About Our Idiot Brother

Our Idiot Brother is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jesse Peretz and starring Paul Rudd. It tells the story of an idealistic, well-meaning but naive man named Ned who, after being released from prison for selling marijuana to a uniformed police officer, finds himself drifting from one home to another as he tries to reconnect with his three very different, estranged sisters. His simple honesty and natural charisma often interfere with the lives of his siblings, leading to a series of amusing misunderstandings and comedic outcomes.

Making / Production

The film was produced by Anthony Bregman, Peter Saraf, and Marc Turtletaub. The screenplay was written by Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall. Despite the simple setup, the film was praised for its clever execution, engaging dialogues, and nuanced performances.

Actors

• Paul Rudd as Ned – Rudd plays the naive and honest protagonist with an effortless charm. His comic timing and earnest performance were widely appreciated.
• Elizabeth Banks as Miranda – Banks plays one of Ned's sisters, a career-driven journalist who's left flustered by Ned's innocent interventions.
• Zooey Deschanel as Natalie – Deschanel portrays Ned's free-spirited sister who's forced to reassess her lifestyle choices after Ned’s arrival.
• Emily Mortimer as Liz – Mortimer's character is the most sympathetic of Ned's sisters, a seemingly perfect wife and mother who's hiding her own problems.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The working title for "Our Idiot Brother" was originally "My Idiot Brother".
• Despite playing his sisters, the actresses who portray Ned's siblings are not related in real life.

Awards

Though the film didn't garner any prominent awards, it was nominated for several including the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Comedy (Paul Rudd).

Quotes

• "I like to think that if you put your trust out there, if you really give people the benefit of the doubt...see their best intentions, people rise to the occasion."
• "I live my life a certain way that I like to think of as pretty buddhist."

Music, Soundtrack

• "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" – by Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
• "Beautiful" – by Carole King
• "Taking You With Me" – by Mindy Smith & Daniel Tashian