Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Well, there are two ways to go about this movie. There's the way of a nice superficial 2 or 3 out of 10 and then you can actually try and understand it a bit. This was what I chose.

The movie is heartbreaking. It's kind of random and weird but if you go along and stick with it, you can see that this is a masterpiece. The problems it discusses are there more and more frequently the past few years. It's a movie of its time, and it touches all the sensitive issues.

It discusses about the alienation between family members as well as our inability to understand the different in all aspects of life, respect it and just nurture it. It also gets into the marital issues that drive so many couples apart. And although these seem a lot, and there are even more, it makes it. It gets you a small sample of everything, emotions flooding and leading you to maybe cry a bit but hopefully be a better person by the end of the movie.

A man who lives at home follows signs that bring him closer to his destiny.

Most of these characters are facing life/relationship problems, but Jason Segel brings a lovable, quirky dorkiness to a film that inevitably carries lots of heart.

The premise only works if you go along for the ride, and it doesn't hurt that the characters are likable - for the most part.

Part fun, part strange, it's a down-to-earth world that becomes large because of its themes and ideas. Check it out!

7.3/10

This film is about a mother and her two adult sons, who experience varying degrees of interpersonal problems.

The first half of the film portrays a socially awkward Jeff, with his newfound infatuation with anything to do with Kevin. It looks like a pothead comedy, which I do not usually enjoy. The mood of the second half changes dramatically, as the characters get emotionally complex. Their emotional wounds get explored, and the film becomes touching and engaging. The ending is well built and climactic, and I find myself very touched by the heroic events. How each family member found emotional attachment is beautiful to say the least.

Though "Jeff, Who Lives At Home" may be a little boring at first, it is worth watching as the last twenty minutes are excellent.

I pretty much knew I was going to dig JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME right from the first scene, where Jeff sits on the toilet, and waxes poetically into a tape-recorder about his undying love for the movie SIGNS. I tend to like the Duplass Brothers, who wrote and directed, so I guess this wasn't a hard sell.

At first glance, JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME seems like a bit of a minor film, with it running a scant eighty-minutes, and taking course over a single day. Heck, for ninety-percent of the movie it was a minor work, and while I liked it, it still felt like a bit of a disappointment on the heels of CYRUS, which was one of my favorite films from last year. The film works mostly due to Jason Segel, who's affecting as the eternally optimistic Jeff. In another actor's hands, Jeff could have been insufferable- but Segel brings a sweetness to the part that meshes well with the Duplass Brother's big-hearted, humanist philosophy.

Like CYRUS, this owes a lot to the Duplass Bros., mumblecore origins, with it seemingly shot on lower-grade digital, possibly hand-held cameras, just like CYRUS. Some of the dialogue also seems to be improvised, with the exchanges between Segel and Ed Helms (who seems to be playing Andy Bernard with a goatee here- no complaints) having a natural, unscripted feel. The film also has a very nice score by Michael Andrews, heavily reminiscent of his excellent soundtrack for Miranda July's ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW (the release of which remains the last time I bought a physical CD).

In terms of laughs, yeah- JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME is funny, but in a genteel sort of way. You'll never double over in laughter, but the whole thing feels pleasant, and at eighty minutes, goes down pretty smooth. Now, I said that for ninety-percent of the running time, this felt minor. The last twenty minutes or so throw the audience a bit of a curve-ball, with Jeff's idea of destiny having a surprisingly dramatic payoff, that pushed the film into territory I wasn't expecting. However, this switch isn't jarring, and works to the film's advantage, give it a uniqueness I wasn't anticipating.

There's also an interesting subplot involving Jeff and Pat's mom, played by Susan Sarandon, as she interacts with an office co-worker (Rae Dawn Chong of COMMANDO!!!), and deals with a secret admirer, which pays off in a fun, heart-warming way that, again, makes the film a little different- but in a good way.

All told, JEFF WHO LIVES AT HOME isn't quite as good as CYRUS, but it's a unique, pleasant comedy that once again proves that the Duplass Brothers., might be on to something with the way their films seem to simultaneously aim at the heart AND the funny bone.

Jeff, Who Lives At Home is a great example of an indie film. Jeff, a 30-year-old slacker, is searching for meaning in an aimless life, looking at pop culture references for a sign.

Jeff's journey may seem like a simple one, but his mission to buy wood-glue for a broken shutter is not dissimilar to Odysseus's epic return. The twist in the third act underscores the idea that within all of us lies a destiny. (Jeff, Who Becomes a Hero, as a title, would've given it away.) Jason Segel gives a great goofy charm to the lead character, and he is ably supported by Ed Helms as his obnoxious and insensitive brother. Susan Sarandon is faultless as the mother looking for a sign of her own as she suffers bleak corporate office cubicle.

Ultimately, this is not only a comedy about a slacker living in his mother's basement, but a hopeful look at family and what that word means. It starts slow, then reveals some wonderful surprises.