No-one seems to be mentioning...

And I couldn't quite put together why Johnny slammed George on the head with that wrench/ratchet/whatever tool he was holding. Did I miss something? He called George an ass at the beginning of the movie and was never friendly to him, but unless I fell asleep watching or was being a bit dense, I never saw an explanation for this behavior.

I do believe Johnny had some decency in him, but he had much trouble expressing it. The taping of the meerkat program, though intended to be a kind gesture, ended in a profane outburst during Ashley's baby shower, so he couldn't even refrain from being an *beep* for the few hours the shower would've taken.

I believe that a lot of it (as someone else mentioned) had to with George's successs, his new, beautiful, refined, intelligent, and un-preagnant bride, and the fact that his homecoming stirred up such a commotion in the Johnsten house. Johnny is the only one who doesn't lift a finger to help prepare the house for their guests.

He truly is an ass, a bit gruff physically (smokes and needs a shave), and a bit slow. Basically, everything his brother is not. He does, however, have a job, and is willing (if not ready) to be a father, he's studying for his GED, and somewhere there is love for his cute little wife. But where's HIS praise? Poor Johnny, with his sub-mediocre achievements, is nothing compared to his brother, and it's evident by his general discomfort from the start, that George's presence is only adding to his already deflated sense of self-worth.

But also worth mentioning are George's little demons. For one, he isn't in town because his sister in-law is ready to give birth, nor to see his family because he (as the mother points out) hasn't been around in three years but because his wife is trying to make a deal with a potential client who happens to live close to his family home, and he's definitely not in town to see his baby brother, Johnny. It's almost as if these sweet, quirky characters are an embarrassment to him, and that's why he left, and the sooner his wife meets them and they get the hell out and stay out, the better. Their visit is a thing of financial convenience but grows into something much more than was expected, and that's where I believe much of the genius of this movie begins.

You’ve summed them up nicely, all things I disliked about the Johnny character.
I came especially to check imdb whether I was the only one who disliked him so much.
Nor did George really make a good impression, I thought he was quite a little hypocrite.
Very nice job by Amy Adams. She’s simple, but you can’t help but love her.

You're awfully pretentious for someone who has a Bible verse at the end of their post. You seem to think because you have some sort of special knowledge or saw some sort of 'deeper meaning' in this film that I apparently missed, that you're superior to me yet you don't take the time to elaborate on this in your post.
Please refrain from talking down to others simply because they do not like a particular film and you did. What more could I expect though from someone who obviously thinks of themselves as Christian but doesn't act like one, but this is not unusual - "I've met people who act like that" all the time.


I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini.