By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago
Not only do twins look and sound alike, it’s said they often act alike and even make similar life choices, regardless of how far apart their lives drift. 2009’s Leaves of Grass, starring Edward Norton in a dual role, pushes that idea to its most absurd extreme. When its long-awaited family reunion goes sideways almost immediately, the film spirals into a hazy comedy of errors that has no business being as funny, or as sharp, as it is.
Thanks to its extremely limited theatrical release, Leaves of Grass was a box office disaster, pulling in just over $1 million against a reported $9 million budget. Despite that blink-and-you-missed-it rollout, the film earned high praise from critics willing to give it a shot. Roger Ebert famously gave the Tim Blake Nelson film four out of four stars, calling it a “sweet, wacky masterpiece,” and it’s hard not to see his point. Norton fires on all cylinders, twice, and his ability to convincingly play off himself turns what could have been a gimmick into something genuinely engaging, especially if you’re a fan of his earlier work and somehow missed this one entirely.
The Ultimate Odd Couple Outing
Leaves of Grass first introduces Bill Kincaid (Edward Norton) by putting his pristine life front and center. A respected professor of classical philosophy at Brown University, Bill is the definition of academic prestige. His published work has given him serious clout in his field, he’s articulate to a fault, and his female students openly adore him, which causes more problems than he seems prepared to deal with. Still, the point is clear. Bill has built his entire identity around intellect, discipline, and distance from the chaotic upbringing he left behind.
That distance becomes even more apparent once we meet his identical twin brother, Brady (Edward Norton, but a lot shaggier looking). Living in Oklahoma, Brady is every bit as intelligent as Bill, but he’s applied that intelligence in a very different direction. Instead of chasing degrees and tenure, he’s become a hydroponic farming savant with a thriving pot operation. Unfortunately, that operation was funded by local drug lord Pug Rothbaum (Richard Dreyfuss), and Brady’s profits haven’t yet caught up with his debts. He owes a dangerous amount of money to someone who is not known for patience, pushing Leaves of Grass’ conflict front and center.
After faking his own death, Brady has his business partner Rick Bolger (Tim Blake Nelson) call Bill to deliver the news at the worst possible moment. Bill is on the cusp of a major professional promotion and wants nothing to do with Brady, or with their mother Daisy (Susan Sarandon), whose fast-and-loose approach to life never provided him with anything resembling stability as a child. That instability is what pushed Bill into academia in the first place, determined to become the exact opposite of the family he grew up with.
Things truly kick off in Leaves of Grass once Bill learns why he was summoned home. Brady intends to violently confront Pug, but needs an airtight alibi for when things inevitably go south. Since Bill and Brady are identical twins, the plan is deceptively simple. Bill is to pose as Brady while visiting their mother at her retirement home, while Brady takes advantage of Bill’s public visibility to move freely while committing a string of illegal acts. During this wildly reckless setup, Bill catches the attention of Janet (Keri Russell), a writer and intellectual who just so happens to be one of Brady’s closest friends, while also checking every box someone like Bill would be drawn to in a romantic partner.
A Pitch Black Comedy Of Errors
Leaves of Grass works as well as it does because of how completely Edward Norton commits to both halves of the equation. Bill is rigid, cautious, and desperate to keep his past at arm’s length. Brady is impulsive, reckless, and brilliant in his own way, but disproportionately confident in his ability to outmaneuver the wrong people. Watching Bill get dragged back into his hometown’s criminal underbelly forces him to reconcile his polished, high-status life with the chaos he thought he’d permanently escaped.
One brother is too stoned on his own supply to ever make the right judgment call, and the other is too risk-averse to do what needs to be done when family is on the line. Norton’s heightened exchanges with himself land far better than expected because he understands the sibling dynamic and leans into it completely. The constant bickering between Bill and Brady feels eerily authentic, especially if you’ve grown up getting into trouble with your own siblings. They’re both functional adults at this point in their lives, but they’re still brothers, and they still tattle to their mother whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Leaves of Grass is one of those overlooked gems that deserves a second look for its escalating absurdity, its far-fetched yet oddly grounded story beats, and, most importantly, Edward Norton’s strange and compelling chemistry with Edward Norton. It’s an excellent example of rising chaos and sudden deescalation, anchored by characters who feel believable even when the circumstances spiral completely out of control.
Leaves of Grass is currently streaming for free on Tubi.