Our Idiot Brother

Ned is a really nice guy. He's so nice that he offers some weed to a uniformed policeman -- who begs him for it -- and ends up 8 months in jail. When he gets out, he happily takes the bus to see his girlfriend, who is shacked up with another man. And Ned's dog, WillieNelson. Worse, she's not giving Ned back his dog.

So he moves in with his mother, and eventually each of his three sisters. They have their own problems, which he inevitably complicates. Because, besides being a nice guy, Ned has a compunction to tell the truth. Don't you hate it when somebody in your family does that.

Is he an idiot? I didn't think so. He's a soft touch. No trace of sarcasm in the guy. Friendly. But not dumb. Maybe socially inept upon occasion.

I found this movie to be an absolute delight. The sisters are drawn indelibly by fine actresses, particularly Zoe Deschanel -- who is just knock-down gorgeous cute but really knows her way around a comic line -- and Elizabeth Banks -- you just can't take your eyes off her. Paul Rudd is their perfect foil.

There's nothing really ha-ha funny in this comedy. The situations are funny, and the characters play right along. Still, it's a feel-good movie as all three sisters eventually discover what a delight their brother really is, and decide to come to his rescue.

Thumb's up.