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DVD In Good Company (Full Screen Edition)
Nowadays it's rare to find a movie that pays attention to human weakness as well as strength, and that sees a whole person as having both. When a sports magazine gets bought by a media conglomerate, an ad sales executive named Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid, The Rookie) finds himself playing second-in-command to Carter Duryea, a hotshot barely half his age (Topher Grace, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!) whose marriage has just fallen apart. One evening Carter invites himself over to Dan's house to escape his loneliness, where he meets Dan's daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation). The two strike immediate sparks and when they run into each other later in the city, a relationship begins--which they discreetly keep from Dan. But the heart of the movie is not in its plot, but in the way that Dan responds to the news that his wife is pregnant, or how Carter tries to fortify his self-image with a new car. These aren't jokes; the actors inhabit these moments fully and turn them into psychological events. Quaid plays Dan as a simple man, but his straightforwardness feels genuine (rather than a failure of the writer's imagination). Grace and Johansson have terrific chemistry as lovers, but so do Grace and Quaid, both as rivals and as a substitute father and son. In Good Company isn't likely to win any awards, but it's honest and honorable; there's a core of truth to its characters and their problems aren't resolved too neatly. Sometimes, that's worth watching. --Bret Fetzer
Review(s): DVD In Good Company (Full Screen Edition)
I'm Afraid Your Both Being Let Go
Subtle comedies like Swingers and Garden State have more appeal to me these days compared to the over the top, "Dude, you just drank someone's man juice" type of comedies. So on the surface, In Good Company looked right up my alley. The movie stars Dennis Quaid as a guy who just found out that his wife was pregnant and he was demoted following corporate takeover all within 24 hours. His new boss, played by the dude from That 70's Show not currently married to Demi Moore, is young enough to be his kid and not necessarily qualified for the job. Then his new boss promptly hooks up his daughter completely on the down low.
Here inlays the problem with the movie, it doesn't know if it wants to be a family drama, a romantic comedy or a social commentary on today's corporate world. Each upon itself would make a good movie are even a combination of two would be find, but having all three storylines weighs down the movie bringing to a running time to a very long running time of two hours which is too much for this type of movie. And looking at the amount of deleted scenes, it could have gone even longer closing in on three hours. Needless to say, avoid any potential Director's Cut that may be released in the future.
With that said, the acting almost makes up for the movie's flaws. Dennis Quaid easily transitions himself from tough guy to family guy seamlessly while Topher Grace does a good job of walking the tightrope between being the hate-able boss and likeable boyfriend for most of the movie. Scarlett Johansson shines in the first part of the movie as the daughter/love interest, but like most everything in the movie, her character falls fall in the third act.
Cute, Lite Romantic/Corporate Satire
In Good Company is a fine movie that delivers just about what it needs to deliver to keep us all entertained, though it is unlikely that, once seen, you'll feel any compelling need to see it again. Unlike other recent films/shows that poke fun at corporate life such as Office Space or The Office, In Good Company never really seems willing to take off the gloves or throw its haymaker. Yes--there is a little ribbing on use of buzz words and concepts, such as "synergy," and the one corporate kiss-up who gets his just desserts in the end, but In Good Company is too interested in its human tale to ever really stick it to the suits like we all know they deserve.
And then, in the romantic angle, again In Good Company feels a little milquetoast, strange to say. The romance which drives the plot from mid-way to the end doesn't ever feel compelling; it tugs no heartstrings, and the ending is weak and unsatisfying on this score, too.
The best thing about the film has to be how it presents both Dennis Quaid's and Topher Grace's characters sympathetically and as real people. We understand them both, and their conflicts, and root for them both throughout. There are a lot of movies that unfairly only show one side of a conflict, and In Good Company keeps clear of that failing.
In the end, an enjoyable movie to watch, and good for a date in an established, comfortable relationship (find something more romantic for the first or second dates, if possible). We won't be quoting it in two years time, watching it in five or remembering it in ten, but for today, it's decent fare.
Company Man
It was a familiar senario. I was talking with my 20ish year old niece about which films we have watched recently, and at the top of her list of movies I should see was, In Good Company. Of course I had seen the trailer, but beyond that, knew almost nothing about it. You can imagine my surprise, as I discovered that one of the men responsible for the American Pie "teen" comedies wrote and directed this film. As a fan of the AP trilogy, I was even more curious, to see the end result.
Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a slightly weary yet still confident advertising exec and dedicated family man. He seems to have it all... He is a loving father with a noble existence, if you will, that somehow keeps him going. Enter Carter Duryea (Topher Grace best known for his role on FOX-TV's That 70's Show), a cocky young upstart hired to replace him. Before long, Dan is forced to be deferential to his new baby-faced boss, not only in the office but also at his own dinner table when Dan begins dating his lovely daughter Alex (Scarlett Johanssen).
I must say that after watching In Good Company, I was duely impressed that director Paul Weitz, could make a film like this, one with very "real" characters. But wait, is it that much of a stretch? One of the best things about the AP films, was how he and his brother Chris were able to infuse
real character moments, amid the hilarious and raucus adult humor ala Porky's. Quaid is pitch perfect as Dan. You really buy into his situation almost imediately, thanks to his potrayal, that avoids falling into very sitcom like trapping given the set-up. Grace proves that if he is handed the
right material, he can have a good long film career, after decing to limit his TV gig. As a screen team, the two stars work well together, and then adding the adorable Johanssen to the mix, adds wonderful sparkle. The script, written by Weitz, rarely falters, but does have a few surypy moments just the same.
The first, and best, extra on the DVD is the audio commentary with Weitz and Grace. The two obviously became very friendly while working on the film, and that certainly shows on this track. The track is breezy and conversational, which makes for a very entertaining experience. The pair tell plenty of fun anecdotes about the production. There's an approximately 23-minute featurette called "Synergy," which can either be viewed as one whole or as seven separate segments "Stars," "Youth," "Getting Older," "Real Life," "New York Locations," "Editing," and "Story". All of this stuff is
your basic behind-the-scenes fare. The best segment is "Story," as it tells about the impetus of the film and the actors' takes on the power of the story itself. There are also ten deleted scenes with optional commentary from Writer/Director Paul Weitz. The scenes run about 16 minutes long and include some very funny moments that simply didn't help the flow of the film. Finally, rounding out the disc are a series of static biographies and filmographies for select cast/crew.
What a good film. In Good company takes the romantic comedy and goes where few have--building around a father-son dynamic, rather then the typical boy meets girl. Paul Weitz proved he can do all kinds of stuff. The American Pie films are lots of fun. And in a not too different way so is this film...
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