Category Archives: Slacker

Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011)

From NetFlix:

Siblings Jay and Mark Duplass direct this comedy focusing on two brothers — one a moderate success, the other still living with Mom. A trip to the store for glue, however, turns into an encounter with destiny for the stay-at-home slacker.

Do now films glorify slackers so regularly that I must add the film category of “slacker”? Granted in this year of 2012 unemployment is a genuine problem, but Jeff does seem to live in la-la-land. For the entire film he chases after any experience that is connected with the name “Kevin”, sometimes to his real detriment.

Jeff has a brother Pat whose marriage is in trouble. At least Pat is employed but he could be a lot more responsible and also responsive to his long-suffering wife Linda. Their situation and discussions ring very true.

Their mother Sharon (played by Susan Sarandon) comes off as a needy, lonesome woman who has no idea how to help her son who lives in the basement. Her flirting with an anonymous admirer is fun to watch and also a bit sad. Surely there are a lot of women in her position.

Finally a somewhat extreme episode unites Sharon, Jeff, Pat, and Linda. Probably we needed this episode to turn the film into a “feel-good”. Nice try!

Not boring, sadly current, worth a watch.