Jeff, Who Lives at Home Review

It seems harder and harder these days to find a film that is so optimistic and lacking in so much cynicism, that it when one comes along, you are able to ignore (or more, just not care about) its flaws and focus all on its merits. THE MUPPETS, also starring Jason Segal (who seems to live optimism in almost all of his roles), was one such film last year. I did feel like the film's emotional seesaw had a bully at the other end who, when you're at the peak of your jump, leaves the seesaw, making you crash down on the ground, bruising your ass. But because of its high highs, sheer joy, and good vibes, I was able to forgive the film's uneven structure. JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME, falls along the same lines as THE MUPPETS. While it is a flawed picture, its love for its characters and its glass half-full philosophy make it hard to condone its blunders as its optimism starts to seep into you.

JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME portrays a normal, dysfunctional family. Jeff, played by the always chummy Jason Segel, is a stoner (one that seems to be like an actual person and not some lazy caricature) who believes in signs: A wrong phone call can lead to hours of contemplation (What did that call mean? Should I be looking for something?) and a shared dream is more than a coincidence. He has a destiny, but he just doesn't know what it is. His brother, Pat (Ed Helms), who, complete with a sleazy goatee, is kind of a jerk. He selfishly makes decisions without thinking of the effect it might have on others and constantly belittles the people who are important to him. Their mom, Sharon (Susan Sarandon), is just doing her best with what she has and is investigating a case of a secret admirer at her cubicle job.

You don't go see a Duplass Brothers film for the filmmaking. You come for the characters and their journey. Fortunately, this is a film that loves its characters, and fortunately (almost) every one of them are extremely likable. In Jeff, Jason Segel once again creates an innocence and childlike wonder and awe that you will want to hug for hours. He is a taller Winnie the Pooh with a sweat shirt and gym shorts. Pat's douchebagery, while unpleasant at times, comes from a deeply, relatable, human place, and as we notice his internal struggles, he becomes immensely open for empathy. It's Sharon and her arc, though, that will make your heart truly swell. The way her low self-esteem is boosted into youthful curiosity and joy as she chats online with her secret admirer is absolutely contagious, and her story, while still having moments that could induce eye rolls in its almost fairy-tale like situations, works beautifully. Unfortunately, not all of the character's are likable, as Pat's wife, played by Judy Greer, is only there to move Pat's character arc forward, and doesn't come off as real and relatable as the others. For the most part, she speaks in only cliches, but maybe her blandness is a joke.

It's also hard not to be moved by what JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME is saying. Nothing really important seems to be happening throughout the film. The catalyst of everything that takes place is just a trip to buy wood glue for goodness sake. But once the finale comes along, you realize that everything you have seen before holds such significance that you can't help but feel like you just witnessed the creation of the universe. I've always hated the phrase "everything happens for a reason" (a mantra Jeff seems to live by) because it's too simplistic, lazy, and leads to unneeded complacency, and JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME may seem like it's agreeing with Jeff's philosophy, but actually it's making its own.

There doesn't need to be a reason for anything, but still, everything around you is important. Everything is filled with significance and meaning. Everything leads to everything else. You can't live without the things that make your life what it is. The greatest day in the history of the world is today because today is what the history of the world has been reaching for. Your destiny is now.