The Crocs alone are going to get me in the theater.
I’m sure there are people out there who don’t like Paul Rudd, but I can’t actually recall meeting any of them. I know first-hand the effect he has on the ladies, because I’ve witnessed it whenever my wife is around him or even watching him, and I think there is an entire generation of women who were marked for life by “Clueless.” For comedy fans, there was a rebirth of Rudd that started with “Wet Hot American Summer” and really picked up speed thanks to “Anchorman.” And Hollywood loves him, as evidenced by James L. Brooks casting him as the lead in his last film and actually casting Jack Nicholson to play his dad.
When you talk to Rudd about comedy, it’s obvious that he’s a huge fan and a rabid consumer, a guy who is almost always out there pushing for the new. One of the reasons I love seeing him make comedies is because I know how seriously he takes it. You should listen to the new “Comedy Bang-Bang” podcast, where host Scott Aukerman talks to Rudd, David Wain, and Ken Marino about the making of “Wet Hot.” Rudd’s great at taking what is on the page and making it live and breathe, but he’s also one of those guys who is just painfully funny in off-hand conversation.
I missed “Our Idiot Brother” at Sundance this year, but I look forward to it. Not just for Rudd, either, but also for the rest of the cast. Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, AND Emily Mortimer are the sisters? Man, I get the vapors just reading that list. All lovely, all hilarious. I think comedy is at its best when it offers up something recognizable, something that you immediately can tie back into your own life experience, and this notion of the one family member who just can’t get their act together, who serves as a sort of shambling amiable cautionary tale for everyone else in the family… well, that seems very direct and real to me. I’m excited to finally see this one.
And now, as a HitFix exclusive, we’ve got the new one sheet from the film for you:
Looks good, and I can’t wait to check it out for myself when “Our Idiot Brother” arrives in theaters.