Jeff, Who Lives At Home

I’m trying to watch anything that has Jason Segel in it. I like this actor and find his stuff funny. Jeff, Who Lives At Home is a comedy movie written & directed by Jay & Mark Duplass. The movie stars Segel with Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer & Rae Dawn Chong. Don’t expect a slap stick, laugh a minute, pee in your pants rib tickler. This is a sweet, laid back comedy and very whimsical in nature. If you like those kind of movies, remember that it isn’t for everyone, yet those who like it will love this movie.

Jeff is a slacker, pot smoking former high school basketball player who now spends his days smoking weed, obsessing about the movie Signs and lying on his couch in his mom’s basement. His brother Pat is a somewhat obnoxious middle management level employee who is obsessed with image. His marriage to Linda is failing as he buys a Porsche, without discussing with her and she blows a fuse. Their mother Sharon is a widowed woman who is frustrated with her sons, especially Jeff’s refusal to do anything with his life, longing for something interesting in her life. One morning Jeff gets a call on his phone by someone asking for a ‘Kevin’ and when Jeff says there is no Jeff there, the call shouts at him.

Despite it being a wrong number he will soon follow things & signs with the name Kevin it it. He heads out to a store after his mother nags at him over the phone to fix a shutter at home befre she comes back home that day, incidentally her birthday. On the bus he sees a young man in a basketball shirt with the name ‘Kevin’ written on the back. Jeff follows him and then plays basketball with Kevin and a few of his friends. While smoking a joint, Kevin’s friends hit Jeff and mug him. As Jeff walks back home he passes by a Hooters and his brother Pat sees him. The two of them fight and then get into the new Porsche. They see Linda get into her car with another man and follow them but Pat’s anger make him dive rashly and they crash into a tree. Pat makes Jeff spy on Linda talking & complaining about Pat in a restaurant. As they leave Linda sees Jeff and is flustered but she leaves with the other man, a co-worker. Pat’s car gets towed and the brothers have to walk. At their father’s grave Jeff sees a truck for ‘Kevin’s Kandy’ and hitches a ride on the back to the factory.

He then follows the truck to it’s next spot – a hotel and he is stunned to see Pat there. That’s the same hotel where Linda & her friend have taken a room to talk and Pat happened to see the car parked there as he was going home in a taxi. Jeff is sure now that he is following his destiny and helps his brother to confront Linda. Linda and Pat fight with she saying that he doesn’t pay her any attention and that their marriage has been over for a while. After she leaves Pat & Jeff talk and decide that Pat needs to open up to Linda and say that he wants to fall in love with her all over again. They head out in a taxi to find her. Meanwhile their mom, Sharon, had been receiving notes and chat messages from an anonymous admirer and she confides in her best friend at work Carol. Sharon is elated that a co-worker finds her attractive and tries to find out who the admirer is only to be stunned when she finds out that it is actually Carol. Carol and Sharon later share an intimate moment and they kiss and plan to go for some adventure. Their car is stuck in traffic on a bridge when Sharon sees Pat running on the bridge to meet Linda in her car.

Jeff sits in the taxi and spies a car sinking in the water below. He jumps into the river and saves two kids and then goes back to get their father. The father and kids are moved onto a boat but there is no sign of Jeff. Seeing this Pat jumps in and rescues his brother. The family is reunited and mother hugs her sons while Linda & Pat hug and make up. Later at home they – Pat, Jeff, Sharon, Linda & Carol – celebrate Sharon’s birthday with a cake and dinner and as the movie ends, Jeff goes to get some glue and fixes his mother’s kitchen shutters, having a new lease on life when he sees & hears on the news that the man who’s life he saves was a city councilman named – Kevin!

Very engaging movie and sweet and funny and moving. Loved it a lot. 8 out of 10!