 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Our Idiot Brother
- Review Date: August 26, 2011
- R
- Genre: Comedy
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Mature comedy mixes edgy content, sweet substance.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this surprisingly wise comedy, while hilarious (though not in a showy, Hangover-esque way), addresses some mature themes, including infidelity, incarceration, and job boundaries. Swearing abounds (including plenty of "f--k"s), and some scenes are quite sexually charged, including one that shows a character at the beginning of a threesome. Most of the nudity is somewhat indirect -- viewable from the side or the back, in brief slices -- but plenty of action is implied, and there's some frank talk as well. A couple of scenes involve marijuana.
What's the story?
Liz (Emily Mortimer), Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), and Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) get the chance to hang out with their brother, Ned (Paul Rudd), after he’s released from prison. A biodynamic farmer with nary a mean bone in his body, Ned landed in jail after a cop practically begged him to "help a brother out" and sell him some weed. (Ned wanted to give it to him for free, but the cop insisted on paying, hence the entrapment.) Ned's girlfriend is now an ex, and since she threw him out, he must bide his time with family and perform odd jobs until he’s back on his feet. The girls think Ned's the one who needs their help, but, as they all soon discover, they're the ones whose lives need makeovers. Liz's filmmaker husband (Steve Coogan) is preoccupied, Miranda is ready to sell her soul just to land a big story at Vanity Fair; and Natalie is distracted from her lesbian lover (Rashida Jones) by a New Age artist (Hugh Dancy).
Is it any good?
OUR IDIOT BROTHER is funny. It's also shockingly wise. And both of these wonderful attributes don't hit you until the end, when you're overwhelmed by the film's cumulative moments of genius and hilarity. This isn't your average stoner comedy, and it's far from your average comedy of manners. To a person, it gets its characterizations right, from Ned's uber-PC ex-girlfriend with hostility issues to Miranda's type-A New York journalist to Ned himself. He’s a walking, talking personification of the song "Don't Worry, Be Happy," a giant peace sign combined with the iconic smiley face.
What makes the movie most successful, apart from the uniformly strong performances from the entire cast, is its depth. It would be so easy to dismiss Ned as a dope, except that the way he approaches the world makes sense. Far from idiocy, it may just be the recipe for sanity. The film's pacing sometimes nearly grinds to a halt, but that's a rare moment. Otherwise, it's pretty brilliant.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about Ned and his sisters. How would you characterize their relationships? Do they seem authentic and believable? How do they compare to family members you've seen in other movies?
What are the movie's messages about family and relationships?
Parents, talk to your kids about how Ned approaches life. Does it work for him? Why?
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AGE
Stupid and pointless and sexual
this was one of the stupidest movies I've ever seen, very dissapointing also a very near 3 way
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AGE
38 year old mom loves Our Idiot Brother.
Brilliant! Hilarious! It's my new favorite movie!
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AGE
Cute, with mature elements
As the title states, this is a feel good comedy starring Paul Rudd as a clueless idealist that comes back into the lives of his three sisters. Mature elements are mixed in, in which adults can relate too, but overall teenagers to seniors will love this movie.
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AGE
Our Idiot Brother
paul rudd is the purfect idiot brother.
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AGE
really good
not the best movie but it is awesome
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AGE
Idiotic, describes it all.
I feel like an idiot for wasting money and time on this movie.
With some decent characters and acting but the storyline, just got dumber and dumber. There was a few laugh at parts but nothing worth telling my friends about. All in all Typical stoner type movie, with a family twist.
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| Studio: | Weinstein Co. |
| Director: | Jesse Peretz |
| Cast: | Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, Zooey Deschanel |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 96 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | August 26, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | November 29, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual content including nudity, and for language throughout |
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