OUR IDIOT BROTHER

US, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Shirley Knight, Steve Coogan, Adam Scott, Rashida Jones, Hugh Dancy, T.J. Miller, Kathryn Hahn.
Directed by Jesse Peretz.

The Russians have Chekhov’s Three Sisters and Dostoievski’s The Idiot, classic characters who reveal self-centredness (the sisters) and ingenuous goodness that can be taken advantage of (the idiot). Of course, it is a bit of a stretch from Russian drama and literature to a 90 minute Hollywood movie for the multiplexes, but it does indicate what this film is trying to do at a very popular level.

Whether it succeeds or not depends on the performance of Paul Rudd as our idiot brother – the ‘our’ being the three sisters. Rudd can be an engaging screen personality even when he is in broad comedies and even crass comedies. He is very engaging here and makes Ned, a rather naive and agreeable middle-aged man, a man who can be generous to others, believes that other human beings (despite so much evidence to the contrary) are good and trustworthy, worth the benefit of the doubt. Director, Jesse Peretz, has commented that Ned does not use irony as a weapon. At times, he is unwilling to believe in bad behaviour even if it is right in front of him. He is also a believer in the simple life – loves ordinary work, loves his dog (Willie Nelson, the dog, not the singer, though he appears on the soundtrack), is a great and playful uncle to his nephew. Actually, it’s a wonder he has survived so far – and we see him right at the beginning selling marijuana to a cop in uniform who tells him a sob story about how he needs it and Ned is touched – and arrested, and jailed.

If you want to see human nature at its mundanely unpleasant, you have only to look at the three sisters and Ned’s former girlfriend. They are selfish and self-absorbed. We remember poor old Lear and his selfish daughters, though here is no Cordelia here. Ned, out of prison, is shoved off by the girlfriend (Kathryn Hhan who doesn’t like but keeps Willie Nelson), stays with his sympathetic mother (Shirley Knight) and then with each of the sisters. Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is a go-getting journalist and a control freak with her boyfriend (Adam Scott). Natalie is a would-be stand up comic with a girlfriend and some complications with an artist (Hugh Dancy). Liz (Emily Mortimer) is the nicest. She is in a marriage where her fickle documentary maker husband (Steve Coogan showing again how effectively he can do hypocritically unpleasant characters) who have a politically correct agenda for bringing up their son.

Needless to say, Ned embarrasses them and they move him on. Where can he go? Is goodness catching? Has he a future? Can the sisters change and face themselves and look beyond themselves? Americans like happy endings – they offer some kind of hope, even if temporary.

1. The title, expectations? The three sisters – and the idiot?

2. A moral tale for multiplex audiences? Particularly American in tone?

3. A New York City film, New York State, Long Island? The scenes in the city? The contrast with the countryside, the small towns, the farms?

4. The range of songs, their lyrics, the comment on character? Willie Nelson?

5. The audience’s response to the title, idiots? Mental disabilities, or ingenuous and naive people? Ned and his giving people the benefit of the doubt? The consequences?

6. The introduction to Ned, Paul Rudd’s screen presence, genial, performance? Selling the fruit and vegetables, generous to the customers, the policeman, his sob-story, needing the drugs, Ned selling them to him, his being arrested? In prison, his naive survival in prison, nice, getting out? The background of his life, with his sisters, his mother? On the farm, the hippie lifestyle, the drugs? His love for his dog, Willie Nelson?

7. The return to the farm, his past relationship with Janet, her harsh attitudes, self-righteous? Taking up with Tommy? Tommy and his niceness, naive? Janet in control – and not allowing Ned to have Willie Nelson even though she didn’t like him? The later sequences with Janet, hard with Tommy? Ned asking could he come and stay again, her refusal? The family arriving, confronting her, the protest? Their taking the dog?

8. Tommy, pleasant, slow-witted, with Janet, under her control, helping Ned? His leaving Janet, making candles with Ned at the end?

9. Ned going to stay with his mother, the family meals, the mother fussing? Her wanting to go shopping? His decision to move away? Later returning home, the meal with the charades, his mother and enjoyment of the game, supporting Ned? Her going with her daughters to confront Janet? Protesting and squatting?

10. The picture of Miranda, demanding, her relationship with Jeremy, the article, her ambitions, with the editor? Getting the facts but wanting more, the interview with Lady Arabella? Getting Ned to drive her? The questions? Arabella more interested in Ned, the conversation with him? The invitation to the social, Arabella and her charity work? Her past story, confiding in Ned? Miranda hearing it, using the information? Writing the article, having to confront the lawyers? Ned telling the truth? Her anger at him? Ned and his reporting of what Jerome had said about her and what she said about Jerome?

11. Natalie, comic stand-up, her relationships, with Cindy, the meeting with Christian, posing for him? The sexual encounter, her pregnancy? Confusion? Her reaction to Ned, his presence in the commune? His going to her performances? Realising that she was pregnant? The discussions with Cindy but not telling her the truth? Cindy and her going to get the dog with Ned, Ned and his praising of Cindy about the pregnancy, Cindy discovering the truth, her anger? Eventually Cindy reconciling with Natalie?

12. The picture of Liz, her marriage to Dylan? At the family meals, not giving any money to Ned? Not wanting to help? His visit, her demanding of Dylan that he welcome Ned because he was family? Ned and his delight in his nephew, playing with him, watching the Pink Panther, the ballet, the martial arts? Dylan and his anger? Liz and her politically correct agenda? Ned and his driving Dylan to the interview with Tatiana, his trouble with the parking, going to get the key, discovering Dylan naked, his giving him the benefit of the doubt, his being ousted from the house? Liz and her refusal to face the truth? Her sisters talking with her? Ned? Her finally confronting Dylan, his double-edged answers, his leaving? The sisters trying to set up Liz with another date?

13. Ned, the effect of the conflicts with his sisters, a survivor? His encounter with people – and his ingenuous response to the couple who made sexual advances – his apology? The reflection on homophobia? His discussions with Jerome – and Jerome giving him good advice?

14. The parole officer, nice, Ned making compliments, blurting out that he had taken marijuana, his being rearrested?

15. The bail issue? His refusal to leave the cell? His discussions with River? The promise of the dog? The family getting the dog and bringing him to prison?

16. Meeting his sisters again, their change of heart, what they had learnt? Miranda and Jerome and the reconciliation, Liz and the divorce, Natalie and the baby?

17. Ned, with Tommy, making candles, their future? His walking with his dog – and finding the woman whose dog was Dolly Parton?

18. The moral of the story – and a dramatisation of goodness and honesty and its effect on people? The contrast with the rather grim portrait of self-absorbed and selfish people?