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The notion of fate leads stay at home son, Jeff (Jason Segel), on a sporadic path. This idea takes him and his brother on a journey of self-discovery, connection, and the sad truth about their dull lives. Will the two become overwhelmed once they discover the reality of their situation, or will the two be able to break the paths for which they have chosen? You'll have to tune in to find out.
In the beginning of the film we learn about Jeff's philosophical revelation of Director M. Night Shyamalan's film Signs, and how it can be applied to life in general. He breaks it down into the idea that we should be guided by fate and perceive the importance of being in a particular place at any given time. One miss-dialed call later, Jeff begins a long and drawn out journey searching for anything or anyone by the name of Kevin. He is certain that any and all signs connected to the name will guide him to the places he needs to be.
Jeff (Jason Segel) lives a simple life. He doesn't work, lives in his mother's basement, and doesn't do much around the house. Getting him to do anything is a constant struggle. His brother Pat (Ed Helms), applies himself more than Jeff, but loses sight on maintaining good communication with his wife. Instead he focuses more about what he wants rather than seeing the big picture. Even though both brothers live within their own worlds, they are very much alike. It would seem that the loss of their father has caused an impactful ripple in all of their lives. Jeff and Pat's mother (Susan Sarandon) also seems to suffer as well. Not only has she been alone since her husband passed, having two messed up sons simply add to her melancholy. It takes a serious life lesson/crisis before the two realize family is what binds them together.
Jeff is in a constant search for signs of fate and meaning in his life. Needless to say, he finds himself in places he was never meant to be. Jeff's mother expresses her concerns with her other son, and asks for his assistance. Reluctantly Pat agrees. This leads the two on a chaotic and conflicting journey which results in less than positive outcomes again and again. For example, during one of the most jaw-dropping moments in the film, Pat sees his wife across the street with another man in her car. From here, a new journey begins. The two brothers do all they can to track down his possibly cheating wife.
This is an emotional and realistic film. Some movie-goers watch films to escape the harsh realities of life. If you are that type of viewer, Jeff Who Lives at Home may not be the film for you. Sure there are some bits of comedy and ridiculousness; but there's also a lot of raw truth and despair in the film. Still, the raw life-like plot will certainly appeal to many folks as well. It displays the mediocre lives that we rather not experience. It can leave some viewers thinking to themselves, "At least my life's not like that!"
Let's see what all this Blu-ray has to offer.
Menu:
The disc plays strait to the menu of the film. This is always a plus in my book. The disc is one of the fastest loading Blu-rays I've seen. The menu design is very simple. The background is the same image as the box cover, displaying Jason Segel and Ed Helms gazing at one another. Unlike most menus, this has does not include a looping audio track of any kind. The menu options are extremely scarce and include: Play, Settings, and Scenes. The 'Settings" option allows viewers to choose the Audio and Subtitle tracks for the film. The Audio tracks included are: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital, and English Audio Description for the Hearing Impaired. The Subtitle languages included are the same as the audio tracks. The 'Scenes' option displays five scenes at a time. Each one is numbered and includes a snapshot from the scene. Viewers can also view/remove bookmarks from this sub-menu. This sums it up, as there are no extras or special features included with this release.
Now let's take a look at the technical side of this Blu-ray.
Video:
The 1080p transfer has an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. This means it fills your entire HDTV screen, and with stellar quality. Digitally shot, this transfer is near perfect. The image is always crisp and clear. The colors are accurate throughout, as is the contrast. The blacks are consistently inky and never appear washed out. Paramount did a fantastic job with this transfer. If you are looking for a top notch image on Blu-ray, you'll definitely have to check this one out.
Audio:
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is right on par with the image quality. Since the film is mainly dialog-based, a great deal of care can be heard in the audio. Every line from the actors comes out clear and clean. There is a great balance of sound and music in the background as well. Neither the dialog nor the effects wash out the other. Again, this is a great sounding transfer to Blu-ray. Bravo!
Overall, Jeff Who Lives at Home is a good film. It displays the dysfunctional lives of a broken family, whose motivations lead them down an exciting path outside their dull lives. Consumed by their personal thoughts and ambitions, the two brothers and even their mother lose sight of what truly matters. Family. As each character grows and becomes enthralled with their individual paths; they eventually come together at a central point. What they discover from this point will impact their presumed destinies. If you are looking for a realistic drama, I'd suggest giving this Blu-ray a shot. You may be surprised with the outcome...
