Our Idiot Brother opens with a smiling Ned (Paul Rudd) donned in a full beard and long hair, resembling a cheerful, optimistic Jesus with fruits and vegetables from his biodynamic farm surrounding him at his town’s farmer’s market.

A uniformed police officer approaches him and after a few short minutes of coaxing, Ned finds himself selling the cop marijuana. He is arrested and goes to jail for eight months.

This scene proves to be a good indication of how the low-budget, independent film, Our Idiot Brother, will unfold. The movie revolves around the painfully kind main character, Ned. More often than not, it is this nature that causes problems both for Ned and those around him.

After Ned’s eight-month stint in jail, he returns to his farm only to be kicked out by his obnoxious girlfriend Janet.

Ned must then leave behind his rural life and the one thing he truly cares about in the world (his dog, Willie Nelson) to find his family in nearby New York City.  Here, we are introduced to his three starkly different and dynamic sisters.

Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) is bossy and career oriented, while Natalie (Zooey Deschanel) is a struggling lesbian comedian. Emily Mortimer plays the mousy and meek Liz, who raises her children in a sans-sugar, and ultimately sans-fun childhood.

Ned is cast off from one sister to the next and paradoxically, this man with good intentions manages to complicate and cause destruction in each of his sisters’ lives.

For example, he discovers Liz’s husband, Dylan, naked in a room with the ballerina-subject of his documentary and accepts Dylan’s explanation that his nudity is an interviewing technique. Later, when Ned confides in Miranda, she exclaims that Dylan is cheating on Liz, and Ned says, “Man, I had a feeling about that…”

Each successive scene, depicting Ned’s inherent goodness as well as his obliviousness at times, leads viewers to adore and pity him more and more.

Ned’s entanglement in his sisters’ complex lives results in diverse scenes, each depicting his interactions with his quirky sisters and meshed together, creates a greater whole.

The film contains several minor actors who nail their roles (Liz’s young son, River, played by Matthew Mindler, for example). These cast members demonstrate a believable portrayal of their unique characters and their skillful performances ultimately add depth and dimension to the film.

Additionally, Banks, Mortimer and Deschanel truly deliver, adding a rich layer of femininity to the film. They seem to fully embrace their roles and stand in complete juxtaposition to each other as well as to Ned’s kind and easy-going take on life.

The true hero of the film however, is Rudd. Never before seen in a role like this, Rudd manages to captivate the audience in his most organic performance yet. He executes the understated humor that the film depends on perfectly. He is nothing short of believable and is beyond lovable.

The film itself is artistic and well-executed by director Jesse Peretz. Though the shots are simple, they are both aesthetically and visually pleasing. It oozes real life with an absence of plot twists, bizarrely well-lighted scenes and airbrushed actors that come along with most commercial films.

The film has a simple message but still manages to captivate viewers. More than anything, it provides for a genuine laugh. It would prove difficult to find a more solid cast for such an unassuming comedy as this. The actors manage to deliver a powerful and dynamic performance in conjunction with each other.