Starring: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Rae Dawn Chong, and Susan Sarandon
If there is one universal thing that can drive anyone and everyone crazy, it's family. They know what makes you tick and how to exploit it. They know how to push your buttons more so than anyone. That's why you have to move out when you come of a certain age. Apparently, Jeff, Who Lives At Home, didn't get the memo.
Thirty something Jeff (Jason Segel) is unemployed, and the only woman in his life is his mom Sharon (Susan Sarandon). Jeff just happens to live in her basement. Angry with the fact that Jeff is wasting his life living with her, Sharon asks Jeff to make himself useful and go buy some glue to fix one of the shudders on her pantry door. Sharon's other son Pat (Ed Helms) has angered the woman in his life as well. He pisses off his wife Linda (Judy Greer) when he buys a Porsche they can't afford instead of saving for a house. Linda sees herself growing more and more distant from her husband and soon finds herself in the arms of another man. Having made a mess of their relationships with the women in their lives, Jeff and Pat happen to run into one another at Hooters. From there, adventure ensues as they both struggle to find meaning in their lives.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a random pointless film that was a complete waste of my time. For a movie with two comedians in Jason Segel and Ed Helms, I should expect to laugh quite a bit. As it stands, I just wish I had. Segel is not funny at all. His character Jeff is absolutely pathetic. As Pat, Ed Helms does deliver a few good chuckles, but that's not enough to carry a comedy. On top of the lack of laughs, Susan Sarandon's story line is of no value or consequence whatsoever, and the film doesn't even clock in at 90 minutes. I don't even understand how this crap made it to the theaters.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home reminds me of Jason Reitman's Young Adult. Like Mavis Gary, Jeff is a sad, pathetic character that inspires more sympathy than humor. The one difference is that Young Adult has a dramatic side, and Charlize Theron is able to carry the film in that way. Jason Segel is just out of luck in this terrible comedy. Jeff, Who Lives at Home gets a 0.09% rating. Grab a gin and tonic for this one. On second thought, grab two.
