Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011)

Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his widowed mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his unhappily married brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.

Directors:

Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

Writers:

Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

Stars:

Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Segel	...	Jeff
Ed Helms	...	Pat
Susan Sarandon	...	Sharon
Judy Greer	...	Linda
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Carol
Steve Zissis	...	Steve
Evan Ross	...	Kevin
Benjamin Brant Bickham	...	TV Pitchman (as Benjamin Bickham)
Lee Nguyen	...	Clerk
Tim J. Smith	...	Guard
Ernest James	...	Guard
David Kency	...	Teammate
Raion Hill	...	Thug
Zac Cino	...	Gil
Lance E. Nichols	...	Elderly Man / Phone (O.S.)

Storyline

Jeff, at 30, lives in his mom's basement, unemployed, looking for signs about what to do with his life. He answers a wrong-number call for "Kevin". Later, on a bus, he sees someone wearing a jersey with "Kevin" on the back. Jeff follows him. Meanwhile, Jeff's brother, Pat, a tone-deaf salesman, upsets his wife by buying a Porsche they cannot afford; Pat runs into Jeff soon after and they see Pat's wife with another man. At her job, Jeff and Pat's mom receives e-mails from a secret admirer; she tries to figure out who it is. Misunderstandings, errors, and confrontations abound. A backup on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway brings things to a head.

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Plot Keywords:

stalking | adult lives at home | bathroom | motel room | car crashing into a tree | 

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Taglines:

The first step to finding your destiny is leaving your mother's basement.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including sexual references and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 2012 (UK)

Also Known As:

A casa con Jeff

Filming Locations:

Metairie, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$855,709, 18 March 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,244,155, 13 May 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Indian Paintbrush, Jeff Brothers Productions, Mr. Mudd

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot over a period of 30 days.

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Goofs

Near the end of the film Jeff is seen putting a blanket around his mother to comfort her and in the very next shot she is not wearing it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jeff: I watched "Signs" again last night.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.57 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Two Princes
Written by Aaron Comess, Chris Barron (as Christopher Gross), Eric Schenkman & Mark White
Performed by Spin Doctors
Courtesy of Epic Records
By Arrangement With Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Yea Funny it is ..

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.