Despite looking for the good in every situation and the best in every person, Ned always seems to find himself holding the short end of the stick—getting jail time for selling pot to a uniformed cop, being dumped by his girlfriend, and worse yet, losing custody of his beloved dog, Willie Nelson. When he turns to family, he is passed from sister to sister while he gets back on his feet. Ned’s best intentions produce hilariously disastrous results, bringing the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity.
Director Jesse Peretz has a keen eye for idiosyncratic human foibles, especially those that make you laugh. My Idiot Brother rolls along with fine-tuned precision by enlisting the talents of Paul Rudd and a talented cast, who can make uncomfortable moments delightful by infusing characters with the perfect balance of humor and pathos. My Idiot Brother reminds us of something we know already: there is no such thing as a normal family. –Sundance Film Festival
Dostoyevsky as gentle mainstream comedy instead of tragedy. Was really surprised at how well it worked for me.
Not as bad as I thought it would be: it had a good cast and the characters were a lot more consistent and authentic than those typically found in 'dysfunctional family comes together' films. It's rather cute.
A perpetual screw-up gets out of jail and goes to live with his family, who are all so dysfunctional that he turns out to be the only sane one in this bunch. A surprisingly heartwarming dramedy that may seem a bit obvious at first, but the cast really sells this film, bringing it to a higher level than most comedies of its type.
What the critics are saying about this week’s theatrical releases — and a few of last week’s as well.
"Sundance has upped its documentary quotient this year by starting a non-competition Documentary Premieres section for veteran directors