Our Idiot Brother - (August 26th, 2011): R
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #5 with $7,011,631
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $7,880,301
Gross Revenue: $7,880,301
Production Budget: $5 million
Director: Jesse Peretz
Perhaps one of the hardest working comedic actors in Hollywood, Paul Rudd has had an incredibly prevalent presence among moviegoers over the years, bringing his unique brand of humor to classics like Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Dinner for Schmucks. Along the way, Rudd has crossed paths with a number of talented comedic actresses, like Elizabeth Banks in Role Models and Rashida Jones in I Love You, Man, and in Our Idiot Brother, he would get the chance to reteam with a number of his past partners-in-crime. Add in other comedic talents like Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man), Adam Scott (Step Brothers), T.J. Miller (She’s Out of My League) and Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder, The Other Guys), and this modestly-budgeted indie film seemed to promise a very high level of humor. Given this comedy-drama’s strong performance at the Sundance Film Festival and the diverse and incredibly diverse cast offered, The Weinstein Company really didn’t have that big of a challenge in filling theaters. Audiences might be growing tired of raunchy comedies, but given its relatable and simple subject matter about a frustrating sibling, Our Idiot Brother looked like it would be filled with heart, depth, drama, and considerable laughs.
Telling the story of an endearing simpleton, Our Idiot Brother introduces audiences to Ned (Paul Rudd), a biodynamic farmer who naively sells marijuana to a uniformed police officer and ends up in prison. Released early for good behavior, Ned returns to his farm only to discover that his girlfriend, Janet (Kathryn Hahn) has moved on with another man, Billy (T.J. Miller) and is subsequently kicking Ned out and keeping his beloved dog, Willie Nelson. Suddenly homeless are required to report to a parole officer, Ned turns to his three unique sisters, Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), and Liz (Emily Mortimer), for help. Miranda is an aspiring journalist for Vanity Fair who has a flirtatious relationship with her downstairs neighbor, Jeremy (Adam Scott); Natalie is a bisexual hipster who lives with her girlfriend, Cindy (Rashida Jones); and Liz is a married homemaker who is struggling through her marriage to Dylan (Steve Coogan), an arrogant documentary filmmaker. Slowly but surely, Ned’s blunt honesty and lack of tact spell disaster for his three sisters, threatening not only his relationship with his family but also his newfound freedom.
As the titular character, Paul Rudd shines as Ned, an instantaneously likable and endearingly optimistic individual who is sure to bring a smile to your face. Rudd also plays surprisingly well off of his supporting cast, genuinely making the audience believe that he is related to and has a shared history with the other actresses. If there is one cast member other than Rudd who makes the most of their screen time, it is undoubtedly Rashida Jones, who sacrifices her normally sweet persona for one that is blunt, crude, and contagiously energetic. In terms of story, the last half hour of Our Idiot Brother is immaculate, showering laughs and genuine pathos on the audience that build an unforgettable dynamic between the characters. Unfortunately, for as good as this last portion of Our Idiot Brother really is, the film takes forever to get there, nearly sacrificing its audience in the process.
With as talented a cast that is boasted by this newest comedy-drama, Our Idiot Brother is painfully and shamefully boring. For a majority of the film, the story drags along trying to build up momentum without delivering any true laughs, which is immensely disappointing when you consider the acting talent involved. A number of the supporting actors and actresses are guilty of over-acting, but the biggest culprit by far is Emily Mortimer, who dramatizes her character to the point that she does little more than cry or look like she’s about to cry…I understand that she is supposed to be going through a troubled marriage, but her “suffering” was far more distracting than meaningful. The film is lighthearted and humorous, but it is far from the laugh-out-loud type of comedy that I was expecting, and without any kind of warning to deter my expectation, it is simply too much to ask for anyone to sit for over an hour and wait for things to get better. If you’re willing to stick things out and patiently wade through the slower parts of Our Idiot Brother, you will be rewarded, but I understand that such a request is a pretty tall order when you consider the other hilarious comedies that surfaced during the 2011 Summer Movie Season.
When you consider the fact that Our Idiot Brother opened in fifth place its first weekend and only generated just over $7 million in ticket sales, it looks like audiences have truly grown weary of raunchy comedies. Still, I was a little surprised that the heavy promotions and undeniably popular cast were unable to generate a slightly larger crowd, even if indie films usually boast smaller numbers. While a weak performance like this might make some studio execs nervous, The Weinstein Company has already helped recover the $5 million budget, so anything more is pure profit…not many summer “blockbusters” were able to cover their costs in just one weekend. No other real comedies are hitting in the immediate future, so maybe some positive word-of-mouth can generate some higher popular interest. It may not be perfect, but as long as you are patient and not expecting to roll out of your chair laughing, I still think that you will enjoy Our Idiot Brother.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
