The unassuming yet hilarious Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man) further shows his range in the low-grossing but critically acclaimed Jeff Who Lives At Home. The movie, co-written and co-directed by brothers Mark and Jay Duplass (Cyrus, Baghead), is classified as a comedy but is more than just a barrel of laughs. Some true-to-life scenarios are tackled here and not passed off to get a chuckle from the audience. These include seeking personal life fulfillment, dealing with aging alone, and a terrible sense of self when learning that your partner is having an affair. I compare the movie to Little Miss Sunshine or Juno, but it’s much funnier, and the more dramatic storylines occur more naturally and aren’t as forced on you. Jeff Who Lives at Home is a good movie on your couch on a rainy Saturday afternoon. While it will never wow you, if you let it, it will surprise you and leave you with a good taste in your mouth.
Segel stars as Jeff, a neurotic, unemployed 30-year-old single man who lives in his mother’s and lacks a life of real purpose. He is mesmerized by the M. Night Shyamalan movie Signs. (side note…if you haven’t seen Signs, close out of this lame review and watch this movie. Signs is and will forever be a Top 25 movie for me. As of September 2012, its current all-time rank is #4). Jeff believes that the entire universe is connected through meaningful coincidences and that all you have to do is stay aware, and these coincidences will take care of everything else.
Ed Helms (The Hangover, Cedar Rapids) is Jeff’s older brother Pat. Some might see Pat as more successful. He has a job. He’s a salesman for a popular paint company. Helms certainly is not playing his role of Andy from the popular NBC comedy The Office. He’s a conceded and a bit of a jerk. He takes his marriage to Linda (Judy Greer – The Descendants, 27 Dresses) for granted. While she is trying to save money for a house, he impulsively purchases a Porsche without asking her first. Pat acknowledges her presence and is faithful to his wife, but his lack of attention to her needs drives her to seek love elsewhere.
Sharon (Susan Sarandon – Dead Man Walking, Stepmom) is Jeff and Pat’s mother. She works a desk job at a local office. So when a secret admirer begins flirting with Sharon via instant messenger, she can’t believe it. At 65 years of age, she thinks she can no longer attract men. But as the day progresses and her admirer reassures her that Sharon is, in fact, an object of affection, she begins to react like a high school girl being sought after for the first time.
At first, you might wonder why you are watching the movie. But you’ll quickly be won over by the honest and likable Jeff. The other characters will grow on you, and while the situation might be different, you’ll see that this family isn’t that different from yours.
Plot 7.5/10
Character Development 7/10 (it’s always a challenge to progress your characters when a story from start to finish lasts just 8 hours)
Character Chemistry 7.5/10
Acting 9/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 8/10
Cinematography 7.5/10
Sound 7.5/10
Hook and Reel 8/10
Universal Relevance 7.5/10
77.5%
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie
- The Big Sick
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Everything Must Go
- Lars and the Real Girl
- Juno