Rating: 4/5

Three Word Summary: We’re All Connected

 

The Duplass brothers, Mark and Jay, always seem to make movies about brothers. Most people know about The League and it’s McArthur brothers, one of whom is played by Mark Duplass.

Recently, I watched a little-known movie called the Do-Deca-Pentathalon about two brothers who violently relive a 22-sport competition from their youth.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home is about brothers — Jeff (Jason Segal) and Pat (Ed Helms). Jeff is a lazy, pot-smoking dreamer who lives in his mother’s basement. Pat has a job, an apartment, a Porsche and a failing marriage.

The movie follows the two brothers one day when nothing can seem to go right. Jeff believes in a connecting force in the universe and believes that this force is trying to tell him something about a man named Kevin.

Pat seems to think that this idea is ludicrous and proceeds to wreck his car and then his marriage.

This relationship between the brothers is similar to that like/hate relationship demonstrated in the Duplass’ other works. One might even assume that it resembles the relationship between the Duplasses themselves.

This isn’t an action thriller. It’s not a tear-jerking drama. It’s not particularly hilarious. But it is poignant, clever and at times touching.

Part of this is because Jeff manages to avoid being the cliched burnout that so many other films portray. He’s not stupid or lazy, he’s just more focused on finding his true purpose. This focus is eventually something that his brother comes to envy.

And just when he almost loses hope for finding that purpose, Jeff meets it head-on in an unexpected, but heart-warming climax. And it has something to do with a man named Kevin. Thanks, universe.