'Failure to Launch'

Today we saw the new movie 'Failure to Launch'. The sub-title says it all: 'To leave the nest some men just need a little push'. And that's what the advertising poster displays - Sarah Jessica Parker pushing the improbably good-looking Matthew Mc.Connaughey, whose heels are dug firmly into the ground. The film also stars the wonderful Kathy Bates as Mc.Connaughey's baby boomer mother, called Sue!
Though the film is predictably light-weight, a couple of the wider social and familial themes I've covered in 'The Crowded Nest' are touched on. Without giving too much away - one of Mc.Connaghey's best buddies, who also lives at home, has moved his business back there as well. And Bates confesses she was initially reluctant for her 35-year-old son to move out because he was a useful buffer and she was anxious about how her marriage might fare in his absence. To some degree the film moves away from the unhelpful though popular notion that kids are staying on for longer simply because they are lazy, spoilt layabouts.
Despite its obvious flaws, I found it amazing to see a general release movie addressing a topic that is so close to my heart. And what's becoming increasingly apparent, if the flurry of media activity is any gauge, is that I'm far from alone in my interest in crowded nests.

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