Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- breezy
- witty
- warm
- date night
- lazy sunday
What critics said
Critics generally found the romantic-comedy premise formulaic and the jokes inconsistent, though several singled out Zooey Deschanel's performance as a highlight.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Paula follows a prescribed sequence of encounters and relationship milestones to make Tripp leave his parents' home.
Tripp is thirty-five, successful and independent in some areas, yet still lives with his parents and resists emotional commitment.
Paula is hired to simulate a chance romance, but her assignment becomes complicated by authentic attraction and concealed motives.
Kit, Paula's deadpan roommate, is semi-alcoholic and plagued by a mockingbird while attracting Tripp's friend Ace.
Films like Failure to Launch, and why
The Wedding Planner
shares a formulaic romantic-comedy structure, adult relationship anxiety, and broad interpersonal humor
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
combines matchmaking schemes, deception, and breezy relationship comedy within a polished studio romcom
Hitch
features an emotionally guarded adult protagonist, romantic manipulation, and a light ensemble-comedy tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom Dey
- Release Date
- 2006-03-10
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (1867)
Cast
- Matthew McConaughey
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Zooey Deschanel
- Justin Bartha
- Bradley Cooper
- Terry Bradshaw
- Kathy Bates
- Tyrel Jackson Williams
- Katheryn Winnick
- Rob Corddry
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Failure to Launch about?
- A thirty-five-year-old man still living with his parents becomes the target of a professionally engineered romance designed to launch him into adulthood.
- What is Failure to Launch like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Failure to Launch as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Failure to Launch violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Failure to Launch.
- What did critics think of Failure to Launch?
- Critics generally found the romantic-comedy premise formulaic and the jokes inconsistent, though several singled out Zooey Deschanel's performance as a highlight.
- Which films are like Failure to Launch?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wedding Planner, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Hitch.
- How long is Failure to Launch?
- Failure to Launch runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Failure to Launch?
- In United States, Failure to Launch streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
