Failure to Launch did exactly that back in 2006, at least with critics. The 18-year-old romantic comedy that teamed up Matthew McConaughey with Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker had problems finding professional praise nearly two decades ago, but Failure to Launch has suddenly become a streaming success. McConaughey and SJP’s rom-com currently ranks No. 7 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 (per Tudum). And during its first week among the 10 best movies, the film amassed 7.8 million hours viewed and 4.8 million views. (This is globally; it’s streaming on Paramount+ in the United States, or for free with ads here on Pluto TV.)
Now, those Failure to Launch critiques were scathing to be sure, which resulted in the movie registering only 23% on the Tomatometer against 151 reviews. And according to Rotten Tomatoes, moviegoers didn’t find McConaughey and SJP’s collaboration all that enjoyable either. After all, Failure to Launch holds a “splatting” 52% audience score. But it’s hard to believe the RT ratings truly reflected what was happening in 2006.
Release Date March 10, 2006
Director Tom Dey
Runtime 96
Writers Tom J. Astle , Matt Ember
Tagline To leave the nest, some men just need a little push.
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Despite the lousy Rotten Tomatoes’ numbers, fans coming right out the theaters nearly 20 years ago gave Failure to Launch an “A-” CinemaScore. And with only a $50 million budget, McConaughey and SJP’s rom-com clearly succeeded at the box office despite what critics had to say.
Failure to Launch Was a Bona Fide Box Office Hit
While fans won’t find Failure to Lost ranked among Matthew McConaughey’s best films, and it just barely makes the list of Sarah Jessica Parker’s best performances, the 2006 romantic comedy was a big hit during its theatrical release. Domestically, director Tom Dey’s flick made $88.7 million, according to Box Office Mojo, and another $41.5 million overseas for a worldwide total of $130.2 million. Adjusted for inflation, Failure to Launch would have made $202.9 million in today’s money.
By comparison, Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney’s surprise rom-com hit Anyone but You made $219.8 million globally (per The Numbers) against a $25 million budget. So, even with a slightly more expensive price tag, Failure to Launch would have been deemed a success in theaters even today. And remember, the film came out almost 10 years before McConaughey won his Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club.
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At the time, Failure to Launch was released on the heels of recent McConaughey flicks like Sahara (2005) and his Silver Screen team-up with Al Pacino in Two for the Money. Dey, the producers and the higher-ups at Paramount were undoubtedly hoping to ride the coattails of McConaughey’s 2003 rom-com How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days with Kate Hudson, which made $105.8 million in domestic receipts alone. In a discussion earlier this summer with the aforementioned Powell, McConaughey shared his thoughts about his own rom-com days. And the Failure to Launch star said (via Interview Magazine):
“I’ve usually zigged when I felt like Hollywood wanted me to zag.
When I had my rom-com years, there was only so much bandwidth I could give to those and those were some solid hits for me.
But I wanted to try some other stuff.
Of course I wasn’t getting it,
so I had to leave Hollywood for two years.
”
Dude, it was scary.
I had long talks with my wife about needing to find a new vocation.
‘I think I’m going to teach high school classes.
I think I’m going to study to be a conductor. I think I’m going to go be a wildlife guide.'”
McConaughey continued (below):
“I honestly thought, ‘I stepped out of Hollywood. I got out of my lane.’
The lane Hollywood said I should stay in,
and Hollywood’s like, ‘Well, f*ck you, dude. You should have stayed in your lane.’
It was scary. The days are long — the sense of insignificance. But I made up my mind that that’s what I needed to do, so I wasn’t going to pull the parachute and quit the mission I was on.
But it was scary, because I didn’t know if I was ever going to get out of the desert.”
As previously stated, Failure to Launch is NOT available to stream in the United States on Netflix. However, McConaughey and SJP’s 2006 rom-com can be streamed absolutely free on Pluto TV, at the time of this writing. Failure to Launch can also be seen on Paramount+.
Fans can also rent or buy
Failure to Launch
on most digital and VOD platforms.
You can view the original article HERE.
