Failure to Launch (Widescreen)

 

 

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Meet Tripp (Matthew McConaughey), a mid-thirties ladies' man who seems to have it all--a great job selling boats, an active lifestyle (sailing, biking, rock-climbing and surfing), great friends and a beautiful home. The only problem is--it isn't his. Tripp lives with his parents (Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw) and he's a mama's boy. Between eating the pancake breakfasts his mom makes for him each morning and putting away the clothes that she washes and folds for him, there isn't much to convince him to leave home. Why should he? He's got it made.

Until his parents decide they've had enough. Time for Tripp to take a trip and fly from the nest, so to speak. After meeting with some friends, Tripp's parents decide to hire Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), an intervention guru. She comes up with a plan that is sure to make Tripp 'want' to leave home. His mother ups the chores, forgets to make breakfast or do his laundry, while Paula does everything to make Tripp 'bond' with her.

Problem is, Tripp has a fear of commitment. Whenever he gets too close, he pulls away. His best pals constantly remind him of this, and bring up a past girlfriend who died tragically (this is perhaps the weakest part of the plot). If a girlfriend becomes too serious, Tripp does the one thing he knows will turn her off. He brings her home. What girl wants a guy who still lives with his parents?

Predictably, Paula becomes much more involved with Tripp than is required professionally and love ensues. But when Tripp finds out about Paula's deception and that his parents hired her to get him to move out, he is furious. And it is up to his best pals, parents and Paula's quick-witted, mockingbird-hating best friend Kit (played hysterically by Zooey Deschanel) to bring the two back together.

McConaughey plays his role to perfection, and is perhaps a bit too comfortable in the role of noncommittal slacker, while Parker's performance could have been a bit more emotional. Regardless, the secondary characters help to keep the laughs rolling and all in all, Failure to Launch is just a great bit of lighthearted fun. This is the perfect rainy Saturday afternoon movie! Bates and Bradshaw are also quite comical, although you may find you'll see much more of Bradshaw than you may have expected!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
[...]

i must say,this movie is much better than i had anticipated.first off,i
am not a fan of Sarah Jessica parker at all.She usually just annoys
me.However,she is okay in this movie.She does a good job with her
character.Anyway,the basic premise of the story is this:Tripp(Matthew
McConaughey)is 35 years old and still living at home.His Parents
Al(Terry Bradshaw)and Sue (Kathy Bates)want him to get out on his own
and leave the nest.They find a woman named Paula(Sarah Jessica
Parker)who specializes in getting men who still live at home to move
out.they hire her to do just that.Of course things don't quite work out
that way.Parker really comes across as sincere and genuine in her
role,and even displays some good comic timing,which is a pleasant
surprise.McConaughey also handles his role well,in both the dramatic
and comedic scenes.the supporting performances ate also strong.Zooey
Deschanel(Almost Famous,Elf) provides some comic relief as
Paula's'bitter,somewhat boozy roommate.Bradley Cooper(Wedding
Crashers,TV series Alias),plays one of Tripp's best friend "Demo"while
Justin Bartha("National Treasure,and its upcoming sequel) Plays
"Ace"another friend.Both also live at home with the parents.Patton
Oswalt("Blade:Trinity","Reno 911) plays the role of the techie
guy.Tripp's mother Sue(Bates-"About Schmidt","Misery" is wonderful as
the mother who is torn about her son leaving.Terry Bradshaw(former
Pittsburgh Steelers star Quarterback)is brilliant as the Father who
can't wait for his son to leave,and has one particularly hilarious
moment that must be seen to be believed.and Rob Corddry has an
absolutely riotous cameo.i like the original premise behind the
movie.however,inevitably the movie follows the formulaic romantic
comedy route and does become maudlin at times.the ending,though
predictable, is not realistic and is something that would only happen
in a movie.However,on the whole,the movie is quite good,due mainly to
the performances.i won't say it is excellent but it is as good as most
in the genre.and well worth the time and money. 3.5/5

Failure to Launch is a pretty entertaining film with an above average cast. It's downright stupid in some ways, but it knows enough to just run with the story all the way through. I was probably most interested in seeing how a constantly amusing Terry Bradshaw did in an actual comedy -- not bad at all, really (even though I saw way, way more of him than I expected or ever wanted to see). Of course, it helps that he's working alongside a world class actress like Kathy Bates, and the two of them do have some nice chemistry together in terms of the give and take. Matthew McConaughey plays his leading role just right, if you ask me, reinforcing the somewhat farcical nature of the comedy. As for Sarah Jessica Parker (who seems to be morphing into Madonna, which is sort of weird), there's that old Square Pegs bond still working in her favor. Like many, though, I thought Zooey Deschanel really stood out from the rest of the cast -- but maybe that's just because I find sarcastic morbidity strangely attractive.

There must be something in the water wherever this story takes place, as you have a whole group of thirty-something men refusing to move out of their parents' houses (that's what "failure to launch" refers to, by the way). These aren't nerds we're talking about, either. Just look at Tripp (McConaughey), for example; he does all right for himself, never having to struggle to find female companionship, yet he feels compelled to nip every relationship in the bud at the first sign of "the look" in the girl's eyes. All he has to do is bring the girl home, let her find out he still lives with his parents (Terry Bradshaw and Kathy Bates), and wave goodbye as she hustles out the door. Now his folks love their son, but they also think it's way past the time for him to leave the nest -- he's 35, for Pete's sake. They can't just throw him out, of course -- but there's another option.

Enter Paula (Parker), a professional kicker out of nests. Tripp's parents hire her to date their son, get him to fall in love with her, and thereby compel him to move out of their house already. It's almost too easy, as Tripp follows Paula's lead every step along the way. But, wouldn't you just know it, business and pleasure start to meld in Paula's heart and mind, setting up a chain of events Mr. Magoo could see coming five miles away. Obvious as the ending is, it still works surprisingly well. The transformation of Paula's roommate Kit (Deschanel) is just as interesting as the Tripp-Paula roller coaster ride of love, as she goes from a depressed semi-lunatic haunted by a mockingbird to a rather winsome lass who finds happiness without losing the dark edge that makes her so mysterious and interesting.

The story isn't perfect, but its weaknesses don't seem to matter all that much as you watch it play out, largely because the film is consistently funny throughout. Upon reflection, though, you realize that some plot details really weren't developed sufficiently -- the whole nephew thing being a case in point. I also can't approve of the way a couple of animals are treated in this film, yet even the most bothersome incident ended up being the funniest scene in the entire movie. That's sort of Failure to Launch in a nutshell. With its formulaic story, it really should be just another average film -- but the fact of the matter is that it's well above average in terms of its entertainment value.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Hit the road Tripp
Most Moms and Dads they love their kids
And want for them what's best
But by the age of twenty five
It's time to leave the nest

Tripp is over... Read more

Published on Sep 4 2006 by Amanda Richards

5.0 out of 5 stars Filled with biting humor
In today's society it is difficult for young men to see why they must leave home and trice out on there own adventure. Read more

Published on July 2 2006 by bernie

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