Like Brothers

October 30, 2017
At the center of this hilarious dual memoir, the Duplass brothers—who have directed, produced, and written films and TV shows such as Togetherness, Cyrus, and Transparent—reveal their idiosyncratic work habits, such as making up scenes involving people they see at airports and riffing off each other’s ideas in long email chains. They ponder the art of compromise (“Check your ego at the door”) and collaboration: “We have a fundamental desperation to make things, and we are willing to destroy ourselves to get things done.” Jay admits that he’s a little jealous of his younger brother, Mark, but hopes his brother also gets jealous of him, too. The brothers conduct a back-and-forth about the top-10 films of all time, finally choosing a list on which both can agree that includes Joe Versus the Volcano, a “highly intelligent, misunderstood adult fairy tale.” The Duplasses ask their wives what makes the brothers tick: Katie, Mark’s wife, recognizes how creative and emotional turmoil helps feed their process; Jen, Jay’s wife, calls the Duplass family a “fine-tuned little ecosystem.” The Duplass’s entertaining and energetic memoir gives their fans a clear look at the creative genius that drives them.