Duplass Brothers Give One On One On 'Jeff' - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1368820

Duplass Brothers Give One On One On 'Jeff'

icon 2 Photos

authorMichelle Trauring on Oct 18, 2011

Upon meeting Jason Segel for the first time two years ago, Jay and Mark Duplass—writers, directors and brothers—said they knew they wanted the comedic actor to star in their film, “Jeff, Who Lives At Home,” which made its East Coast premiere as the Opening Night film of the Hamptons International Film Festival on Thursday.

Mr. Segel sees the world in a similar light as the Duplass brothers, they explained during an interview at c/o The Maidstone in East Hampton on Friday morning.

“Jay and I write our movies usually from airplanes or park benches or when we go on runs together, and we watch people and we just kind of love how weird and sad and funny they are,” Mark said. “Jason saw all the things in Jeff that we love: the combination of being funny and sad at the same time. And Jason has funny bones. You watch him walk down the street and it’s just funny. It’s a good mix for this kind of movie.”

The film follows 34-year-old Jeff, who spends his days unlocking the profound mysteries of the universe from the comfort of his exasperated mother’s basement. That is until his mother, Susan Sarandon’s character, sends him out on an errand, where he bumps into his disgruntled older brother, played by Ed Helms, and they set out on an adventure.

“You’ll see a new side of these guys,” Mark said, referring to Mr. Segel and Mr. Helms.

The movie was inspired by the Duplass brothers’ friends who moved straight from college to small apartments and worked menial jobs while thinking about destiny and their places in the world, the men explained.

“The neo-Platos and Aristotles,” Jay said. “You know, those guys are hilarious, but they’re also really heartfelt and lovable. They’re kind of tragic and funny.”

“That’s the key. These guys are hilarious,” Mark joined in. “And you can look at Jeff and be like, ‘Oh, it’s a stoner comedy.’ But we wanted to do something a little bit different, which is like, ‘Yeah, he is funny, but at the same time, there’s something magical and beautiful about a guy who really believes that the universe has something grand in store for him.’ He has decided not to get a menial job and not marry the first person who came along. He almost has a lot of integrity and is waiting for greatness. And that’s kind of really sweet to us.”

The film was shot a year and a half ago in New Orleans, the brothers’ hometown, they said. Growing up, they never made a conscious decision to start working together. It was as natural as deciding to eat, Mark added.

“I’m three and a half years younger, so I just kind of started worshipping Jay and following him around,” he said. “He would use me as a Sherpa and a minion, and then at a certain point I got promoted to equal partner. And that was 20 years ago. We haven’t stopped.”

When the brothers got the phone call informing them that their film had been selected to open the festival, Jay said he didn’t immediately grasp what that meant. But once he did, he was floored, he said.

“It was like, ‘Oh my god, this festival is using our film to say, “This is what we’ve got to offer this year. This is what we’re most proud of,”’” Jay said.

The film is slated for wide release in March, Mark reported. Later next year, the brothers plan to release “The Do-Deca-Pentathlon,” an earlier project that they dug back into after editing wrapped on “Jeff.”

At the Opening Night Film after party at East Hampton Point on Thursday, moviegoers age 18 to 80 approached the Duplass brothers to comment on the film, the men recalled. This project, unlike some of their others, plays to a much larger audience than they’d anticipated, they said.

“If you could take something away from the movie, it would be that, yeah, life sucks most of the time, but every now and then, you have one of these magical days or one of these magical moments, and it can be inspiring, amazing,” Mark said. “And this is that day for Jeff, that stoner guy who looks like he’s spinning his wheels in his mom’s basement. He heads out in the world and he has that day that we all remember in our lives, which is the day when the magic came together.”

You May Also Like:

HamptonsFilm Appoints Richard N. Gladstein Executive Director; David Nugent Promoted to Chief Creative Officer

HamptonsFilm has appointed two-time Academy Award-nominated producer Richard N. Gladstein as its new executive director. David Nugent, who has led programming at the organization since 2007, has been promoted to chief creative officer. Gladstein will report to HamptonsFilm co-chairs Alec Baldwin and Randy Mastro, while Nugent will report to Gladstein. Gladstein, a veteran producer and educator, will oversee all strategic planning and year-round programming for HamptonsFilm and its annual Hamptons International Film Festival. His role will focus on enhancing community engagement, expanding industry partnerships and increasing the festival’s national and international visibility. “We are delighted to welcome Richard as our ... 17 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Round and About for July 17, 2025

Music & Nightlife Mysteries, Deceptions and Illusions Allan Zola Kronzek, a sleight-of-hand artist, will perform ... by Staff Writer

Pop Art Star Nelson De La Nuez Headlines ‘Red Carpet’ Exhibition at East Hampton’s White Room Gallery

The White Room Gallery will present its latest exhibition, “Red Carpet,” from July 16 through ... by Staff Writer

Accordion Meets Improv: Sam Reider and the Human Hands To Perform on Shelter Island

Shelter Island Friends of Music continues its 2025 season with a free concert by composer, ... by Staff Writer

Artist Sean Scully Speaks at the Parrish Art Museum in Conjunction With 'Sean Scully: The Albee Barn, Montauk'

The Parrish Art Museum will present a special artist talk with internationally acclaimed painter Sean ... by Staff Writer

Let's Get Down to Business!

Get the back-history of East Hampton Village’s commercial district presented by East Hampton historian Hugh King and The Anchor Society founder Bess Rattray in a talk at East Hampton Library on Friday, July 18, at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. What kinds of colorful, quirky, practical, and whimsical shops could be found “upstreet” in the decades before Prada, Vuitton and Valentino arrived? What was the business district’s retail culture like for shoppers 50 or 100 years ago? Travel back in time for a fun and informative virtual “walking tour” — with archival images, personal recollections, and video — ... by Staff Writer

At the Galleries for July 17, 2025

Montauk The Depot Art Gallery, at the Montauk railroad station at the corner of Flamingo ... by Staff Writer

Christopher Engel's First Exhibition Since Cancer Diagnosis: Radiance — The Light Within

Sitting in his East Hampton office at the Ross School last week, Christopher Engel reflected ... by Hope Hamilton

Hampton Theatre Company Launches Season 41 in October

The Hampton Theatre Company will kick off its 41st season this fall with a lineup of four productions, continuing the momentum from a landmark anniversary year. All performances will take place at the company’s longtime home at Quogue Community Hall. The 2025 to 2026 season includes “The Thanksgiving Play” (October 16 to November 2), “A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play” (December 12 to 14), the musical “I Do! I Do!” (March 12 to 29), and the fast-paced comic thriller “The 39 Steps” (May 21 to June 7). The season opens with “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse, a satirical ... 15 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Animated by Art: Marionette-Making Workshop Series at the Leiber Collection

In the weeks ahead, the Leiber Collection will host “Animated by Art,” a marionette-making workshop ... by Staff Writer