| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Steve Coogan | ... | Erasmus | |
| Paul Rudd | ... | Paul | |
| Jesse Luken | ... | Director | |
| Evan Bittencourt | ... | Tino | |
| Jack Gore | ... | Bill | |
| Jake McDorman | ... | Beau Brumble | |
| Eric Womack | ... | Officer Forrest | |
| Sarah Minnich | ... | Crack Head Lady | |
| Monique Candelaria | ... | Officer Guttierez | |
| Stafford Douglas | ... | Caterer | |
| Kate Walsh | ... | Kate | |
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Javier Gonzales | ... | Mayor |
| Susan Feniger | ... | Susan (as Susan L. Feniger) | |
| Pam Brady | ... | Barb Holt | |
| Will Gluck | ... | Doug Holt | |
Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd star as Erasmus and Paul, a bickering gay couple whose life is turned inside out when a ten-year old boy shows up at their door claiming to be Erasmus' grandson. Neither Paul, nor Erasmus, are ready to give up their extravagant lifestyles to be parents, but maybe this little kid has a thing or two to teach them about the value of family.
Ideal Home is a movie about a (quite troubled) gay couple, whose life is turned upside down, when a ten-year-old appears in their home, claiming to be a grandson of one of them. This concept of gay men being forced to take care of a child is nothing new in the cinema. And so, as can be expected, the movie is quite predictable. This doesn't mean, however, that is doesn't have a certain charm.
Yes, the characters are absolutely typical for this type of movie: one is a huge child, emotional and easily angered, while the other is the responsible one, taking care both of his partner and the child that appeared in their lives. Yes, at the beginning child has a difficulty accepting his guardians being gay. Yes, every single thing happens just as one would expect. Still, the story is quite uplifting and says something about the power of love.
The acting in the movie is uneven. Paul Rudd is quite good and believable as the responsible partner, showing a range of emotions as the story progresses. Jack Gore is nice and even though I usually really don't like children as movie characters, his Bill was completely fine. My biggest problem was Steve Coogan, who is really overacting in most scenes. I don't know if this is actually his fault or if the character was written that way, but I found him really annoying.