| Product Summary | | Publisher: Paramount | | Format: DVD | | UPC: 00097363449140 | | Buy.com Sku: 202540044 | | Item#: V2D6H6 | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 23851 | | Category Keywords: Theatrical Release | Rating:  |
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| | | "To Leave the Nest, Some Men Just Need a Little Push."
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Dolby Digital (5.1); Dolby Surround Sound, Making of, Featurettes, Theatrical Trailer, French Subtitled
Matthew McConaughey is Tripp, a 35 year old who still lives with his parents. And who can blame him? It's free, he's got a great room, and mom (Kathy Bates) does the laundry. Desperate to get him out of the house, his parents hire a gorgeous woman, Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), to give him a little...push. They just didn't expect Tripp would push back! Zooey Deschanel, Terry Bradshaw, and Alias' Bradley Cooper co-star in this romantic battle of wills that proves there's no place like home.
"...a bright and breezy romantic comedy." Gene Shalit, Today
"Bradshaw, who is funnier than you might suspect, also turns out to be the most fearless of performers." Connie Ogle, Miami Herald
"...the best comedy since I don't know when." Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Editor's Note
Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker, SEX AND THE CITY) has a highly unusual job in this at times cartoonish romantic comedy: she's an interventionist. What this means is that parents of young men who are still living at home well into adulthood can hire her to date their sons, which lends the often troubled men the fortitude to strike out on their own. Trip (Matthew McConaughey) seemingly fits this description perfectly; a 35-year-old extreme sports enthusiast and boat salesman, he uses his living situation to quickly end any relationship that becomes too serious. Trip's doting mother (Kathy Bates) and quirky father (former quarterbackTerry Bradshaw) hire Paula at their friends' adamant recommendation, and she sets about her tried-and-true method of winning Trip over. A few obstacles emerge, however, as Trip's buddy Ace (Justin Bartha) finds out the truth, and must be bribed by a date with Paula's hilariously hostile roommate Kit (Zooey Deschanel). Paula also discovers a few things about Trip's past that make her realize how different he is from the rest of her clients, but just as she begins to develop real feelings for him, disaster strikes.Though somewhat meandering in its plotline, some of the best and funniest moments in FAILURE TO LAUNCH are provided by its supporting cast. Deschanel provides dry, intelligent humor in a subplot involving a mockingbird that's taken up residence outside her window, as well as her courtship by adoring suitor Ace. Bates as usual gives a complex performance, doing much with the part provided for her, while a game Bradshaw is appealing in his eccentricities. The film's somewhat fantastical plot is quickly eclipsed by the charm of the characters, the irresistible slapstick humor, and, in the end, heartwarming sentiment and lessons learned.
| Features | Casting Off: The Making Of Failure To Launch | | The Failure To Launch Phenomenon Featurette | | Dating In The New Millennium Featurette | | Theatrical Trailer | | Widescreen Presentation | | Audio: English Dolby Digital (5.1); Dolby Surround Sound | | Subtitles: French
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| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Paramount |
| Release Date: 8/21/2007 |
| Running Time: 96 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2006 | | Catalog ID: 344914 | | UPC: 00097363449140 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"The director Tom Dey obviously cherishes 30's comedies, and he confidently guides a screenplay that has some of the sass and bit of those oldies through the screwball rapids....Mr. McConaughey and Ms. Parker make well-matched sparring partners." 03/10/2006 p.E9Rolling Stone
3 stars out of 5 -- "[S]heer absurdity never hurt a romantic comedy, and witty dialogue and caffeinated pacing make this one a winner." 07/13/2006 p.110 Variety.com 7 of 10
Although not nearly as bad as its title, "Failure to Launch" is an especially slight romantic comedy whose modest charms are derived largely from its supporting players. Conspicuously inspired by magazine articles about a trendy, "Oprah"-worthy syndrome -- adult children unwilling to leave their parents' homes -- the filmmakers pad the movie's allotted time with over-the-top interludes in pursuit of a screwball tone. Blessed with some crowd-pleasing elements, "Launch" should enjoy modest appeal among the weekend-date crowd but, to borrow its terminology, it doesn't seem destined to fully achieve liftoff. - Brian Lowry
Chicago Sun-Times 5 of 10
During the course of "Failure to Launch," characters are bitten by a chipmunk, a dolphin, a lizard and a mockingbird. I am thinking my hardest why this is considered funny, and I confess defeat. Would the movie be twice as funny if the characters had also been bitten by a Chihuahua, a naked mole rat and a donkey? I was bitten by a donkey once. It was during a visit to Stanley Kubrick's farm, outside London. - Roger Ebert
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