Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Paul Rudd | ... | ||
Nick Sullivan | ... |
Customer
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Francesca Papalia | ... | |
Bob Stephenson | ... | ||
Elizabeth Banks | ... | ||
Peter Hermann | ... |
Terry
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Adam Scott | ... | ||
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Kelly Briter | ... |
Girl with Jeremy
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Rashida Jones | ... | ||
Zooey Deschanel | ... | ||
Emily Mortimer | ... | ||
Steve Coogan | ... | ||
Kathryn Hahn | ... |
Janet
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T.J. Miller | ... | ||
Shirley Knight | ... |
Ned lived a happy life growing organic vegetables on a farm with his hippie girlfriend and his dog named Willie Nelson, but an unadvised incident with marijuana at a farmer's market lands him in jail. When he gets out of jail, he is off to live with his sisters. While Ned is still happy, his sisters are much less so after his honest, but unworldly manner contributes to revelations which manage to expose infidelity in one marriage, potentially illegal actions in one job opportunity, dishonesty in one budding relationship and morally unpleasant behaviour in one domestic partnership. He sees those problems as breakdowns in communication, but his sisters see him as an idiot. The truth the audience witness is that ultimately, Ned is a catalyst for good around him without consciously setting out to do so. The denouement of the film sees balance restored with a positive outcome for all in the family. Written by napierslogs
What a wonderful movie. Paul Rudd is terrific. He is truly the star. His performance is outstanding. The idiot is not Paul's character, Ned. He is a good-natured person who is willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Rather, the idiots are his three pretentious sisters who treat Ned like a child, misinterpreting his honesty for immaturity. Ned maintains his integrity, which is in sharp contrast to the phoniness that he encounters in others. Misunderstandings occur as Ned forces his sisters to confront their own lies. Ned is perceived as the family problem when in fact he is the solution, except no one knows it, at first. Several scenes are amusing as Ned's good nature and candid outlook produces some awkward situations. This movie succeeds because it tells a story, does so with humor, and keeps the audience engaged.