The Puffy Chair Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Josh Sagers drives cross-country on a mission to deliver his father's birthday gift - a giant purple LazyBoy.
| Mark Duplass | Josh |
| Kathryn Aselton | Emily |
| Rhett Wilkins | Rhett |
| Julie Fischer | Amber |
| Larry Duplass | Josh and Rhett's Dad |
| Bari Hyman | Motel Manager |
| Gerald Finnegan | Puffy Chair Salesman |
| Henry Barendse | Upholsterer |
| Cindy Duplass | Josh and Rhett's Mom |
| David Parsons | Theater Owner |
| Daniel Gonzalez | Furniture Employee |
| Ora Aselton | Furniture Customer |
| Bill Leighton | Fire Extinguisher |
| Jim Whalen | Doctor |
| Jay Duplass |
6.30 out of 10 (975 votes)
Visitor Reviews
P.Diddy LOVES this chair!
posted on 12 Aug 2009For a single man, the late 20's can be a very interesting and pleasant phase of life. You still enjoy much of the freedom you had when you were younger, but without the poverty. You've got a real job, a decent car, and a place of your own with no roommate. You've probably even got a few wine glasses and some framed pictures on the wall. You've figured out how to look and act like an adult, while remaining a teenager on the inside. In "The Puffy Chair," Josh (Mark Duplass) is just such a guy (not a man, but a guy). He sets off on a road trip to deliver his dad's birthday present, a purple Lazy-Boy just like one Josh remembers from his childhood. It's clear he is looking forward to some solo time on the road, but first his girlfriend Emily (Kathryn Aselton) and then his brother Rhett (Rhett Wilkins) tag along. In true road-trip fashion the three encounter various challenges along the way, and hash out their relationships.The dynamics between the emotionally reticent Josh and his effusive, impulsive brother are there mainly for comic relief. The main theme of "The Puffy Chair" is the tension between Josh, who is happy just being a guy and having a girlfriend, and Emily who craves at least some emotional validation if not a solid commitment. The painful, late-night "conversations" that result will be uncomfortably familiar to most. Don't be misled, though. "The Puffy Chair" deals with real feelings and relationship issues, but it is above all else a hilarious road-trip comedy.The first full-length feature by the Duplass brothers (Mark and Jay), "The Puffy Chair" is unmistakably low-budget. I suspect the biggest budget item was the actual chair. The quality of the cinematography and lighting lies somewhere between cheap porn and after-school special. The performances, on the other hand, are very heartfelt and enjoyable. One nice independent-film touch is that Josh's parents are played by Mark Duplass's actual parents. In one pivotal scene, Mr. Duplass dispenses some of his own fatherly advice.I caught Puffy Chair at Sundance, and I will be surprised if it hits the Cineplex any time soon. It's a delightful movie, but it doesn't have the breakout success potential of a "Napoleon Dynamite." This is more the "Brothers McMullen" of 2005. See it if you can, and keep an eye out for the next Duplass brothers effort. 4 out of 5 stars.
Absolutely Dreadful
posted on 17 Jul 2009Smug, pretentious, self indulgent, vapid, inept, boring, mindless, nauseating, technically inept, poorly acted, poorly written, poorly edited, poorly shot. Terrible characters, unrealistic situations, endlessly irritating dialogue, self congratulatory performances.How this film won at Sundance is mind boggling. There is so little in this to suggest talent on the part of the film makers, I honestly cannot see what redeeming features lead this to be shown to anyone other than the friends and family of the cast and crew.When you watch this film you are seeing the power of mediocrity over talent. The ambition of these 'filmmakers' to make movies utterly transcends their ability to actually make a decent movie, thus films like 'The Puffy Chair' are taken seriously, not because they are good, or have anything other than self indulgence to offer, but simply because they got made. It is images, sound and actors and its length that allows this to be classified as a movie.There is no real plot, no charm to any of the situations or characters, the soundtrack is grating. In fact this could be the worst 'movie' I have ever seen...and I sat through the Crow 4 once...
A Worthy Low Budget Indy
posted on 29 Jun 2009After reading a lot of hype, I finally got around to watching the Duplass Brothers' The Puffy Chair. It would be easy to dismiss this movie as, yet another indy DV feature, but it isn't for one simple reason: it doesn't suck.The movie opens with a scene that establishes cracks in the foundation of a shaky relationship between Josh (Mark Duplass) and Emily (Kathryn Aselton). When Josh's beloved band breaks up he tries to salvage things with Emily by inviting her on a road trip to retrieve a puffy chair bought off of eBay. The problem is, Josh doesn't love her but he's too much of a "guy" to do anything about it...other than coast (one of many signs is his annoying habit of calling her "Dude"). By the journey's end, Josh is forced to man up, but in many ways (as the opening scene foreshadows) his and Emily's fate has already been decided.TPC's strength is in its simplicity - simply put, it is a road movie about a break-up. The story is presented in a straightforward way, but it does so with surprising honesty and depth. The script is peppered with realistic and funny moments and the actors effortlessly pull off everything asked of them. Anyone with any life experience has been through a messy breakup and the Duplass' do a great job at getting across how difficult it can be to read the writing on the wall.Nothing about the way TPC was put together is going to give film students hard ons. The camera work is amateur and overall there is no attempt to hide the budgetary restraints. But, unlike so many failed DV features before it, TPC works because the story is as believable as it is ably written, directed and acted.http://eattheblinds.blogspot.com/
A chair.
posted on 05 Jun 2009Plot:- A Chair from EBay- Random people- Random people talk (" Dude, it's right. " "I'm feeling it." "Lets get married now!")- If you are a "hippie" then you will love this movie. (You must be high or drunk, otherwise you will question your life watching this junk.)This movie was clearly not thought out from the beginning to the end, and the other comments are probably the crew padding the reviews. If this wasn't aimed at my demographic, I don't know what it is aimed for. I found the plot everyday boring. It's something that I would do, and trust me it's not worth filming. Going on a roadtrip and filming half of the silence does not make a movie!
Smart, funny, and ultimately affecting
posted on 26 May 2009I saw "The Puffy Chair" at South by Southwest, and it is an excellent film. It is genuine, thoughtful, and alternately hilarious and melancholy. It deserves to be the new "Garden State."The movie's premise is simple: Josh and his girlfriend Emily go on a road-trip to pick up an old puffy recliner that Josh won on ebay and bring it to his dad for his birthday. Along the way, they stop to visit brother, a well-meaning but slightly insane lover of all things - especially nature and women - who ends up tagging along. One of the funniest scenes in the movie occurs when the three attempt to stay at a motel in Virginia but only pay for one person to save ten bucks; the ridiculous scheming (which of course backfires) to save a few bucks is on par with any of George Costanza's finest moments. The exchanges between brothers remind me of my banter with my own siblings, and the relationship that Josh and Emily have feels both unique and universal. The direction and and hand-held camera work give the film a documentary feel that really works well, and the music blends well with what is going on. The director and screenwriter used their low budget to great advantage, keeping things totally authentic; eliminating the documentary-style camera and getting rid of the improvisation would have ruined the mood of the movie.Overall, the film moves seamlessly from comedy to melancholy and from jubilant romantic beginnings to bittersweet possible endings. If you get a chance to see this flick, give it a try: it's short and sweet, but it will stay with you for a while.
An interesting film, but in no way a good movie.
posted on 14 May 2009It looks very low budget. I don't know if the camera operator simply had difficulty finding focus, or if they did that to add to the "realism", but a hand held camera that panned back and forth between two people was the routine. It looks like some of the home movies I made with my children back in the 1980s when they were young kids in the New Orleans area, just as the Duplass brothers were. (They are the same ages as my two sons, born in 1973 and 1976.) Mark Duplass is in the lead as Josh who buys an old burgundy "puffy chair" on Ebay and takes a road trip to get it, then to bring it to his dad as a birthday present. It was just like the old puffy chair they grew up with. Josh brings his girlfriend Emily (pretty Kathryn Aselton) along in the van, and Josh's brother Rhett (Rhett Wilkins) decides to go along.The four of us watching it on DVD could not understand why this movie was released. There was no character development to help us understand why the characters behaved in quirky ways. There was an incident when they arrived at the seller's, the chair was almost a total mess, ready for the trash heap, not at all like the Ebay photo. So Josh had to threaten the seller to get it upholstered overnight. Then there was the issue with the brother, and Josh's unwillingness to commit to Emily. And then the ending was abrupt. I could not recommend this to anyone.SPOILERS. At the very end, Emily and Josh stand face to face and say "I think we need to break up." And the credits rolled.
Existential comedy for out of work actors
posted on 22 Apr 2009I'd love to sit down and write an intelligent, well thought out review however, I feel I'd be spending more time in the writing process than the filmmakers did. I live in Los Angeles and I'm sorry to say that the characters seemed just SO much like underemployed and overly ego inflated ACTORS. There was not one moment in the film when I could escape the feeling I was watching the drivel ridden conversation of unemployed actors at a hipster LA coffee shop. One of the worst "indie" films I've ever seem with so little to recommend it that hearing it won at Sundance has effectively removed any prior interest I may have had in attending, much less considering a postitive Sundance review to be meaningful. Watch at your own risk.
amateurish indulgences
posted on 20 Apr 2009This movie seems to have a good heart, but that's it.Shot so badly it is literally unwatchable. The camera shakes and pans like the operator is having a seizure. News flash, oh crappy director: when you're trying to deal with people and feelings and relationships in a film, randomly shaking the camera like a bad reality show ain't the way to do it. We can't watch the people if we're watching camera moves instead.And the cutesy acting and writing is so saccharine as to be unbearable. "Touched by an Angel" is more subtle.The most interesting thing about this movie is all the press they got. I guess there were a few slow news days...
This film is a GEM!!!!!
posted on 18 Apr 2009My husband and I checked this film out on Netflix and what a pleasant surprise. It's really a genius little film. The actors were so real and believable and natural. The story was so simple and poignant. You had no idea where it would go next. There were truly HILARIOUS & Brilliant moments especially the motel sequence. I loved the bond between the brothers. It showed their whole relationship perfectly. The ending was also just so very perfect and real and forced. I give this film TWO MAJOR thumbs up!!!! I hope people see this screen gem!!!! It reminded me of another independent low budget film we also LOVED called Funny Ha Ha. I look forward to seeing what else comes from these two brother filmmakers. Very Sincerely, Hope Levy
Surprisingly Excellent
posted on 31 Mar 2009Basically, I saw this movie for no good reason. I was at the Nantucket Film Festival (June 2005) with some friends and we only had a few days to see the films. Unfortunately, most of the films I wanted to see were on the last two days, which were after we were leaving. But I bought a ticket for this little film with a funny name and we went to see it on the second day of the festival.Needless to say, one friend and I were completely blown away. For a movie we just saw because I liked the name of it, "The Puffy Chair" was a very fortunate random purchase, indeed.The simple yet strangely elegant story of a man trying to get his father the perfect birthday gift and the strange events that he, his girlfriend and his tag-along brother encounter makes for an exceptional viewing experience.Very realistic, and the pseudo-documentary-style camera work adds to the excellent script. Superb acting, especially Mark Duplass and Kathryn Aselton. In a side note - we met them at the festival and they are really nice people. Which is completely irrelevant but I just thought I'd mention that.Anyway, "The Puffy Chair" is an extremely good film, and I highly recommend it.
Effortlessly Blew Me Away
posted on 11 Mar 2009I saw this film at the Seattle International Film Festival because it was preceded by a short film I wanted to see. From the dumb title and the poor technical image quality I figured this would be a brainless failure by a 20-something wannabe hack. But I was blown away. It's not a typical movie that draws you into its surface - the beauty of the photography or the flashy cuts, grandeur and all that. It's more like a great flash photo of someone you love - the photo itself isn't pretty but it captures a powerful real feeling in the person. That's how I felt watching this film - the effortless superb acting was so natural, and the camera work so unpretentious that all I could do was watch the lives of these people unfold. And I loved it.
Sit yo'self down in a puffy chair
posted on 07 Feb 2009Authentic, hilarious, smart and touching. What else do you need in a movie? The filmmakers show a real voice that surprises you with its combination of honesty within some broad situations. Say you saw the first Duplass movie in a theater. Take a seat at The Puffy Chair.The delicate art of reupholstery, as it applies to furniture and human relationships, gives weight to the comic machinations of "The Puffy Chair," the smart and painfully funny debut feature by filmmaker brothers Jay and Mark Duplass.A near-perfect relationship-trauma comedy. It's ragged in all the right ways, just like the way we love and wake up to the realization that that love has gone sour.
Should be rated "V"
posted on 29 Nov 2008Simply put, this is a good film if your venue is a small screen or film festival. At home with the projector, it is going to be difficult to watch if you have any tendencies to motion sickness. The camera work is horrible! I cannot believe that Netflix is hyping it so much. I did manage to watch to the end by keeping focused away from the screen. The story is a realistic and personal, as if you are watching real life, and I could personally relate to it. They got there money's worth for certain. "The Puffy Chair" should come with a "V" rating for Vertigo (or Vomit). 7 stars for content, 2 for viewing experience, total of 5 stars.
lunch scene, alone
posted on 09 Nov 2008I've seen this film a few times now at various festivals and I cannot get over this particular actor or actress in the background of the lunch scene. There's a scene where Josh, Emily, and Rhett are eating lunch outside just after they've visited the furniture dealer, and this person in the background with the most amazing blonde mullet I've ever seen completely steals the scene. Even after numerous viewings I still cannot tell you exactly what that scene is about, having always been distracted and captivated by the screen presence of the mullet wearing natural in the background. He or she absolutely demands your attention, and I believe he or she is actually uncredited for his or her performance, but no doubt we will see him or her work again, and soon I would image, considering the attention this film is receiving. If for no other reason, this alone is worth checking out The Puffy Chair.
The Puffy Chair: Not Good, but not good in a different way
posted on 07 Nov 2008Most films are crappy with high production values, this one is crappy without high production values. Which sets it aside from the large pool of horrible movies. As bad as this film was I need to give due respect to Kathryn Aselton who, I believe if given the proper script, could probably turn in a pretty good performance. She plays Emily the girlfriend to perennial doofus Josh, who often refers to her as "Dude" or "Man" in a non-ironical tone.But heres the thing, Emily is a semi-believable character which means Rhett will soon need to be added to the cast, to counteract this almost believable character with a guy even more preposterous than Josh. When we first meet Rhett we learn that he is "deep" because he is videotaping a lizard which is PROOF that he sees the world "uniquely!" Rhett then shows the tape to Emily and in one of Emily's few unbelievable moments she acts impressed by this amateur tape of a lizard, WOW i believe is how she responds once again with no irony of sarcasm even mildly implied.From the opening scene you are given warning that the camera work will be crappy, we open on a shaky close up of Josh as he attempts to win over the viewers by acting GOOFY! oh how care free this main protagonist is that he will act GOOFY! haha. This film could almost be a case study in just how BAD films can be (and for that matter just how FAR bad films can get in the festival circuit, I mean by comparison of most circuit crap this film probably did appear pretty awesome).I believe SXSW gave this film some minor award (oh south by southwest, why do you encourage them, its only cruel). But here is where I hand this film a compliment, it is the best of the mumblecore movement. Mind you all other mumblecore movies sucked beyond belief and generally included grotesque nudity and incomprehensibly bad acting, but still, its good to be the best of something.I haven't seen baghead yet, but it looks like maybe they have made a few strides forward, the preview at least made it appear tolerable, where as even the Puffy Chair preview couldn't really hide the fact that it was going to suck. I've gotten off topic here, anyways Rhett is most likely not portrayed by a professional actor at all, much like Josh most likely isn't an actual actor but rather the director (or brother of director, there's some mixed messages there). I think Rhett was somebodies buddy and they said hey why don't you play this guy named Rhett in the movie, the fact that Rhett is the name of the actor and character probably means the actor and character are the same, unless I am mistaken, which I am not.If Rhett shaved the raccoon off of his face you would probably say he was attractive. So anyways Rhett, Emily, and Josh team up to bring the Puffy Chair to Rhett and Josh's dad. Some stuff happens along the way, more bad acting, bad supporting actors, crappy camera work, an attempt at significance. This film wouldn't have been bad if it hadnt been so shamelessly pursuing profound self importance.The whole thing is amateurish, if you can view this movie without paying for it, like if its on TV or for rent at the library, then consider looking at it, just to see if you like this super cheap style of film-making. I like what the duplass' are doing the whole make a movie with nothing concept, but I wish they would make a movie that someone would want to see.
The previous reviewer doesn't get it
posted on 30 Oct 2008This movie had some real nice moments. Katheryn Aselton is a very good actress. The scene with Emily and Josh arguing about marriage is so realistic in dialogue and acting. The three characters are very interesting and like a lot like people I've known. the actors are very good in that they don't let their egos shine through their work like many filmmaker/producers/actors do.Nothing is pushed or forced in this movie and there is meaning in the silences. This movie is very simple and unique in it's way. I thought the whole picking up the chair ordeal was funny. the statement about men and women were very right on.
Best comedic moments since Seinfeld
posted on 28 Oct 2008I caught this film at Sundance. Enjoyed it so much that I attended 2 screenings. For me, it captured perfectly the angst that people in their late 20 to early 30 somethings are going through: relationships--whether to commit to the next step of marriage or cut ties, the feeling of confusion during an age when you should have it all together and all the answers. Not only were the scenes played with honesty in dialogue, but the acting felt so true that at moments I forgot I was watching actors and lost myself in moments that were so true to life I had to laugh knowing certain scenes were directly from my life. Mark Duplass, Kathryn Aselton and Rhett Wilkins played their roles with total honesty, with the courage to show sides of their characters and themselves that had to have been uncomfortable. That coupled with some of the best comedic moments I've seen since Seinfeld made for a totally satisfying audience experience. Thoughts of films like "Garden State" came to mind with the mix of real honesty and comedy. Hope the whole world knows the Duplass' name soon.
Take a seat and enjoy!
posted on 22 Sep 2008THE PUFFY CHAIR is a nostalgic journey of the heart. Mark Duplass' characters take you along this funny yet painfully true adventure of love and self discovery. The entire cast is to be commended for such natural and endearing moments. Although Julie Fischer is not a main character, her beauty and aura make her scenes glow. Mark Duplass and Kathryn Aselton play wonderfully off each other, throwing tension back and forth like a stick of dynamite. And Rhett Jordan adds harmony, playing the irresistible goofy sibling. Jay Duplass perfectly sets the film's mood and pace with some shots that took my breath away and made me ache for simpler times. I look forward to future projects by the talented Duplass Brothers but THE PUFFY CHAIR deserves to be seen by a larger audience. So go out and find it.
Great Damn Movie
posted on 31 Aug 2008No spoiler here, but this movie gives you what Hollywood virtually never does--in general terms, "reality." Road trips ain't always full of cute hijinx And relationships, brotherly or with a significant other, damn sure ain't always peachy. The Puffy Chair deals with the reality of a small time period in a guy's life. Some good, some funny, some really funny and some tough, hard times, too.See this movie. It's really good. It's what you wish the last dozen or so movies you've seen made you feel when they were over--that you'd just seen a good f'n movie. Move over Cohens, the Brothers Duplass are a-comin'...and their movies will be better than yours.
great road movie
posted on 14 Aug 2009Its a simple but great story a guy and his girlfriend set out to get an old La-Z-boy chair which they found on ebay as a birthday gift to their dad. On their way they pick up the guys brother and the story goes from there. Great acting, great story and fantastic interaction between the three characters. I like this movie because it is deals with real life things like dealing with relationships which go on for ever and ever and other things such as dealing with disappointments. Every body lives their life but people are unhappy sometimes and sometimes you need to do something wacky (like pickup up a chair 2 days driving away) to step out your daily life and see life from a different viewpoint. Its not such a big surprise that road trip movies are usually about change in general. I rarely have seen a movie which expresses such a thing and which one can so easily identify with. its hard to explain why I like this movie in particular but I just like it. I love that Hollywood's attention its slowly moving away from the mainstream movies and steering towards independent movies. This movie fits well with its contemporaries like the garden state, the station agent and sideways although I think its a notch above them. It was definitely my favorite movie of 2006 and I have seen it +10 times and still does not get boring. The soundtrack is great too...although it doesn't have an original soundtrack I found all the songs on the puffy chair myspace page. I hope the DVD comes out quickly so I can put it in my collection of cool movies.