McConaughey bonds with the boys while charming the skirts off the women as Tripp, a 35-year-old man who refuses to leave the comforts of his parents’ home. A boat broker who dreams of someday owning one, Tripp just loves life at mom and dad’s. Mom does his laundry, cleans his room, serves delicious pancakes for breakfast, and even packs his lunch. Why would he want to trade that in for a one-bedroom apartment and the ordeal of fixing his own meals? Besides, he has a great relationship with his parents, the house is big enough to provide some privacy, and whenever he wants to break up with a woman all he has to do is bring her home. If one of his numerous conquests is getting too close to asking for a commitment, he simply brings her home and lets mom and dad do the dirty work. Once they discover he still lives under the same roof as his parents, his lady friends find they can’t vacate the premises fast enough. Problems solved, relationships ended.
Tripp’s not alone in failing to launch. His best buddies Ace (Justin Bartha) and Demo (Bradley Cooper) also enjoy the creature comforts of life with the parents. In fact, all of Tripp’s parents’ friends appear to have grown children living at home. It’s enough to drive them to drink – until one family finds a solution and shares the secret: hire a professional interventionist. Enter Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), a woman whose job it is to lure men into moving out. Tripp’s parents decide that’s the route to go and the game is on.
Failure to Launch’s timely premise provides ample fodder for some truly hilarious moments. McConaughey’s at his best in this sort of movie and it’s tough not to like him. He’s the unofficial reigning king of romantic comedies, yet he’s enough of a guy’s guy to not turn off male audiences. McConaughey’s got so much charm that he should bottle whatever it is that sets him apart and sell it. He’d make a mint.
I wasn’t sure how I’d like McConaughey and Parker as a couple but it actually works. Although the best scenes in the film involve the three men (McConaughey, Bartha, and Cooper) out biking or surfing or doing other so-called manly bonding things, Parker’s adequate as the romantic lead. There are a couple of times her dialogue sounds stilted – as though she were reading the lines rather than actually feeling them – but not enough to bring the comedy down.
Kathy Bates and ex-NFL star-turned broadcaster and part-time actor Terry Bradshaw are unfortunately not in enough scenes. These two steal the film whenever they show up. And Bradshaw’s show-stopping number toward the end of the film (which I won’t spoil by describing) leaves a lasting impression.
Zooey Deschanel’s incredibly fun to watch as Parker’s weird roommate who spends the majority of the movie trying to do away with a mockingbird outside of her window. Deschanel’s deadpan delivery is spot on in this film and she provides the perfect counterpunch to Parker’s character.
The movie starts a little slow but finds its stride after the first half hour. For the most part, the characters are the sort of real people you can get behind and enjoy watching as they learn life lessons. There’s enough screwball comedy (McConaughey’s repeatedly attacked by animals) to keep the story from sinking into pure pathos when the subject turns serious – and it does, though not to the point of clobbering you over the head with its message.
Failure to Launch director Tom Dey showed his smarts by having McConaughey shirtless as much as feasibly possible. Dey also manages to keep the film moving along, with only one small scene dragging down the pace. The final act’s send-up of reality shows pays off big. While Failure to Launch doesn’t break from the romantic comedy mold, it’s enough of a pleasurable experience that while watching it you forget you’ve seen most of its components oodles of times before.
Grade: B
Failure to Launch was directed by Tom Dey and is rated PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity and language.
