1 Good but not wonderful
I am a huge Scarlett fan so I rented this DVD as soon as it was released. I am dissapointed to say that she was not her best in this film. Topher Grace, however, does deliver a good performance. Overall, this film was good but not what I expected it to be. I would recommened anyone to rent this film but not to base Scarlett Johansen's acting skills on this performance alone.
2 it's ok, not as good as the critics sponsored
a light weight screenplay with weak storylines. okay performance. the whole sports magazine company looked pretty staged and fake, full of cardboard one-dimensional supporting figures garbaged in, garbaged out, then garbaged in again. a lukewarm comedy like a half baked potato, half ediable, half got to be thrown away. the ending even sucks more and bigger. before completely took off, suddenly lost headwind and got to glide down with no-big-deal crash landing. a so-so directed job, only survived by dennis quaid's die-hard endevor.
3 Easy But Enjoyable Escapism
"In Good Company" proved to be a pleasant way to while away a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. The viewer is never really challenged but, rather, is taken along for a comfortable journey.
In essence, the film involves a series of corporate takeovers in America where a comparatively na•ve young executive Carter Duryea (Topher Grace) and that's not a mis-spelling, is placed in charge of a department formerly managed by Dan Forman (Dennis Quaid). The 26 year old apparent wunderkind has the 51 year old offsider. Yet to further muddy the waters, Duryea falls in love with Forman's university student daughter. Forman, needless to say, is less than impressed.
In a somewhat formulaic process, the young pretender learns a few things about life the hard way. Experience triumphs over youthful ambition. Duryea leaves for a new, perhaps simpler, life and Forman returns to the fold back in his old job. The young lovers go there own way. A lesson is learned and there are no hard feelings.
Would I recommend this film to others? Well, yes, but only as a piece of escapism. Do not expect to be challenged or made to question motives and outcomes. See the film just for the fun of it.
4 Good film. Well worth checking out.
I will admit that for In Good Company my expectations were high. There has not been a movie out in a while that I have anticipated as I did this. My cards are now all on the table. You can accuse me of no bias. That said, let's begin. The movie started off as I would expect a movie which I had tauted as my favorite movie 2005 (to date) before even having seen it would.
I had my doubts about Topher Grace's ability to play a more serious role. I think it is a safe assumption that you will never catch me sneakily watching the Butterfly Effect, not all characters from "That 70's Show" can deviate from the Comedy realm. He did however do a great job.
Scarlett Johannson is not my favorite actress. She often times comes across as cold towards other characters, even in times when she is trying to be warm to them. In In Good Company she took this to a new level. Her family is shown as highly functional. Despite the loving nature of their family bonds, she seems to shy away from her father (Dennis Quaid) on more than one occassion. I cannot say that this detracted from the overall feel of the movie, but it certainly did not help; it just happened to be something that I noticed.
Dennis Quaid did well. I was glad to see him get a decent role. I am not not saying anything bad about Day After Tomorrow...
There were a few times that I was afraid the movie was going to turn predictible. I thought for sure a couple of things were going to happen at certain times that would have immediately ruined my opinion of the film. My fears never became reality, however, and I was able to go on enjoying the movie.
As the movie started to wind down, a few things happened that as they occurred I noted that I disagreed with how they were done. I am not sure if I just needed to disagree with each piece in turn to realize that there was no other way to do it or maybe there was some other reason. As the movie ended I enjoyed a quick introverted moment where I smiled to myself and thought that the way the movie ended was the right way. The only way.
One thing that I almost never pay any attention to is the soundtrack as it plays over the movie. Often times I am asked to help identify a movie in one a particular song played and I am forced to apologize for being no help. Very rarely are the songs that play throughout the movie of any consequence to me. That being said, the soundtrack to In Good Company was very good. The soundtrack features bands such as Iron & Wine and The Soundtrack of Our Lives.
I did not love this movie with every inch of my soul as I had expected to do. I cannot say that I was disappointed with it though. The more I think about the movie, the more satisfied I am with it. I stand by my decision to see In Good Company and recommend it to you.
5 Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Middle-aged businessman finds himself in the middle of a variety of humbling and surprising events, and the superb Dennis Quaid brings life to this character who handles everything that is suddenly thrown at him with a maturity, grace and dignity to be admired. His Dan has lived and learned to roll with the punches and take change in stride as life and its upheavals are like a pendulum. The gravity of his character as well as the stability of his home life and professional humility and loyalty serve him well in the end and guide a very young (and misguided) executive (Topher Grace) into a more human and humane direction. This isn't a BRILLIANT film but it is tasteful and entertaining, showing the generation gap problems faced in today's workplace. The film handles real men at their best and worst and does so skillfully.
6 Quaid and Grace give excellent performances...a winner
Dennis Quaid (Flight Of The Pheonix, The Alamo) stars as Dan, a loving father and husband who has a wonderful job as head of a sports magazine until one day when he is bumped out of the position by young hotshot Carter, played by Topher Grace (Tv's That 70's Show, Oceans 12). Grace then gets to know Quaid and his family a little better by leeching onto him and in the process he becomes involved with Quaid's oldest daughter, played by Scarlett Johanssson (Lost In Translation, Ghost World). Things heat up with Quaid finds out about the relationship and the company he is with starts to crumble. Good natured performances by everyone especially Quaid and Grace. It can be funny sometimes, dramatic sometimes and all the mushy guhsy stuff but it's another winner by writer and director Paul Weitz who also did the movie About A Boy which was a good movie as well. Also starring Margaret Helgenberger (Species, Tv's CSI), Ty Burrell (Dawn Of The Dead '04), Clark Gregg (We Were Soldiers), Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions, Hellboy), David Paymer (Chill Factor, Mr. Saturday Night), John Cho (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, Better Luck Tomorrow) and a surprising cameo by Malcolm McDowell (Pact With The Devil, A Clockwork Orange). A good movie to bring on the new year.
7 Modern Story
Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace are perfectly paired as the employee/boss in this interesting true to life drama and comedy. Watching the film, I was amazed to think just how realistic this plot is. Older employees get demoted all the time in order to bring in a newer younger genertion. The way the corporate structure is portrayed in the film it comes across very realistic.Scarlet Johansen is amazing as the daughter who falls for her dads new boss.
The script is very well-done and tells the story of the modern business world - while portraying a meaningful family story.
8 A gentle comedy that's not quite what you'd expect.
Paul Weitz's "In Good Company" gives us a classic farcical setup--a middle-aged executive suddenly finds himself saddled with a boss half his age--and adds the not unexpected complication of the young boss falling in love with his older subordinate's daugther. That this story doesn't end up quite where you think it will, without sacrificing any of the pleasures of a well-wrought movie comedy, is a real tribute to writer-director Weitz, whose last film, "About a Boy," was similarly likable and unpredictable. Those who are looking for the broad ribaldry of Weitz's first major hit, "American Pie," will be largely disappointed by the gentle yet sharply observant humor of "In Good Company." Much of the film's appeal is centered in the appeal of the two leads. Dennis Quaid exudes gruff charm as the displaced middle-aged executive, and he's as sexy now as he's ever been. As the young boss, Topher Grace--as hesitant and bumbling in his new position as a newly hatched chick--has much the same appealing, Everyman quality as the young Tom Hanks. The story is essentially that of two good, likable men forced by circumstance into an adversarial relationship, and Quaid and Grace are extremely adept at keeping the laughs coming even as your hearts are breaking for them. As Quaid's daughter and Grace's love interest, Scarlett Johansson isn't called on to do much except be charming, but she's very good at that, as is Marg Helgenberger as her mom. There also are plenty of sharp supporting performances, particularly David Paymer (who looks more like Larry of The Three Stooges with each new role) as a downtrodden corporate cog; Clark Gregg as a loathsomely smug corporate hatchetman; and Malcolm McDowell in an unbilled cameo as the Bransonesque tycoon who serves as the plot's major catalyst.
9 Awesome
In Good Company is great. It's funny, has great acting and Scarlett Johansson is in it. The only bad part is that the ending leaves you wanting more.
10 More like real life!
From start to finish I was impressed by In Good Company's "realness," for lack of a better word. The movie's climaxes, where characters are tested and either succeed or fail, are not the ones I expected, which would be the climaxes typical to Hollywood. While the major storylines are standard (man struggles against changing world at home and at work; two men look for their place in the world; boy meets girl; father struggles with daughter's adult independence), their treatment is not. In Good Company avoids the cliched "And Then He Kissed Me" focus of most Love Stories, and the "How I Learned To Deal" focus of most Tales of Finding One's Place.
Topher Grace is cagey and overeager, and provides more than just a contrast in age to Dennis Quaid's understated paternal confidence. Scarlett Johansson mirror's Quaid's confidence, playing Daddy's Girl with a subtlety that makes her impact on the two main characters real. I thought that Marg Helgenberger was under used as Quaid's wife; she's a nice blend of both the youngness implicit in pregnancy and the wisdom gleaned from having already raised two daughters, a kind of midpoint between Grace and Quaid or Johansson and Quaid. But there are only so many minutes one can expect an audience to sit still in a dark theater, and none are wasted in In Good Company.
11 "Sharply written & beautifully nuanced"
Written and directed by Paul Weitz, "In Good Company" is a disarmingly realistic, poignant, and wholeheartedly enjoyable film. Weitz, the man behind the similarly-themed "About a Boy" and the polar-oppositely-themed "American Pie" films, is a master of blending real-life drama with accessibly comedy. Though there is a bit too much of an emphasis on the romance between Scarlett Johansson's and Topher Grace's characters, Weitz has an undeniable gift for capturing achingly truthful human behavior in any given situation. It is this valuable ability that makes "In Good Company" such a beautiful film.
This smart, funny and refreshingly honest portrait of two businessmen at different crossroads in their lives, masquerades as a romantic comedy with the distracting romance between Johansson and Grace, but still manages to get its point across in the most pleasant of ways. It subtly suggests that audiences examine how they set their priorities and live their lives. Numerous questions popped into my head during throughout the film, ranging from "What is happiness?" and "When are you really happy?" to "What is really important in my life?" In a darkened theater, it's a reminder of how anemic, routine and emasculated character-driven comedies released by major studios have become because "In Good Company" is anything but anemic, routine and emasculated.
Everyone will find a character to identify with. Are you the middle-aged businessman/family man struggling to balance the two? Are you the housewife trying to hold your family together while your husband is always working? Are you the teenage daughter on the brink of womanhood trying to find your identity? Are you young and ambitious with a troubled past desperately trying to find meaning and purpose in your life? "In Good Company" is a film that will hit close to home with many; maybe even a bit too close.
12 In the Presence of Good Company
This is such an amazing movie. With excellent casting all around.The standouts being Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid.. Also I like the fact that the movie doesn't have a typical ending. It's 2 hours of worthwhile enjoyment. I would highly recommend this movie.
13 Film: 5 stars. Quaid, Grace, & Johansson. (2005)
The movie is 2 hours long, but the story is so good that time will go simply to fast when you are watching it on the big screen. Topher's character, in the end, does not get the girl (Alex Foreman played by Scarlett Johansson), and Alex's father (played by Dennis Quiad) gets his job back in heading the company...i totally recommend this film "In Good company."
If you really tune in into the character of Carter, you actually feel bad for him(especially about him losing Alex). He gets the short end of the straw...The movie pretty much is about corporate America about how older & experienced workers can be laid off from their jobs when new companies come in and decide to clean house. It is also about love and relationships. This movie is so realistic...it does not have a Hollywood ending to it.
14 A feel good movie.
This one's about a guy who is the head worker at a big sports magazine and is married with two kids, with one daughter just starting college and has a third on the way. One day, his company gets sold to a bigger one, and now a 26-year-old is his boss! In odd plot twists and big fun, his boss ends up dating his college daughter.
15 Not what I expected
This was a movie that I expected to be light, funny, romantic, and above all, formulaic. I was right on all but the last assumption.
This wasn't a deep movie: it's classified as both drama and comedy. In other words, this isn't Million Dollar Baby. There are extremely funny moments in the film. When Quaid, playing fifty two year old Dan Foreman, tries to dunk during a basketball game, the ball gets stuck between the rim and the backboard, and Foreman takes a wicked fall, hurting his arm. That type of physical humor is always good for a laugh.
There's the obvious comedic element, of course, of Carter Duryea (played very convincingly and impressively by Topher Grace) taking Foreman's old job after a corporate take over, being Foreman's boss. (It's a bit strange referring to someone as "Foreman" when that person isn't Topher Grace; especially when Grace is in the film.)
There's romance: Duryea falls in love with Foreman's daughter, Alex (Scarlet Johannsen) in an interesting twist on falling in love with the boss's daughter. Here, he falls in love with the former boss's daughter.
Here's what we expect.
-Foreman's wife is pregnant. He is excited, and asks if it is a boy. He wants a boy, and this generally means it will be a boy, in the very final scenes of the typical formulaic movie.
-Duryea and Alex fall in love and have a secret romance. Alex breaks up with him after (another hysterical moment) her father catches them. There's the typical boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl setup here).
-When Foreman catches his daughter with Duryea, he decks Duryea. One would imagine that a boss would automatically fire their employee.
As I'm writing this, I realize there are several others that I could outline, and then say: some happen, some don't. But the others give away much of the fun of the movie, and I don't want to spoil that for anyone.
I expected to walk away from this film enjoying it mildly, giving it perhaps three stars, but walked out liking it much more because it didn't do what I expected it to do. Not that the plot twists are going to knock your socks off like the ending of The Sixth Sense, but they're still fun.
16 Surviving the corporate rat race.
"In Good Company" is a low-key movie starring Dennis Quaid as Dan Foreman, a fiftyish ad salesman for a popular sports magazine. Dan is stunned when his company is taken over by a sleazy mogul, played by a slitheringly creepy Malcolm McDowell. Under the new regime, Dan is forced to work for a youthful new boss, Carter Duryea. Topher Grace is appealing as a man who is suddenly swimming with the big boys, and he doesn't quite know how to cope.
Although Carter is callow and unsure of himself, he cannot resist the lure of power and money. He throws around buzzwords such as synergy, tells everyone how psyched he is, and starts firing the old-timers, one by one. Quaid and Grace work off one another beautifully. This is one of those rare movies in which a handsome leading man, Dennis Quaid, takes an age-appropriate role. He has jowls, he looks weary and frustrated, and he struggles to keep his job at a time when youth and trendiness mean more than experience, loyalty, and competence.
Without preaching, director and screenwriter Paul Weitz makes some timely comments about corporate greed and the callousness that too often makes ordinary working men and women expendable. All of the actors are well cast. Scarlett Johansson is lovely as Dan's adored daughter, Alex. She is gradually becoming more and more independent and Dan is experiencing separation anxiety. In a supporting role, David Paymer does good work as a loyal employee who struggles to maintain his dignity as his career goes down the drain.
"In Good Company" has no special effects; it succeeds because of its solid writing and fine acting. How refreshing it is to watch an entertaining and witty movie that intelligently addresses the changing culture of corporate America.
17 Grace, Quaid, Johansson: Funniest Combo
In Good Company is a laugh-out-loud and fun-made movie where you just want to be corny and jump out of your seat and cheer. This movie was by far a Favorite Pick of 2005 already. Paul Weitz did it again after directing the hilarious "American Pie" with his brother, Chris. Chris is producing this one, which is probably why this movie is righ up there with the Weitz brothers; funny, sexual, dramatic. A great film for anybody who is in the mood for a good laugh.
18 Paul Weitz's winning streak continues
I'm not sure how much attention we can pay to the 'official' amazon review pasted above here, given that Dennis Quaid's character is referred to as 'Dave Foreman.' In this character-driven, conversational movie, Quaid's Dan Foreman is addressed as Dan no fewer than 50 times.
That aside, this is good film, certainly one of the better ones that 'gets' the work environment, circa 2005. Weitz focuses on the human side of the crazed pace of mergers and acquisitions. There's a cost involved, and often it's not pretty. That's embodied here in some good performances, most notably by the always outstanding David Paymer...a good man caught in a numbers game. Topher Grace is also outstanding...his caffeine-fueled rant about "Synergy" (the film's original working title) starts in a halting, nervous fashion and escalates into highfalutin grabs at the opportunities of marrying the Sports America and Krispity Krunch brands. He's almost convinced himself by the end of it.
This speech is echoed later in an uncredited performance by Malcolm McDowell as the rapacious Teddy K (who I'll say looks to be a cross between Teddy Forstman and Rupert Murdoch, even though the story line itself closely resembles the events of 'new media' giant AOL's takeover of Time Warner).
In both cases, it's Quaid/Foreman who calls the bluff on synergy. Quaid's character does business the old-fasioned way: based on relationships. As a filmmaker, Weitz takes the time to show you the bonds he tries to build with auto-parts entrepreneur Phillip Baker Hall.
Weitz's winning streak continues here. Everyone (especially obsessive Nick Hornby fans like myself) doubted he could break free from his 'American Pie' roots to adapt Hornby's 'About A Boy' for the big screen. Not only did he succeed, it was *better* than the book...which is really saying something.
19 In Good Company
Dan Foreman (Quaid) is the Sales Director at Sports America magazine. He is a very good salesman who has built relationships with his customers. When Sports America is taken over by Worldcom, Dan (and his co-workers) find their world turned on end. Dan finds himself demoted to "wingman" for the new boss, Carter Duryea (Grace). 26-year old Carter is not a salesman, but he has had success in the business world. He is in over his head, and must rely on Dan's assistance if he wants any chance to succeed.
After seizing an opportunity to come over for dinner at Dan's house, Carter is amazed by the nice life that Dan has put together for himself. Coming off of a failed marriage, Carter longs for what Dan has, and soon finds himself dating Dan's daughter Alex (Johannson) behind Dan's back.
"In Good Company" is a movie about relationships and the business world. The interaction between Quaid and Grace and Grace and Johannson feels genuine, and that is the main reason that this movie works. There is nothing too original here story-wise, sometimes grasping at long-time plot devices, but it is the start interaction with each other that makes this movie stand out. Dennis Quaid gets to be the likeable guy that most see him as in real life, and Topher Grace gets a chance to shine on the big screen as the good-hearted young man that he seems to be in real life.
And, while this movie does rely on formula to some extent, director Paul Weitz is gutsy enough to not give any of the characters a clear answer to their problems. It feels real, and that is why "In Good Company" succeeds.
20 A well-acted, smart satire on the corporate world.
In Good Company would have to be one of the smartest, and satirical movies made about the trials and tribulations of the corporate world in recent years. Part love story and part wry social commentary, In Good Company effectively probes, deconstructs, attacks and, in a strange way, even celebrates corporate greed, and age discrimination. The themes of the movie are common and extremely relevant in a world where globalization has taken workplace security away, where work is now mobile, and where workers are at the impulse of corporate takeovers.
Carter Duryea (played by Topher Grace) is a young, ambitious upstart who tosses around buzzwords such as "synergy." Carter recently had a hit with a line of cell phones aimed specifically at children and he so impressed his super conglomerate CEO that he has been promoted to the head of ad sales at the corporation's new flagship sports magazine. Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is the current boss of the magazine, and his years of experience and his more traditional style of working, have given him years of security along with admiration and respect from his colleagues. He's also blessed with a loving family, which includes his beautiful older daughter Alex (a gorgeous Scarlett Johansson) who is bound for NYU.
When Carter becomes Dan's boss, Dan grudgingly adapts to his demotion and the sparks begin to fly as Carter, under order to cut employees and trim budgets embarks on a steady round of firings. It doesn't help that Alex begins to take a steady shine to Carter, when Dan accidentally invites the lonely Carter over for dinner. Carter is smug and hyperactive - he constantly downs cups of coffee to keep his creative energy levels up - but his restlessness is only a front. Underneath lies a fearful and frightened young man who is suffering from a crumbling marriage and yawns for love and fulfillment. Dan, on the other hand, is fifty-two and is about to be a father again. He has a paternal, world-weary wisdom that has been amassed from years of experience both as a family man and as a worker.
The fluid dynamic between Carter and Dan is at the core of the movie. And as their roles shift and evolve, their develops a very special relationship - part father and son, part colleague and mentor. Both men are almost always at odds, sometimes violently so, and the film pulls off the clever trick of keeping both characters completely sympathetic, even when one, the other, or both give in to their piggish and wrong-headed tendencies.
In Good Company is film making at its best. With intelligent writing, witty dialogue, and steady direction, director Paul Weitz has made a film that brims cheer and is also quite devastating in its view the harshness of the working world. The characters are all intricate and textured and the actors do a terrific job of bringing out their very human foibles. Dennis Quaid delivers one of the finest performances of his career, and Scarlett Johansson is fabulous to watch as Dan's artistic, fiercely independent daughter. In Good Company is deliciously off-center and has some spot on things to say about ambition, work and office culture. Mike Leonard January 05
21 I was in a good movie
This movie was pretty good... i thought they could make a better ending though. I was confused at the end but i loved the movie and i thought though that they could make it have more of a plot. I was taken to New York, been through the 'art' of buisness and was running on the ocean side... so to speak. i thought that the advertisement was missleading though because I THOUGHT that in the end scarlette johanson would wind up seeing Tougher Grace (sorry for the misspelling and if u havent seen the movie) i thought that their relationship in SHORT was a 1 nite stand and the father finding out...
Though the movie itself was worth the $5 i paid to get in but only seeing it once.... not to buy the movie
22 The Longest Pregnancy Ever
Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a fifty-something advertising space salesman at a sports maganzine. He has one daughter in college (Scarlett Johansen), one teenager at home, and his wife (Marg Helgenberger) has recently become pregnant.
Twenty-six year old Carter Duryea is employed by a huge conglomerate, the head of which is Teddy K. Carter's been married for seven months; unfortunately he's such a workaholic, that his wife (Selma Blair) leaves him.
Teddy K buys the sports magazine, Dan gets kicked downstairs, Carter gets his old office and bcomes his boss. In order to keep his job and his salary, Carter begins firing Dan's colleagues left and right, and threatening to fire Dan. What a guy. Time goes on (one year for a divorce to become final in New York, right?), and Carter signs his divorce papers. He's so lonely that he latches onto Dan, secretly dating his daughter, Alex, and falling in love with her. Scarlett Johanson's constant facial contortions (if she doesn't have any lines, she just twists her face around while she's listening to the other actors) were a bit disturbing to watch. Meanwhile, Dan's wife is still pregnant (at least a year and a few months). Dan and Carter bond in their own fashion, and Carter learns that he can pick up a few things from an "old dinosaur".
Cutesy but basically meaningless film.
23 Older Guy / Younger Guy, ---but not buddy cops ???
This is a perfect example of Hollywood at its best. The casting was terrific---- if you remember T. Grace from 'Traffic' & D. Quaid from 'Breaking Away'... The script played to the strengths of each actor including : S. Blair, D. Paymer, M. Helgenberger & S. Johannsen. No gunplay, no crime scenes, no strange illnesses, no plane crashes, no murky shadows where some serial killer plots his next move against the cops, -----just really interesting characters & tight writing. But what is the movie about ? Go & see, you will love it. I saw it in a sold out theater & can only hope it makes a billion $$$.
24 Performances save this downsized story
Dennis Quaid is Dan Foreman, an ad-exec who did pretty well. Living the life that most of us can only wish for, Foreman sells ad space for a sports magazine, has a great family and the kind of work-place camaraderie you only see in sit-coms. That is, until his mag is acquired by a power-mad Australian tycoon known only as "Teddy K" (though immediately recognizable as Malcom Macdowell). In the evitable shake-up, Foreman is demoted and must now serve one of Teddy K's instant-MBA monsters, a man who looks more like an intern than an exec. Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), a man whose blood supply is polluted by large concentrations of caffeine, is liitle older than half Foreman's age when he becomes Foreman's boss. (A birthday in the middle of the movie puts Foreman well over the milestone of serving a man half as old as he is.) Full of corporate oomph while a compulsively nice guy, Duryea is emotionally hollow and compulsively self-centered. Forced to downsize Dan's department, Duryea tries to buddy up to ad execs who know to expect an axing. Because he needs Dan, Duryea latches onto his new "wingman" in a big way, inviting himself over to Dan's house for a sunday dinner, and unwittingly falling for Foreman's college-age daughter. Knowing that Dan's sensitive enough about his precarious job situation, Duryea wisley keeps the romance secret, but Foreman's too smart to remain in the dark for long.
This was more of a promising idea than a great movie. The dialog is pretty thin, the characterizations quite shallow
and the dilemmas never explored. Though Dan's big worry is of becoming a dinosaur made extinct by a newer (and younger) breed of exec like Duryea, the story never realizes that fear. Job security aside, Teddy K's sycophantic minions never put Dan's skills at risk - we never have any reason to believe that Carter's breed will actually outlast Dan's more experienced ways, and certainly not with Teddy K's rantings of "synergy". (The concept is meant to make individual components of larger companies stronger by allowing them to work in concert; in practice, and in this story, they prove more hazard than help since, as Dan finds, former clients are now competitors of Teddy K's other acquisitions) Then there's Carter's secret romance with Alex (Scarlet Johanson), Dan's pride and joy. Improbably they connect, though the script glosses over the attraction (we see them walking and talking, and guess they're sleeping around). Pretty soon, we begin to wonder whether she's got as much interest in a future with Duryea as she has in her past with her father, and whether she'll discard him as his wife did in the beginning of the movie.
WHY YOU SHOULD SEE THIS MOVIE: "Company" offers some fine performances by Dennis Quaid (the dinosaur most of us wish we could morph into shortly before extinction), and Topher Grace as Duryea, who seems oblivious to the humiliation his age inflicts on Dan; There's also David Paymer as a less fortunate colleague of Dan's, and a string of smaller palyers who somehow come alive despite the deadening script.
25 Downsizing never looked so good until this movie
This movie will be the blocbuster of 2005. Topher Grace (best known as Eric Foreman on 'That 70's show' stretches his acting chops. He plays the youthfull boss of a reccently demoted salesperson, Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid).
As Carter Dureya, Grace plays an uber-kid. Having no use for the 'old-fashioned' business handshake, he instead promotes products through each other. Grace does a wonderful job portraying somebody who although very smart is still learning about life.
After being dumped by his wife of seven months, Dureya inexplicably goes after the subordinate's daughter. Already unerved about the one-two impact of his boss's young age and his wife Ann (Marg Helgenberger)'s late-life pregnancy, Dan must now deal with the even-more uncomfortable idea of his daughter dating his own boss.
Confronting this boyfriend when they stay out late...etc would be very difficult. This plot twist creates all kind of innovative perspectives.
What could have ended up being either a cheesy teen flick or a cheesy grown up soap fest is instead an enjoyable feature for many age ranges. Youth will flock to see Grace and his romance, their parents and others will be drawn in from familiarity with downsizing.
26 'Synergy': All components unite in this comedy of reality
Hats off to Paul Weitz! Who would have thought that the person behind 'American Pie', 'Nutty Professor II', 'Antz' etc could write and direct a film so intelligent and sensitive and genuinely funny in the most sophisticated sense of the word 'comedy'? But pause; 'About a Boy' is also to his credit, so perhaps the other ventures were just exploratory surgeries which allowed him to find his particular voice and view of life today!
IN GOOD COMPANY deals with many issues, not the least of which is the current conflicted status of the Baby Boomers. In our increasingly youth oriented culture, the generation now in their late forties and fifties is struggling to maintain a niche and identity that allows them to continue pursuing the American Dream as the X Generation of instant gratification young ones step on experienced hands on the ever-lengthening ladder to success.
Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid), approaching age 52, is a laid back ad salesman for a successful sports magazine that allows him time and money to enjoy his two beautiful daughters Alex (Scarlett Johansson) and Jana (Zena Gray) and his ideal wife Ann (Marg Helgenberger). Enter Mergers and Acquisitions - that increasingly dreadful and greedy term that we banter around between fears of concerns over job loss and acknowledgement of Corporate abuse in out-sourcing, executive wealth plus greed, etc. A new media company buys Dan's magazine and in downsizing the staff to increase corporate profits, Dan is replaced by one Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), a 26 year old kid whose only claim to experience is a ridiculous line of dinosaur cell phones to court the 'under 5 year old' market!
Dan's life seems to be crumbling and to add to his disillusionment he discovers a pregnancy test kit in his bathroom wastebasket, immediately implicates his lovely 18-year-old daughter Alex, only to hear that his wife is indeed the pregnant one. The threat of bills for Alex seeking to attend NYU, his demotion, and the impending new baby plague his psyche, and his once secure life seems to be in the hands of his new boss, Carter.
Carter starts his new terrifying Corporate Executive job with a surprise divorce, meets Alex early on, eventually falls in love with her, hides his newly treasured relationship from Dan, fires many of Dan's loyal company, and in general unwittingly sets himself up as Dan's nemesis, all the while idolizing Dan for his abilities, his character, his family life, his home in the suburbs,...as well as his daughter. How all of these elements resolve is a fast-paced comedy/tragedy that results in a large dollop of self-introspection and realignment for all of the characters in this life drama. No happy-wappy Hollywood finale here, but instead a series of tender lessons learned.
The brilliance of Weitz' superb script and direction are ably abetted by standout performances by Topher Grace, Dennis Quaid, and Scarlett Johansson. Watching them at their craft is sheer pleasure. This film takes 'comedy' to new heights and it has so much to say about current personal vs corporate status that it should be required viewing. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, January 2005
27 PLEASANT FILM WITH GREAT PERFORMANCES ALL AROUND
If you've seen the preview you already know this movie is about Dennis Quaid's company being taken over by a larger corporation. Quaid's ad division is then assigned Topher Grace as the new boss and Quaid is demoted. The characters are thoroughly explored and milked for plenty of laughs. This is a smart comedy that does not rely on bathroom humor to pull it's weight. There is nothing offensive here. You could take your grandmother and not blush one time.
The interaction between Quaid and Grace is wonderful. Grace almost immediately begins to admire his older underling, Quaid, and look to him as the father he never had and always wanted. During the interoffice scenes, Grace becomes enamored with Quaid's daughter, Scarlet Johansen. She too is wonderful in this role.
The only them not explored is the trust issue between father and daughter. They make much of it on the surface, but never once do Scarlet and Grace discuss keeping their relationship a secret from Quaid. Which of course is a major turning point in the film.
You really can't beat this movie for intelligent comedy.
28 GOOD MOVIE, BAD ENDING!
I WANTED TO SEE THIS FILM BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE YOUR TYPICAL LOVE STORY. THE BOSS IS YOUNG, THE DAUGHTER IS YOUNG. THE BOSS AND DAUGHTER START GOING TOGETHER. THE DAD FINDS OUT, THEY BREAK UP, SAME OLD SAME OLD.
BUT WHAT PISSED ME OFF ABOUT THIS MOVIE WAS THE ENDING. CARTER AND ALEX DON'T EVEN GET BACK TOGETHER. IT ENDED CARTER JOGGING AND TALKING TO DAN.
IT'S GOOD BUT BE PREPARED TO GET UPSET.
29 A Great Movie About Jobs and Life!
I just got back from seeing this Drama/Comedy and it was much better than I expected. I thought going in that it would be mildly entertaining, but by the time the credits began to roll I didn't want to leave these characters I have come to know over the last two hours. Each character is well written and the three leads are cast so perfectly that none really stand out due to the fact they are all equally good. Dennis Quaid is usually hit or miss in the acting department, but this is a role that he really shines in. Topher Grace may be best known so far for "That 70's Show" but this role here proves that he will have a long acting career. And finally we come to Scarlett Johansson. While this is probably not her best role to date, she is good in any part she is in and her presence is undeniable. She is gorgeous (never looked better) and I love that voice of hers. All in all, this is a movie well worth seeing and I am glad I didn't pass this one up.
30 This film will keep you in "good company!"
"In Good Company" completely blew me away. Dennis Quaid stars as Dan Foreman, a middle-aged advertising executive at the peak of his career who suddenly finds himself demoted to a lower position when his company is taken over by a large corporation. To make matters worse, Dan's new boss, Carter Duryea (played by Topher Grace), is young enough to be his son, making for an extremely tense working environment. When Carter starts dating Dan's college-aged daughter (Scarlett Johansson), things get even more complicated.
This film tackles a subject that has unfortunately hit close to home for many Americans these past few years: the fear of losing your job. We see many characters facing sudden unemployment and the struggle of trying to make ends meet. The issue of maintaining personal and professional relationships is also explored in the movie, and the cast does an amazing job with this touching and witty script.
"In Good Company" is slightly more bittersweet than the television trailers have made it out to be, but there are many amusing moments peppered in among the more serious scenes. (Carter's first ride in his Porche and Dan's birthday party entrance are two especially hilarious moments that pop into mind.)
Overall, this movie was incredible. It's the kind of movie that you'll want to watch again and again. I think everyone should make the effort to see this film.
31 A Great Non-Mainstream Movie That Happens To Be Mainstream
It is extremely rare when a movie made and produced by a major studio such as Universal can feel and entertain like an independent film. Relatively, of course; while there are defininte Hollywood influences, compared to most of the crap that Hollywood puts out now, this film has a very non-mainstream feel to it.
"In Good Company" tells the story of three people living in New York City and its suburbs. Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is the head of ad sales at Sports America, one of the most prominent sports magazines in the country, and he has been happily employed there for about 30 years. Everything suddenly changes when the publishing company that owns Sports America is bought out by the super-corporation Globecom, run by the eccentric Teddie K (an uncredited Malcolm McDowell), and soon, the 51-year-old Dan is demoted. His replacement is the 26-year-old Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), an up-and-coming hot-shot who, while being a very nice guy, has no idea how to run an ad department. The third member of the movie's trio is Alex Foreman (Scarlett Johansson), who has just transferred to NYU to pursue a degree in creative writing.
So at first, Dan obviously harbors a lot of animosity towards Carter. Carter, however, looks up to Dan, despite the fact that he is Dan's boss, for not only does Dan know what he's doing, but Dan has "the perfect life" according to Carter (sadly for Carter, his wife of seven months, Kimberly [Selma Blair] has just left him- possibly for the second time). Dan has a loving wife (Marg Helgenberger), two beautiful daughters (the other played by Zena Grey), and a third child on the way. After Carter is able to get himself invited over for dinner, he and Alex begin a romantic relationship, and for the first time in his life, Carter may be truly happy.
The movie told a great story about corporations; while it never really called them evil, it did point out a lot of their shortcomings in comic ways. I'm pretty sure that the CEO, Teddie K, is a caricature of the CEO of Virgin, and there is something he says that is probably one of the greatest jab at corporations in the movie, but it is very subtle (it may have even been an unintentional joke). It dealt with selling sodas on all seven continents simultaneously (even Anctarctica!). However, I was surprised that a movie seemingly about the dangers of corporations had so many corporate sponsorships (Dominoe's and Pepsi were even mentioned by name).
Lately, there have been way too many comedies that have had no heart. In "In Good Company", you actually care about the characters, even when you are laughing with/at them, and believe me, there is a LOT to laugh about. Furthermore, while all the actors in this movie do a great job, the three lead actors are astounding. Grace and Quaid play extremely well each other, both when they are at odds as well as when they are friends. The young Johansson keeps continuing to amaze me with both her talent and her beauty. I can hardly believe that this girl is barely 20 years old (just about 2 years older than I am); both her acting ability and her appearance are a lot more mature than the average actress her age, which tends to be the over-surplussed "teen queen" (note to Ms. Johansson if you are reading this [not likely, though]: this is a compliment, and I'm sure you appreciate the benefits of not being part of that category).
As I said at the beginning of the review, this film had a very independent feel to it. Unlike most mainstream movies, I was unable to predict the direction in which this film went, and I was very satisfied by the ending, which was definitely not a typical "Hollywood ending". That's not to say that there weren't a few moments that felt a little contrived, but the majority of the film more than made up for the few instances of corn.
32 Overrated
I am very surprised that this film has been receiving such good reviews. The film raises important questions - and then completely wimps out, avoiding giving any answers. One reviewer mentioned, I think, that the ending was somewhat unsatisfying. I'd change that to COMPLETELY unsatisfying.
33 Not As Cute As 'About A Boy';Too Many Ideas In 113 Minutes
"In Good Company" boasts a good cast, including Dennis Quaid, Scarlett Johansson, Topher Grace, and Marg Helgenburger. It boasts a cute plot, about corporate downsizing, and is written by the same writer as "About A Boy" and the same director, also. It starts out, promising enough, the same way as "About A Boy" did, only in reverse. Instead of the movie telling the story of a childish London man, "In Good Company" goes a different way. It starts off with Dennis Quaid's character Dan Foreman leaving for work in the morning. We assume that it will be a story telling how he sees that his ways are wrong and stops working all the time to spend more time with his family. Nope. It is actually about, not a boy, but Dan becoming the pawn of Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), his new boss who is 26. Half Dan's age. This makes Dan mad, since Carter also schedules meetings on Sunday's, as well as becoming the office Nazi, or Red Foreman (from "That '70's Show", which Grace originated on). In fact, it is at one of these much hated Sunday sessions that Carter invites himself over to Dan's house for dinner. See, Dan's wife has left him because he is at work 24/7. It is on this Sunday that Carter doesn't want to go home, for it is his anniversery. Over at Dan's house, Carter meets Alex Foreman (Scarlett Johansson). They hit it off, and soon they are dating. However, there is an eight year difference between Alex and Carter. She has just started college, and he is, well, 26. To complicate matters, Dan has just found out that his wife, Ann (Marg Helgenburger), is pregnant with their third child. Their second is named Jana. It is of cousre a matter of time until Dan finds out about Carter and Alex. This is, after all, a movie, and not reality. There is a scene later in the movie when Alex plays Carter in tennis, at which she is a pro. She accidently injures Carter, and then a few scenes later does the same to Dan! If I were Carter, I wouldn't be dating her. This movie uses many recycled ideas from "About A Boy". And, word to the wise, Paul Weitz, the camera angle where it looks up from the ground at other people, was cute once. Barely. In...you guessed it, "About A" Damn "Boy". There are many cute, cheeky aspects about this movie, but it tries to hard to be an all aduld variation on the inrecreatable "Boy". This is a very cute movie, but at times it feels a little too artsy for its own good. I did enjoy this movie immensly, and I continue to think that Scarlett Johansson is one of Hollywood's most underrated and amazing actresses. She deserved an Oscar for her role in "Lost In Translation", and she was the best thing about "Girl With A Pearl Earring". Topher Grace is as slimy as ever, but he is also one of the funniest comedic actors today. He is actually, with the exception of Ben Affleck. Oh no! He's serious isn't he?! Oops. Dennis Quaid is funny, but he has made too many bad flicks to make up for this. "Flight Of The Phoenix" anyone? And I'm not saying that "The Day After Tomorrow" was bad, his character was just a little eccentric. This movie was an enjoyable piece of family friendly fluff, which is much better than "Win A Date With Tad Hamilton". This movie overcomes its flaws with some great cinematography, a winning soundtrack, and some good, solid acting. The plot is conventional but entertaining, and, as usual, Paul Weitz is funny and (mostly) non-crude. "American Pie 1-2" and "American Wedding" anyone? This is a truly entertaining movie, so take the family to this great holiday movie.
Movie: "In Good Company"
Director/Screenplay: Paul Weitz
Rating: **** Of ***** (4 Out Of A Possible 5)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 For Some Strong Language/Sexual Content, And Drug References
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenburger, And Terrence Stamp
34 Corporate downsizing - the warm and fuzzy version
As you drive off to the 9 to 5 in your company Lexus, consider how secure is your grip on that corner office with a view.
At age 52, Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is the veteran, successful, and respected advertising manager for a national sports magazine. Life is good. Sure, there are speed bumps: his late-forties wife, Ann (Marg Helgenberger) suddenly announces she's pregnant with their third child, and his eldest daughter, Alex (Scarlett Johansson), is off to live in the Big Apple and attend NYU. But, a second mortgage will take care of all this. Then, the publication is bought by a corporate takeover shark, and Dan's office and position are hijacked by Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), an upstart executive literally half Foreman's age. Though not fired himself, Dan is relegated to being Carter's "wingman", and must watch as other members of his old team are axed. Oh, and did I mention that Carter is seduced by Alex and lands in her bed?
Perhaps Duryea should have been scripted to be, in the eyes of the audience, more callow and unredeemably meaner. At first, it appears that this may be the case. But, after Carter's brand new Porsche sports car is crunched by an SUV as he drives off the dealer's lot, he acquires a conscience, sensitivity, and the viewers' sympathy. Thus, the ending, during which balance at the office is restored, seemed oddly unsatisfying and open-ended.
The best reasons to see IN GOOD COMPANY are Quaid, Johansson, and Grace, all of whose characters are basically decent and incredibly engaging. None of the obvious tensions result in irretrievably rancorous conflict between the three, and so the film becomes primarily a comedy with dramatic overtones rather than a drama with comedic elements.
IN GOOD COMPANY is a 4-star piece of inoffensive fluff perfectly suitable for holiday viewing by the whole family - eminently watchable and enjoyable, but not memorable.
35 A light touch
It's great to see a well-written movie with a warm heart and good star power that's not cloying, over-fabricated, completely predictable. Paul Weitz follows up his and brother Chris' adaptation of "About a Boy" with another film of boys growing into men, this time epitomized by the boyish Topher Grace as a mid-20s executive who hasn't much experience in life in general. Grace does a wonderfully understated comic turn that's also fully emotionally realized. Dennis Quaid, as his underling turned mentor, also continues his acting resurgence of late with some deft comic timing. Lots of laughs throughout, and even the big, showy comedic showdown near the end that could have turned cliche'd is done just right.
