Southprose

Failure To Launch

Mini-review by Dan A.

OK, so it's a stretch. Actually several. Let's examine the stretches:

1) Terry Bradsaw is married to Kathy Bates. Right. Even though he's been telling everyone she's a good kisser, it's still a stretch.

2) Bradshaw & Bates hire Sarah Jessica Parker to lure their 35 year old son (Matthew McConaughey) into (finally) moving out of their home.

3) McConaughey gets bitten by a chipmunk, a dolphin and a chuckwalla (lizard) all within a few days.

4) Parker's character is so well informed, so hip in fact, that she can fake knowledge of just about any subject she needs to in order to convince her vicitms that she's actually interested in them.

You know what? It works. Fairly well in fact. It's a strange combination of romantic comedy or "chick flick", certain aspects of "guy film", and a healthy dose of screwball comedy.

It also features Zooey (pronounced Zoey as in Joey) Deschanel as a guy-weary shut-in who loses sleep over a noisy mockingbird. She has played characters like this before (Big Trouble, others) and is in serious danger of becoming typecast, but man, she's really funny in that character. And Tyrell Jackson Williams as young Jeffrey has a future in films if this performance is any clue. Bradshaw and Bates are in fact just about perfect as the retired parents who just want to be left alone. Or do they?

Just about the only thing that didn't click for me was the original score, a bunch of forgettable wanna be "hip" rock tunes that annoyed rather than complimenting the film.

In summing up, this is a movie where the stars and the jokes are more of a draw than the story, but the whole thing comes off rather well and it's a pleasant diversion. Better seen with someone of the opposite sex, but you won't be embarrassed if you're a guy and see it with your buddies.