Jeff, Who Lives At Home

Actors:  Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, Rae Dong Chong
Rating:  7 out of 10, I didn’t know what to make of this at first.  Everybody, if they’re really honest with themselves, spends a great deal of time trying to figure out where they fit in the world and what’s important.  This little film takes a crack at it and succeeds.  It’s billed as a comedy and while there are some awkwardly funny moments, it’s more of a road movie even though the characters never leave Baton Rouge.  Segel plays a 30 year old slacker safely hiding out from life in his mother’s basement until sent out on a quest by a wrong number.  Helms, finally gets out of his comfort zone of playing only “nice” guys, is an ostensibly more successful brother who’s just as lost as the loser Segel.  Sarandon is underused and her sub-plot was a bit of a stretch but she’s welcome addition to almost anything.  It was also nice to see Chong again; I always thought she was underrated.  This turned out to be a very nice “searching for the meaning of/in life” journey as this very dysfunctional family reconnects with each other and with life itself.  I really liked the climactic scene where all the strands are brought together on a bridge – kind of blatant but appropriate symbology.  
MVP:  Segel returns to form as part of an ensemble, where he’s always at his best, as the lovable loser – Jeff.