time I saw it, and it held up when I bought it on DVD. This is definitely worth the time it takes to watch it, and you will find yourself quoting the movie later. The "Beer . . . on the Rocks" quote is my personal favorite, but the card trick is a close second. Have fun with this little known, early John Sayles Masterpiece.
    • film_aficionado
    • Mar 21, 2004
    • Permalink

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    FAQ19

    • How long is The Brother from Another Planet?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 14, 1984 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Der Typ vom anderen Stern
    • Filming locations
      • Ellis Island, New York Harbor, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Anarchist's Convention Films
      • UCLA Film and Television Archive
      • A-Train Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $350,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,677,209
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,677,209
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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