Adam Alexi-Malle, Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha

Tripp has never been able to leave the nest. He's always had some reason or other, but now, his desperate parents have had enough. They hire the gorgeous and talented girl of his dreams to get him t...( read more  read more... )o move out of the house.

Flixster Users

60% liked it

414,851 ratings

Critics

25% liked it

143 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Tom Dey

Release Date: March 10, 2006

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DVD Release Date: June 27, 2006

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Stats: 21,524 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (21,524)


  • October 1, 2009
    Painful viewing! It?s the worse than the usual boy meets girl - they fall in love - they split - they get back together. Sprinkled with poor attempts at comedy it trips over the usual cliques like when he gets bitten by various animals & throws food at someone in a restaurant by ...( read more)mistake etc. It?s not funny or convincing, everything about it is lazy. Failure to laugh!!
  • February 11, 2009
    Surprisingly, this film isn't that bad for a chick flick. If you're forced to watch something with your girlfriend, this isn't too bad.

    Matthew McConaughey is fairly stereotypical McConaughey here in these roles (I prefer him in more serious roles like Two for the Money...( read more)>). Oddly enough I didn't think Sarah Jessica Parker was THAT annoying here. But this film's saving grace was Zooey Deschanel. Absolutely stunning and vibrant with a fantastic, quick-witted sense of humor. Without her, this crapfest stinks. She steals the show....

    Failure to Launch has a wickedly ludicrous plot, and a serious lack of chemistry between the two leads. But it relies on its charm and sense of humor, and mildly succeeds in entertaining.

    Major points for the paintball scene as well.

    Not bad... don't go out of your way. But it's better than some of the other fluff out there.
  • December 22, 2008
    Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) has never left home. He only brings girls back to meet his parents when he wants to get dumped. His parents hire a girl (SJP) to get him to fall in love and move out. Matthew is very funny in this movie.
  • September 14, 2008
    Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) suffers from a failure to launch. He's 35 years old and still lives at home. With parents Al and Sue (Terry Bradshaw and Kathy Bates) willingly catering to his every whim, Tripp has no incentive to launch his life. They cook for him, clean his room, an...( read more)d wash his clothes. Tripp lives rent-free, drives a shiny new Porsche, and has a great job where he captains sailboats. It sounds pretty rough. The one thing Tripp doesn't have is romance. But before you feel sorry for him, Tripp's lack of love is entirely his choice. When his girlfriends get too close, Tripp takes them home to meet the parents. Understandably, the fact that he still lives with them scares most women away. Still, his parents think that once he meets the right girl, he'll finally leave the nest. Al and Sue decide to hire Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker), a woman who guarantees that once Tripp falls for her, he'll be out looking for a place of his own. Zooey Deschanel is underutilized as Paula's dysfunctional roommate Kit. She spends over half the film floating in and out of scenes where she clearly doesn't belong. Parker is believable as Paula, her character is severely flawed as well. The film's major turning point stems from a critical mistake she makes that someone with her job experience just wouldn't do.

    Paula: "Hey, hey.
    Kit: Hey, Paula. Good news. It's Champagne Thursday.
    Paula: It's Friday.
    Kit: Uh, yeah, Thursday came twice this week.
    Paula: For the third straight week.
    Kit: There's talk of making it permanent.
    Paula: Oh, kind of like Daylight Saving's Time?
    Kit: Right, but for booze."


    McConaughey doesn't stray too far from Wooderson of Dazed and Confused and that's just fine. But, through his well-delivered performance, we can only become irked that the story would proceed as it does, seeking to emotionally exploit this great guy. It's a neat plot twist that Tripp is manipulated by Paula, who survives by exploiting existing dysfunctional situations just as he does. A subplot involving Ace and Kit and a mocking bird outside Kit's window is hilariously funny and original. With believable and even touching performances, it's a film that's well worth it all round.
  • July 5, 2008
    Pretty cute movie but thats pretty much it
  • November 20, 2009
    I normally don't like chick flicks, but this one was really good.
  • November 18, 2009
    Caught a few minutes of this movie on TBS. Zooey Deschanel's and Justin Bartha's roles were the sole highlights in an otherwise drab movie.
  • November 13, 2009
    It was funny and kinda original, better than most chick flicks.
  • November 6, 2009
    yea...thats way funny
  • November 5, 2009
    funny but some what sad anyway this was a gr8 movie

Critic Reviews


October 7, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

As listless and phony as Failure to Launch may be, it does have one secret weapon in Zooey Deschanel. full review

March 10, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

This is a showcase for her [Parker's] sensitive intelligence, her watchfulness, and her way of thinking and reacting. The Family Stone did nothing for Parker, but Failure to Launch makes a strong case... full review

March 10, 2006
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Failure to Launch is yet another disposable romantic comedy made with little thought or skill. full review

March 10, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Apart from its name (easily the front-runner for worst of the year), Failure to Launch represents a failure in every way: of ideas, of inspiration, of casting. full review

March 10, 2006
Kyle Smith, New York Post

This is a guy comedy being mismarketed as a chick flick, complete with a poster that looks like a page from Lucky magazine. full review

March 10, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

The comical part -- the part with the assaulting fauna -- is eccentric, knockabout fun, spattered with outlandish setups and amicably offbeat supporting players who reach out and steal the show. full review

March 9, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

This would-be romantic comedy is neither. The premise is misbegotten, the chemistry non-existent and the dialogue leaden. full review

March 9, 2006
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Oh, what stupid people these are. full review

View more Failure to Launch reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • sportstar691
    November 15, 2007
    Zooey marry me. Will some one please put some video clips on here. The gun shop one and the mockingbird one would be great
  • SweetestDownfall
    November 6, 2007
    zooey do me!!!!
  • darabutler2011
    September 4, 2007
    it was a vrey funny movie.the only sad thing is there is a teacher at my school that is like matt machoneys( i guess thats how u spell it) charcter
  • mspoppet
    August 10, 2007
    I gotta admit I loved this one...
    Although you can see early on what the outcome will be, its still entertaining.
    And yes, I agree with another blogger here... kids do leave ONLY to come back again with their kids ! lol :)
  • shsheba20002001
    February 26, 2007
    as soo much a movie has a great looking face and good production,we shouldn't forget that we have to make an impact on the public.I would love to see it
  • Plinia
    September 24, 2006
    Uhmm a movie so interesting because Jessica, did a amazing actuations at the same time that Mateww
  • rraoulembry
    September 16, 2006
    same same same dat u cant say shame shame shame 2 directors n producers wasting so much money n time in making a film which has a dead story...screenplay is dull..sarah looks hot but stuck in carey bradshaw 4eva..neways jus one time watch
  • juicygirl06
    August 14, 2006
    this is the worst movie ever!! they have no chemisty what so ever. its pathetic. matthew is sexy but not sexy enough to save the world from sarah jessica parker playing carrie bradshaw... over and over. shes so stuck in that character its not funny.
  • dichotomize
    August 6, 2006
    While the film had it's [albeit few] funny moments, the film is far too predictable to really maintain any level of interest past the first act.
  • sevenyrsl8r
    August 6, 2006
    omg sooo good...and the guy is a hottie...her housemate is absolutely awesome...great film! its a must see!!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Failure to Launch Trivia


  • This actor was almost lost in 10 days, he explored the Sahara, and he had a Failure to Launch? Who's the southern stud I'm talking about?  Answer »
  • In which movie did Jessica Parker accidentally fall in love with the guy that she tried to get to move out of his parents house??  Answer »
  • What movie did paula work to get men out of living withtheir parents?  Answer »
  • Which actress was in Footloose and Failure to Launch?  Answer »

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