Failure to Launch

Failure to Launch

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tom Dey
Produced by Scott Rudin
Scott Aversano
Written by Tom J. Astle
Matt Ember
Starring Matthew McConaughey
Sarah Jessica Parker
Zooey Deschanel
Justin Bartha
Bradley Cooper
Terry Bradshaw
Kathy Bates
Music by Rolfe Kent
Cinematography Claudio Miranda
Edited by Steven Rosenblum
Production
company
Scott Rudin Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
 March 10, 2006
Running time
 97 minutes
Language English
Budget $50 million
Box office $128.4 million

Failure to Launch is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Tom Dey, and starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. The film focuses on a 35-year-old man who lives in the home of his parents and shows no interest in leaving the comfortable life his parents, especially his mother, have made for him there. It was released on March 10, 2006 and grossed over $128 million.

Plot

Tripp (Matthew McConaughey), a 35-year-old man, is still living with his parents Al (Terry Bradshaw) and Sue (Kathy Bates), in New Orleans. Tripp's best friends Demo (Bradley Cooper) and Ace (Justin Bartha) are also still living in their parents' homes and seem proud of it. Al and Sue are fascinated when their friends, whose adult son recently moved away from home, reveal that they hired an expert to arrange the matter.

The expert is Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), who believes that men continue to live at home because they have low self-esteem. Her approach is to establish a relationship with the man to build his confidence and transfer his attachment from his parents to her. However, upon meeting Tripp she finds that he does not fit any of her previous profiles, having normal social skills and no problems with self-esteem. After an awkward encounter with his parents, Paula thwarts his attempt to dump her and has sex with him, all the while developing real feelings for him. She and Tripp find themselves sailing unfamiliar waters and confide in their friends.

Paula's vocation exasperates her roommate Kit (Zooey Deschanel), who believes that Paula took the job because she once had her heart broken by a man who lived with his parents. Paula, on the other hand, is shocked when she finds out why Tripp lives at home: his life collapsed when his fiancée suddenly died, and his family has been his source of solace ever since.

Ace discovers what is going on and blackmails Paula for a date with Kit; although Kit is more attracted to Demo, she and Ace wind up falling in love. Ace then outs Paula to Demo, who in turn reveals all to Tripp. Tripp angrily confronts his parents, and breaks up with Paula. Wracked with guilt, Paula refunds Al and Sue's money. After an awkward confrontation, Tripp manages to forgive his parents, but he cannot forgive Paula for manipulating him.

Tripp's parents and friends devise a plan to reconcile the two lovers. They tie up and gag Tripp and lock him and Paula together in a room. Paula pours her heart out to him, and he finally forgives her. The film ends with Al and Sue in their empty nest, happily singing "Hit the Road, Tripp", fading into the closing credits playing the actual Ray Charles song, and Tripp sailing away with Paula on his newly purchased boat.

Cast

Reception

Box office

In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $24.6 million, ranking first in the United States box office results for that weekend. The film grossed a total of around $90 million in the United States box office and made $128,406,887 worldwide.[1]

Critical response

The film had received negative reviews from critics, gaining only 24% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 143 reviews.[2] Film critic Richard Roeper stated the film was "completely unbelievable". Some otherwise negative reviews singled out Zooey Deschanel's performance as the film's highlight.[3][4][5] One reviewer wrote that "Even with a relatively small role, she blows the whole movie to smithereens".[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Failure to Launch". BoxOfficeMojo.com. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  2. ↑ Failure to Launch at Rotten Tomatoes
  3. 1 2 Zacharek, Stephanie (10 March 2006). "Failure to Launch". Salon.com. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  4. ↑ Rabin, Nathan. "Failure To Launch | Film | Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  5. ↑ "Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies". Film Threat. 2006-04-16. Retrieved 2010-08-11.

External links

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