Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Matt Spicer, Netflix’s ‘Little Brother‘ follows two men on an eccentric journey to understand what it really means to be a family. Rudd Landy is a successful real estate agent who cannot help but feel that his life is still lacking, especially when compared to his billionaire brother, Josh. As Rudd tries every measure within reach to launch himself into the elites’ circle, his path crosses with that of Marcus, his “little brother” from decades ago. Though Rudd participated in the high school mentorship program casually, it’s a lot more serious for Marcus, whose life has been full of more downs than ups.
Over the course of this comedy movie, the unlikely duo navigates a series of farcical scenarios that push them to reveal their true selves. While Rudd may have been a role model to Marcus once, things have changed drastically since, and slowly, both of them come to realize that living in the present requires a different set of rules. In tracing their story, the movie places professional fulfillment on one end of the scale, and family on the other, questioning what the characters truly want from life.
Little Brother is a Fictional Tale That Started With a Social Media Post
While ‘Little Brother’ is a work of fiction penned by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul, the core idea for the story came from producer David Bernad after he came across a social media post. In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, actor Eric André recalled Bernad being annoyed by a picture his friend posted with a “little Black kid that he hung out with, like, three weeks back in the day.”André then said that Bernad felt that the post was displaying a “white savior” complex and also took offense to its “virtue signaling.” The premise for ‘Little Brother’ originated as a humorous take on this particular scenario, but the actual plot beats of the movie most likely all come from the mind of the writing team.
With a story in hand and André taking the lead, writers Mogel and Paul pitched the movie concept to Netflix, following which John Cena was brought on board as the character of Rudd. True to its nature as a buddy comedy, ‘Little Brother’ is built entirely around the two actors’ chemistry, which is what makes its humor click so organically. While reading the script, Cena excitedly realized that the movie was “written for Eric, and he just needed a comedic straight face to bounce the absurdity off of.” For Cena, stepping in to fill that role served as a nice change of pace, allowing him to experiment with his boundaries and bring something new to the table.
Little Brother is a Fresh Spin on Youth and Community-Based Mentorship Programs
Though the absurd comedic scenarios of ‘Little Brother’ do not have a direct basis in reality, its core narrative device, that is, the Big Brothers Little Brothers’ Meet & Greet program, is a nod to the real-life youth mentorship initiatives. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is perhaps the most well-known non-profit organization that implements mentorship programs where older volunteers, dubbed “Big Brother” or “Big Sister,” are paired with children and young adults, in this case called “Little Brother” or “Little Sister,” for one-on-one guidance and support.
This personalized system ensures that both ends of the pair learn more about responsibility and community, with a 2000 study reporting that youth who participated in BBBSA’s mentorship program showed statistically significant reductions in initiating drug and alcohol use, along with an improved relationship with their parents. We see a fictionalized version of a similar program play out in ‘Little Brother,’ and while the movie may have referenced real-life institutions for its immersive effects, the finer details are ultimately still invented from scratch.
For John Cena, the movie’s blend of comedy and heartfelt moments is meant to make its story resonate with all audiences. In his interview with Entertainment Weekly, he noted, “We try so hard to create our own perfect environment, and in short, this movie is exactly what happens when you get your environment absolutely perfect, and then you encounter a (…) storm.” While the specific aspects of this world may be fictional, they speak to a universal human experience, tugging on the emotions that naturally emerge when we think of family, friendship, work, and everything in between.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s Little Brother Filmed?
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