The "Me" and "My Brother" of the title are interchangeably Peter Orlovsky (a poet, and protégé and long-term lover of Allen Ginsberg), and his schizophrenic brother Julius. Peter arranges for Julius' release from Bellevue Hospital and proceeds to drag him all over the Beat landscape with a film crew in tow.
Robert Frank does yeoman work following the manic Peter and catatonic Julius from one situation to another until Julius wanders off camera and out of the picture. At this point Joseph Chaikin takes Julius' place and fills in for a time. The overall effect is fascinating, and the film has a great deal to say about what we consider normal and acceptable behaviour vs. what we consider "mad" behaviour.[2]