Jeff, Who Lives at Home
Directed by Jay and Mark Duplass
Written by Jay and Mark Duplass
Written by Jay and Mark Duplass
with Jeff Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon
2011
Jeff (Jason Segel) is 30 years old and lives in his mother’s basement, where his ruminations on destiny and fate are fuelled by daytime television and frequent bong hits. He gets a phone call from a stranger, who asks for “Kevin”. Refusing to believe that anything happens for no reason, he proceeds to fall into a coincidence-fuelled search in the hope it will reveal a purpose behind his existence. If this seems a bit metaphysical for a stoner comedy (although those two things do make sense together, really), you’ve caught what makes this film interesting. Jeff soon expands beyond the comedy stereotype into a far more purposeful character. His druggy inertia is symbolic of a much deeper lack of guidance, not something simply played for laughs, and writer-directors Jay and Mark Duplass take time to portray him as a genuinely decent person, as well as someone with a hint of unfulfilled promise.
There’s a poker-faced magic to the story, with real acts of fate apparent throughout, leading us from one encounter to the next. The positioning of Jeff in the scenario is an unusual one, in that he never fully reveals himself to the audience. He is the catalyst for events, but you never see him in a real emotional crisis; he just takes things as they come, a kind-hearted enigma. However, in spite of the title the film is almost as focused on a pair of other characters as it is on Jeff: his brother Pat (Ed Helms) and mother Sharon (Susan Sarandon). As we are led into Jeff’s destiny quest, they turn out to be as much in need of change as he is. Sharon, ageing and lonely, is desperate for some human contact since her family dispersed. The film takes place on her birthday and just as she is feeling most neglected she is offered the chance to feel excitement once more. Pat, a far greater presence throughout, essentially needs to admit to himself that he has a problem; he is insecure, unhappy, and full of frustrated arrogance, yet considers himself to be the “grown-up” brother because of his elder status and Jeff’s lifestyle. Both, at the root of their sadness, suffer from an inability to embrace what they have. In very different ways, Jeff’s actions lead them to face their problems, and it is this family-themed aspect of the film that gives it heart.
The actors are all fine and well measured. Their work here has a carefulness to it, never very powerful but really delving into the script, wringing out every suggestive family reference and half-concealed emotion, as well as grounding the slightly high-concept story in a more digestible straight-faced type of whimsy. Segel and Sarandon are both endearing, but it is largely Helms who, while not as likable as Segel, shoulders the weight of the film. Just as much of a presence as the nominal lead, he peevishly articulates the bulk of the film’s emotion, and counterbalances the chronically unimposing Jeff by really exposing the nerves of his character.
The story doesn’t feel incomplete exactly, because everything is tidied up and resolved, but it does feel like there’s something missing. It could just be due to the film’s short length (a near-archaic 83 minutes), but the final set piece suddenly lunges out of nowhere, at a point which feels as though there should be some more escapade before everything can be sorted out. I didn’t feel it ruined the film, and to be honest it kind of suits the stop-start action of the plot, but I suspect it will prevent it from being a massive success because it doesn’t really deliver on the satisfaction front. Overall, though, this is a surprising and thoughtful comedy, quite far removed from the daft larks and cheesy buddy-antics that are implied by the subject matter.
Tom
Tom
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