Photo: ramascreen.com
By Amanda Ack, Film Critic
Amanda Ack
Jason Segel is the most huggable man in the movies. He’s the lovable oaf personified: a walking, talking teddy bear who can be both completely pathetic and utterly charming all in the same moment.
Sadly, for all its goofy, cuddly Jason Segel-ness, Jeff, Who Lives at Home doesn’t quite work. It’s a sweet little movie without an ounce of cynicism, which isn’t nearly as refreshing as it sounds; rather, it’s almost too pleasant to stomach.
Segel stars as “Jeff,” who lives in his mother’s basement and spends his days pondering the meaning of life and searching for his destiny—a search involving equal parts introspection and marijuana. One fateful day, his mother sends him on a mission to buy wood glue, whereupon Jeff embarks on an adventure that ends up defining his very existence.
If it sounds a little trite, it is. Writer-directors Jay and Mark Duplass have crafted an incredibly naïve story, and while Segel is likeable enough to make his character believable, the rest of the cast is left with a giant mess they can’t manage to clean up.
Ed Helms is given the most thankless role. As Jeff’s cold, callous brother “Patrick,” he must start the film as a villain and end up a hero. Unfortunately, he isn’t given much of an arc to play, making the character’s progression seem rushed and implausible.
Similarly hindered by the script is Susan Sarandon, who, as Jeff and Patrick’s mother, is saddled with a truly sappy storyline about finding unexpected love at an advanced age. By the time we reach the film’s climax, the characters’ respective journeys have gotten too saccharine to bear, which keeps the story from packing a real, honest punch.
Thankfully, the film is saved from being completely unwatchable by the fact that the Duplass brothers, despite their lack of emotional finesse, are relatively adept filmmakers. They’ve got a pleasantly low-key style, with a keen sense of visual rhythm and a definite knack for subtle sight gags. If only they were as skilled with words as they are behind the camera, Jeff, Who Lives at Home would have been a much more effective cinematic experience.
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