Jeff Who Lives at Home Directed by: Jay and Mark Duplass Starring: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer Rating: R Release Date: March 16, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 8/10
Thoughts by TSR: I have an interesting relationship with the films of Jay and Mark Duplass. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan, but I really enjoy Baghead and Cyrus. What I realized is that it took multiple viewings for me to get to that point. Keeping with tradition, I had to watch this trailer a couple times before fully getting on board with what it is doing. Now that I am I can confidently say Jeff Who Lives at Home is one of the March releases I’m most interested in checking out.
Even if the trailer hadn’t won me over with its infectious mixture of heart and comedy, I’d still want to get a chance to see Jason Segel and Ed Helms tackle slightly more dramatic roles. The Duplass Brothers got a great performance out of Jonah Hill in Cyrus, so I have all the faith in the world that they will get similarly good performances out of these two. Segel looks great balancing the comedy and drama. However, it is Helms pouring his heart out in the bathtub that registers as my favorite moment in the trailer (though the way Segel says, “I’ve seen you try to do things physically,” might be my favorite comedic line).
Susan Sarandon and the always delightful Judy Greer round out the primary cast, which I'd say rivals the Cyrus quartet of John C. Reilly, Hill, Marisa Tomei and Catherine Keener. Jeff Who Lives at Home looks like another step towards the mainstream, but in no way does it appear the Duplass Brothers have lost the spirit that got them to this point.
