Scene from Jeff Who Lives at Home (2011). Great movie, though anyone expecting a laugh out loud mainstream comedy like HIMYM may be disappointed. This isn't that kind of movie. More awkward, offbeat, and quirky than that...in a good way. I really related to Jeff. Being a dreamer, feeling a little lost in life, being open to believing in things like fate and signs and following wherever they lead, to try and find your purpose in life.
I've definitely been living my life like Jeff the last few years. Not at home (though I did stay home longer than most), I've got enough money saved up when I was part of the rat race to have my own apartment, but just trying to find my place and do my own thing. This movie was saying its ok to be that way, to be different, everyone doesn't have to be a cynical asshole, you can still contribute positively to the world while being yourself, and I really appreciated that.
Cool that Mark Duplass, co-writer and co-director of this, starred in Safety Not Guaranteed...another of my faves from the last couple years with a somewhat similar theme. He knows how to pick 'em. He (and his brother Jay, who wrote and directed this with him) favourited one of my tweets recently, too...seems like a cool guy.
The ending really moved me as well. I think it, and the movie as a whole (just like Safety Not Guaranteed), was kind of a love letter to all the misfits and dreamers of the world. All those seen as weird or losers or crazy or not good enough or not cool enough and laughed at by the "normal", perfect people. "The beautiful people". Or at least those that act that way, camouflaging their perceived "weaknesses" because they're too afraid to be honest or vulnerable or live their own life for whatever reason, so instead they turn on others like them instead of trying to find kindred spirits to connect with. The Social Darwinists of the world. Those people. All those cynical assholes of the world that want our dreams to fail just because theirs did or whatever their reason.
To paraphrase the Commentary in the Josh Radnor movie Liberal Arts: its easy to be cynical, but what's hard is taking a stand and believing in something. In Liberal Arts, the cynical haters are personified by the older, female professor. Growing up and conforming are overrated.
The end of this movie (and Safety Not Guaranteed) was like a giant middle finger to all the haters. Saying its ok to be different and live your own life, and anything IS possible if you believe and have hope. Loved it. Was just what I needed at the time.
My only possible pet peeve for movies in this genre, where there's 2 brothers and one is the idealistic dreamer and the other is the more practical, logical realist, is that the younger is usually depicted as the dreamer. To me, if the older sibling was the dreamer, he'd be even more of a misfit and it would be even tougher, due to the challenges and pressures usually placed on the older to lead, to be the responsible, mature one, etc. Not that I'm projecting or anything ;-)
Couldn't tell who the older one was in this, maybe they said but its been awhile since I watched and I can't remember, but if I had to guess, it seemed to be Ed Helms' character. The non-dreamer. Though they pretty much looked the same age. Sometimes the older will be the dreamer of the 2, but its just rare.
Oh, and another peeve is the "mom's basement" cliche. Its always that in put-downs and movies. Why is it always the basement? Who came up with that? What is the deal??? Why not the room you grew up in (unless it was the basement)? lol Why not Dad's basement? :-)
Final peeve is the pothead/stoner aspect. These guys are supposedly so unmotivated to do anything in life, yet they have access to pot? How? So they must be social enough to be leaving the house and interacting with at least some people. More social and active than me apparently, since despite my being a slacker at times, I literally know zero pot dealers lol So it just seems a bit of a cliche as well.
Or I'm just the most sheltered dude ever (not by choice, believe me) lol Since I went to a 4 year college (and graduated, thank you), worked the same full time, "9 to 5" job for almost 9 years, was married, have my own place currently, and live near Washington, DC. Guess it just didn't happen for me...same way I feel invisible at parties and social gatherings. Not everyone falls ass-backward into relationships and experiences, despite what the movies tell you. Maybe some people just kinda fall through the cracks socially.
