It could have been a gimmick. cast the gifted Edward Norton as twins – one an academic, the other not. Cheers to Norton and writer-director Tim Blake Nelson for mining the script's comic gold while hunting bigger game. The title, evoking Walt Whitman and pothead bliss, indicates the film's ambition. Norton's Bill Kincaid, a philosophy prof at Brown, hasn't seen his pot-growing hick of a twin, Brady, since he left Little Dixie, Oklahoma. Brady tricks Bill to get him home. He wants Bill to reunite with their hippie mom (Susan Sarandon) and help him take down Jewish drug lord Pug Rothbaum (Richard Dreyfuss, shamelessly serving ham on wry).

The film's mix of violence and humor may throw you, but Nelson, who excels as Brady's pal, Bolger, is himself an Okie Jew with a Brown degree. He is clearly working through issues. We're all the better for it. He's crafted a hugely entertaining movie spiked with provocation. Despite Brady's crackerspeak, he is easily his brother's intellectual equal. Sexual, too. He hooked up Bill with the first girl who "guzzled his custard." Still, it's philosophy that governs Leaves of Grass, the question of whether you can live your life on a principle. Norton delivers a tour de force, a risky feat of acting that ranks with his best work. You leave this movie high on its daring.

“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.