The New York Times Book Review - Dave Itzkoff
The Duplasses are cool enough to know that it's not cool to admit to having a brand, but they most assuredly do: They represent a style of storytelling that's naturalistic and unapologetically earnest, along with a supportive, if-we-can-do-it-you-can-too spirit of creativity. Those same sensibilities permeate Like Brothers, the pair's first book. It's a likable memoir of how Jay and Mark Duplass blazed their idiosyncratic trail, and an inspiring how-to guide for anyone who might wish to follow it.
Publishers Weekly - Audio
07/30/2018
The Duplass brothers, who run Duplass Brothers Productions and frequently write, direct, and star in their own productions, bring a free-flowing conversational style to the highly enjoyable audio edition of their joint memoir. The book alternates between chapters chronicling the brothers’ upbringing in Metairie, La., and those detailing their professional relationship, including their regular brainstorming sessions at airports, in which the brothers create intricate backstories for the people they observe waiting in terminals. The most memorable part of the book involves an annotated version of Mark’s edgy short story “The Blowjob,” along with Jay’s feedback, in which the brothers effectively use tone, pitch, and comedic timing to convey the often-tortured nature of the creative process. The brothers both draw on their acting chops to recreate their points of view in anecdotes from their childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. Though primarily of interest to inspiring filmmakers, the brothers’ fun-loving dynamic should appeal to all types of listeners. A Ballantine hardcover. (May)
Publishers Weekly
10/30/2017
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. (May)
From the Publisher
Wright. Ringling. Jonas. I’m sure you could name a bunch of famous brother teams. They’re all garbage compared to Mark and Jay. I can’t wait for you to read this book.”—from the foreword by Mindy Kaling
“A likable memoir of how Jay and Mark Duplass blazed their idiosyncratic trail, and an inspiring how-to guide.”—The New York Times Book Review
“The book is a collection of diverse pieces that fit together to reveal the puzzle of [the Duplass brothers’] lives. There’s part of it that’s very practical. . . . But another big piece of the book is the chapters that explore their unusually close relationship. . . . Both parts of Like Brothers make for a fascinating read.”—Orange County Register
“Like Brothers is more encompassing than most moviemaking memoirs. . . . [It] isn’t just worthwhile for fans of the Duplass Brothers; this autobiography is a fascinating look at the art of sneaking into the industry through the back door . . . [and] just how they pulled it off.”—Moviemaker
“A frank, intimate, hilarious account of their creative success and personal bond.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Mark and Jay Duplass are not just brothers, kind of like their book is not just a memoir. . . . The book playfully darts between essays, pop-culture tributes and self-help tips. . . . What sets Like Brothers apart . . . is the uncanny bond between its authors. . . . Like Brothers is ultimately a fascinating window into the creative process, showing the complexities that come with being so inextricably linked.”—USA Today
“Equal parts touching memoir and rallying cry, the book is a candid and often unapologetically emotional survival guide for aspiring artists.”—Vulture
“Like Brothers is . . . a surprisingly practical road map to a rewarding creative partnership. . . . Like Brothers is as openhearted and lovably offbeat as Mark and Jay themselves.”—Broadway World
“As creative partners, we sure learned a thing or two from Mark and Jay Duplass’s journey through the Hollywood machine. Like Brothers is an essential guide for making space for yourself in a world that doesn’t always encourage individuality and innovation. As useful to an aspiring filmmaker as it is to a pair of siblings wondering ‘How do we turn our connection into something great?,’ this book will be essential on your shelf.”—Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner
“The Duplass Brothers have a genius for conveying deep feeling without ever straying into sentimentality. Here they capture the often wonderful and occasionally terrible business of collaborating professionally with someone you love.”—John Green and Hank Green
“As a writing team and directing team, we love seeing two people who are more intelligent and articulate than us explore the dynamic that we don’t have the depth or self-reflectiveness to explore ourselves!”—Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
“In my next life I’d like to come back as a Duplass Brother. But until then I’ll just enjoy their hilarious, insightful book.”—Judd Apatow
Kirkus Review
2017-12-19
A quirky inside portrait of brotherhood within the "insane Hollywood system."Marx, Coen, Farrelly. Add to that list the Duplass brothers, who have been carving out a place for themselves as writers, directors, producers, and actors (Mark in The League, Jay in Transparent, etc.). In her foreword to this jumpy, eclectic collection of odds and ends, Mindy Kaling writes that the brothers are funny, "woke as hell," and have a "tireless entrepreneurial spirit that inspires." The brothers write that the book is "filled with essays on all kinds of things," which isn't exactly true. There are some—e.g., a short piece on why the band Air Supply is so good or the value of The Karate Kid Part II (even though "there are so many things wrong with this movie")—but mostly this is a hodgepodge of autobiographical sketches, lists of favorite movies (actually the same list slightly edited over and over), emails, rough screenplays, advice to young filmmakers, Mark's short story "The Blowjob," edited by Jay, comments from their wives, and "Airport" 1-5, in which the brothers make up filmic scenarios inspired by the people they see walking and sitting about. We learn that they grew up outside New Orleans and had great boyhoods. Creative and ambitious kids, they played around with a video recorder their father gave them and started writing little scenarios and filming them. In 1996, they started Duplass Brothers Productions and got to work. We follow them in action as they fail (Vince del Rio) and succeed (Cyrus). They made The Puffy Chair for $10,000 and premiered it at the Sundance Film Festival. Other successes followed, including HBO's Togetherness series (2015), until cancelled, and Room 104 (2017).A rather chaotic and messy tale of talent, determination, and success in the world of independent film and TV that hardcore fans will enjoy.
