Paul Rudd Delivers An Emotional Performance In This Trending Movie
The underrated Paul Rudd film Our Idiot Brother has reached the top ten of Freevee.
This article is more than 2 years old
According to FlixPatrol, the sentimental Paul Rudd movie Our Idiot Brother is trending on FreeVee. In this heartwrenching, emotional comedy, Rudd is joined by co-stars Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, and Elizabeth Banks as adult siblings with clashing personalities. However, only brother Ned (Rudd) is ever the optimist, sometimes despite reality.
The story opens with naive and trusting Ned selling produce from his organic farm at an outdoor market. Ned befriends a browsing customer who’s looking for more than lettuce. Unfortunately, the customer is an undercover cop, and Ned finds himself in trouble.
Paul Rudd’s character returns to the farm after getting out of jail, and his farmer girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn) break up, leaving Ned without a place to stay. With nowhere else to go, Ned returns home to his family to get back on his feet. At first, Ned is welcomed home with open arms.
Like any lovable, aloof protagonist, Paul Rudd is about to cause trouble inadvertently. As Ned moves from one sister’s house to the next, his unwillingness to lie reveals family skeletons and hidden drama. Crime, cheating, and deceit are all brought to a head in a story that’s as sentimental as it is funny.
The family views Ned as a sentimental idiot, but their cynical and unethical behavior disappoints Ned. As he loses his ability to keep a positive image of his family, Ned becomes increasingly anxious. An uncomfortable argument results in the police being called on parolee Ned.
Ned’s honesty seems to cause more harm than good. When he accidentally admits to his parole officer that he’d recently smoked a joint, Ned is again back in jail. He’s so disappointed in his family he refuses their offer to bail him out.
His sisters know the only person who can get through to Ned. Before his arrest, Paul Rudd shared a golden retriever with Janet named Willie Nelson. Unfortunately, Janet kept the dog when the couple split and Ned has been beside himself without his best friend.
In a scene, a la Legally Blonde, Ned’s family confronts Janet with threats of legal action if Willie Nelson isn’t handed over. Janet complies and releases the golden retriever to Ned’s would-be rescuers. With the dog in tow, they’re able to coax Ned to come home and give them another chance.
Paul Rudd is known for his comedic roles in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Ghostbusters: Afterlife, but the actor is more than capable of delivering an emotional performance. Ned and Our Idiot Brother are both funny, but there are moments of sincerity for punctuation.
Our Idiot Brother was directed by Jesse Peretz, known for his work on the series GLOW. Peretz co-wrote the film with his sister, Evgenia Peretz, and screenwriter David Schisgall. Peretz is also known for his work on the Lena Dunham series Girls.
Critics gave Our Idiot Brother a lukewarm reception. Some like the simple saccharine comedy for an end-of-summer film. Others found the cynical characters overbearing.
Audiences were less receptive to the folksy comedy. It earned a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 51%. Paul Rudd infused the film with Ned’s easy-going nature, and it’s reflected in the reviews.
