This is such a weird, but charming little movie that shouldn’t work as effectively as it does. Here’s the basic set-up. Erasmus (Steve Coogan) and Paul (Paul Rudd) are a gay couple who are seemingly enjoying a perfect life of luxury, thanks to the success of Erasmus’ popular food show, but things take a turn when it’s revealed that a kid who comes barging in one night, Bill (Jack Gore), is Erasmus’ grandson, thus turning their lives upside down.
Sound really hacky, right? Like, a sitcom idea that would feel dated even in the 90s? But that image you have in your head when you hear that pitch (or the vibe you get from the trailer) is honestly not totally representative of what the actual movie is like.
The film is written and directed by Andrew Fleming, who is responsible for films like Threesome, The Craft, Dick, and Hamlet 2. He’s not the most consistent filmmaker, but he does have a tendency to take offbeat or even questionable ideas and putting an interesting spin on them. Here, he takes the idea and plays it far more earnestly than you’d expect.
A big part of what makes the movie work is the way it handles the relationship between Paul and Erasmus. For a while after first meeting them, they seem constantly on the verge of being cartoonish in their portrayal as a couple. The bickering, the back-and-forth, and all that stuff leans on the broad side. However, as the movie goes a long if slowly reveals more about these characters, and it allows smaller character beats to shine through, especially in how they each individually relate to and behave around Bill. Plus, not that it should surprise anyone, but they’re just plain delightful to watch, and they’re really funny. And it ends up making some of the more serious reveals towards the end much more affecting because the movie has taken its time with them. You end up really rooting for them to succeed as a couple and as parents.
It also helps that Fleming’s scripting manages to keep things moving at a solid pace, but still filled with small details. Sometimes a character would say something to Paul and Erasmus, and they’d worry if they said something offensive even if it’s nothing. It pokes fun at some of the more oversensitive, rich white liberal types that acts like they understand about the nuances of other people and cultures, but find themselves constantly engaging in microaggressions. It’s not doing or saying anything particularly new about this stuff, but it’s functional and it adds to the idea of this being the honest experience of the characters. Fleming, who is gay, has stated that the idea of the film is drawn from his own experiences, so that experience helps make more moments in here ring true in ways it wouldn’t if it was handled by anyone else.
I also really liked the vibe this movie had. I think having it take place in Sante Fe, New Mexico as opposed to San Francisco or New York City is a nifty choice that also gives the film a visually compelling palette. Sure, it’s not like it’s going to compete with Sicario: Day of the Soldado in terms of shooting and framing its characters within a desert backdrop, but Fleming clearly pays attention to the look of the film, the way he plays with space, the way he blocks certain shots, and allows the setting to establish a certain quiet, melancholic mood. It just feels very different from a lot of movies like this, and it’s maybe the thing that has stayed with me the most.
Ideal Home isn’t going to rock anyone’s world by any means, but it’s a modest little film about same-sex parents that doesn’t wallow in misery or tragedy, and instead plays things light and playful, and with a lot of heart. The bond between Erasmus, Paul, and Bill is incredibly sweet, and the performances are great. While the comedic situations are perhaps a bit too broad, the dialogue is often pretty sharp and witty, and delivered with a lot of bite. And with a runtime of just slightly over 90 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, it keeps you charmed and engaged the whole way through. I was genuinely quite surprised with this one, it’s may not reach total greatness, but it’s a lovely time, and I’m sure it’ll satisfy fans of Paul Rudd just long enough before that new Ant-Man comes out.