Jeff Who Lives at Home

One of my favourite things about independent cinema is its ability to perch itself in the background, it does not throw anything in your face and to an extent is doesn’t demand anything from you; what it or don’t watch it, like it or don’t like it, ultimately it puts the decisions is the palm of its viewer.

From time to time I like to put a film on that I know nothing about: cast, storyline, awards won, director, nothing. So many times I hear the phrase “I went in expecting the film to be...”, I myself am guilty of it and one of the beautiful things about cinema is its ability to challenge your expectations and preconceptions. Some of my favourite films have been participants of my Blind Projects; Oldboy, The 400 Blows and The Other Guys. I love that feeling of the unknown, but knowing your safe in a dark room rather than exploring an underwater cave 1000 metres below sea level where, if cinema has taught me anything, you are traditionally NOT SAFE!

Today my blind screening of choice was Jeff Who Lives at Home.

Jeff is 30, he resides the in the basement of his mother’s home, he seeks for meaning in everything and is just 1 member of a 3 tiered dysfunctional family. Jeff’s mother, Sharon, is a widower, insecure and frustrated and is the recipient of a secret admirer. Jeff’s brother, Pat, is the stereotypical male; he doesn’t listen, he hagrides his wife and he just used their savings to buy a Porsche. This is a story of 3 very disconnected and different individuals who unite on the path to happiness.

Jeff is a character who you love to hate; he is lazy, unambitious, unmotivated and is submerged in a reality disconnected from society in which everything is something. However, his idealism is endearing. He seeks comfort in wisdom and excitement in discovering the source of the universe, because for Jeff everything is the progeny of a singularity. Jeff’s exploration for the bigger picture is on a academically adolescent level, and it all starts with Kevin. However, on route to discovering Kevin Jeff, unintentionally, he is the catalyst to solving the greater issues that afflict his family.

For me, one of the greatest relationships in this film is the love affair Sharon develops with an online secret admirer. For those of you who intend of watching this film I will not divulge the identity of the anonymous romantic but their identity is irreverent anyway, well somewhat. I loved watching Sharon grow from a frustrated middle aged mother into a sexual being, free of the worry of her descendents but now anxious her aging appearance. In a weird way it reminded me of Clueless’ Miss Geist, but a little less... clueless.

I rarely found myself “laughing out loud” during this film; however, the spontaneous acts of Jeff and Pat would ensure a smile remained upon my face. When the vertically well endowed Jeff hides behind the vending machine and his curly hair protrudes over the top or even when Jeff attempts to “bust down” a hotel door, I found myself smirking at the absurdity of it. However, Jeff's most significant act comes at the end of the film and is the action that unifies his family both emotionally and physically, as he dives into the river to rescue a floundering car. When he and Pat head back towards shore where Sharon awaits them, I felt myself well up but not cry and I think this is what is so poignant about this film, it never pushes you over the edge but places you at the cliff point.

If you want to be laughing your arse off (or LMAO as someone told me recently), or even sobbing your heart out (SMHO, I just made that up!) this is not the film for you. Jeff Who Lives at Home is an emotionally subtle film; I never laughed out loud (LOL) or cried but teetered on the edge of both. I did love this film and have subsequently found myself writing probably one of my more serious blogs to date.

So to rectify this:

SUSAN SARANDON KISSES ANOTHER WOMAN!!!!!!! Phew, now I feel better!