Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Failure to Launch (2006)

Starring Matthew McConaghey and Sarah Jessica Parker

Failure to Launch is a frothy romantic comedy that manages to skewer the romantic comedy genre while still being a romantic comedy. It follows the (miss) adventures of three male friends who all have careers yet somehow all still live at home with their parents (i.e., they have failed to launch). Some of the parents wish their sons would move out so that they could relax into their own lives.

The movie follows one set of parents, played with humor and fun by Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw. They love their son Trip (McConaghey), but want him to get on with his life. In comes Paula (Parker), a professional at getting men to move out of their parent's homes. Her strategy is simple and ruthless: get them to fall in love with her, get them moved out of Mom and Dad's, and then dump them. Her methods read like a cookbook for creating a romantic comedy.

If you complain that Failure to Launch is unrealistic and unlikely, then you probably shouldn't go to see many romantic comedies. Realism isn't their strong suit. If you like humor, slapstick, and snappy dialogue, this film delivers. I particularly liked Zooey Deshanel as Paula's friend and roommate. She injects an interesting and funny energy into the film.

This movie isn't for everyone. It has adult themes that would exclude children up to about fifteen. Plus, if McConaghey or Parker aren't your cup of tea, then this movie won't be, either. Personally, I like McConaghey a lot, and Parker is very good in this role, successfully avoiding repeating the persona of the hard-edged controlling New Yorker she played in The Family Stone. So, I give this film three stars, with the proviso that you check your super-critical plot examination skills at the door of the theatre.

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