Have you ever have a day where you want to do something so badly but there’s always something in the way, only when you arrive at the place you want there’s nothing there. In fact, it feels like something bigger purposely hold you back because it could harm you or it’s just not the right track for you. No? I might be confusing you.

Jeff (Jason Segel) is a 30-year-old unemployed guy who lives in his mother’s basement. In the opening scene, he talks about The Signs movie, where there’s several signs in your life lead you into something big (or something like that, I’ve never seen the movie). After that, he received a call from someone calling for Kevin, clearly the guy had a wrong number. But Jeff believes that call and the name Kevin will lead him to something.

But Jeff’s brother, Pat (Ed Helms) degrade his brother’s behavior. Unlike Jeff, Pat is a typical urban guy who believes something when he sees it. Pat is currently having marriage troubles, especially when he sees his wife, Linda (Judy Greer) going to a restaurant with a man he doesn’t know. On Jeff’s way to find a connection of the name Kevin, Pat asks him to help finding out who the mysterious man his wife’s spending time with. It all happens in their mother’s birthday, Sharon (Susan Sarandon) who tries to find out who is her secret admirer who keep IM-ing her in the office.

Jeff, Who Lives At Home have a simple plot, but with a big message. It mentions what we-as a modern-day people-suffers a lot these days; sensitivity in feeling signs, or feelings. Can we blame ourselves? We’re trained to believe in charts, research, poll, logic or anything we can see. It’s not necessarily tells us that we should believe in ghosts or superstition, but more of our instinct. Like, when you want to buy a house. You want to buy a two-floor house, but you choose one-floor house because it feels more like a home to you.

It is Pat, as a antagonist character who laughs at those feelings Jeff have. He’s a man with a job and an expensive car, when Jeff is an unemployed 30 year old man who lives in his mother’s basement. Or, that is why Pat feels he’s better than Jeff, or basically than anyone. Pat might have a ‘disease’ we often see in urban people, the type of people who seek ‘image’ rather than inner satisfaction. But his mean exterior is about change when he sees his wife with another man. Linda and Pat is already have a bitter relationship, and it’s about to reach its peak. To me, their relationship problem is interesting and could be what many people are facing in these days.

Sharon’s story is quite appealing, since she’s a responsible single parent, a middle aged woman, suddenly faced with a secret admirer. After having all her life almost figured out, working in an office cubicle, this mystery person suddenly adds a little color and surprisingly, a new hope in her average life. Uniquely, it all happens on her birthday.

It’s a light drama with some depth that might give you something to think about. Perhaps not the most outstanding, but quite boost your inner thought. What strikes the most is the comparison between Jeff’s dreamy personality and Pat’s logical mind. Jason Segel, as always, charming and approachable. Not far from his previous characters. Susan Sarandon to me have the strongest performance of all, though her portion is not much. What I think of after I watched this movie is, there’s no such thing as a coincidence and sometimes your instinct knows more than any guide or bible you have. And on top of it all, remember to embrace life.