Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2012) · Posted March 22, 2012
Directors/Writers: Jay and Mark Duplass
Stars: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer
I saw this almost a week ago immediately following the madness of SXSW 2012. It’s a film that would have been right at home during the festival, not just because of the creative forces behind it but because of its overall uniqueness and resonance. Jeff, Who Lives At Home is a small movie about big things, and I became extremely emotional while watching it because it uses the simplest of settings to show you how meaningful life can be if you choose to look at it that way (Also because I’m a huge baby). The great thing about finding such meaning is that you don’t necessarily have to put everything in the context of your supposed destiny (like the main character in the film does). You can actually find a lot of purpose and passion just by looking at those around you. Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Susan Sarandon collectively play a family characters that wrestling with this idea throughout the film’s story, and it’s extremely rewarding to see where they all end up.
This film contains a lot of sweetly conveyed messages about family and love that exist in perfect balance with the more reality-infused scenes of emotional turmoil. A lot of filmmakers and writers tackle dark material with an overly dark tone, and while that can be powerful, I much more admire truths that are revealed in stories that are largely perceived as comedic. The “sleight-of-hand” element of successful storytelling is something I love about movies in general, and Jeff, Who Lives At Home pulls off some serious movie magic. It really moved me, and I think it’ll have that effect on many more people as well.
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