En bonne compagnie

Director/scriptwriter Paul Weitz was blessed with a top cast for his comedy/drama "In Good Company." Here's a film that in some ways resembles and is a bit of a genre successor to "The Graduate," that 1960s iconoclastic gem. Even the new songs complement the story in the same way Simon and Garfunkel's lyrics melded with the story line in "The Graduate." Dennis Quaid as Dan Foreman is in his early fifties, a contented manager of a sports mag's ad department. His home life seems almost too good to be true. He loves his wife, Ann (Marg Helgenbergen) and gets on well with his two teenage daughters. The older one, Alex (Scarlett Johansson, in another deep and convincing performance), has a tennis scholarship to a New York State public university where the tuition isn't exactly sky high. But she wants to transfer to New York University in Greenwich Village to study creative writing where the cost is very, very steep.

Almost before you can get into your tub of popcorn Dan is struck with multiple whammies. His magazine is taken over by a mega-corporate raider, Teddy K, and a new ad department honcho, Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), only twenty-six years young, bounces Dan from his executive office while also anointing him as his designated "wingman." Earnest, inexperienced, foppish, supercilious and dangerous in that special way the inept invariably are, he poses a real threat to Dan's future. And Dan is worried about his future because Ann announces she's having a change-of-life baby.

And then Scarlett meets Carter. You need me to tell you what Dan's next mid-life crisis will be? "In Good Company" could have been just a mildly amusing sitcom. The fast-paced acting and the excellence of the cast - especially Quaid and young (she's still a teen) Johansson - kept me glued to the screen for the whole showing. And I admit to being troubled by the issues underlying and scenes showing peremptory firings. There's some ambiguity here - is that the only way for a prosperous corporation to go? Dan's pain at losing long-time co-workers is deeply etched on his face but is he more sentimental and loyal than realistic? I don't know. From the vantage point of a tenured academic with lifetime employment I found myself dragged into questions that I think Weitz meant to raise. Well, he did anyway.

Small roles are well performed by David Paymer as one of Dan's subordinates and Selma Blair who briefly shows up in the beginning as Carter's new wife, Kimberly. I always enjoy seeing this fine actress but her talent is wasted in brief roles.

And Manhattan restaurants where I eat and stores where I shop are all over the well-shot scenes and that always makes me happy.

A very good film.

9/10

"In Good Company" is a mixed bag as a comedy drama. It definitely won't seem to be a hilarious film to most people, but apparently is to some. The drama is enough to have this film stand alone in that area - with some rewriting to get rid of some of the weak attempts at humor in the dialog. Perhaps some young people who have become so used to divorce in society, and dysfunction in families, can feel at home and see this as comedy.

I give it six stars for two reasons. First, the leads, especially Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace play their parts very well. Second, it takes a very good overall shot at the corporate business world. Not all big corporations are as hard-hearted as Globecom is in this movie. But most have become part of a new-age culture of business lingo that is obfuscatory, insensitive, and diverting - all to be able to hammer home profit and gains at all costs.

So, with some light humor and mostly distraught emotions and life drama situations, this film does a little number on the greed that seems to guide the business culture today. It does have a nice ending with some learning maturing of the male leads.

What happens when a salesman in his early 50's is suddenly supplanted by a new young buck half his age, who also happens to be sleeping with his daughter? Dennis Quaid in one his best roles, plays Dan Foreman, an ad salesman at the golden point of his career. The magazine he works for is also part of a business conglomerate and when that're bought out, Carter (Topher Grace) is brought in to bring up revenue and replace Dan in his job. He also ends up firing many of the men that Dan hired, but keeps Dan on as sort of a wingman because Carter doesn't know anything about running an ad dept.

Dan's home-life is getting more complicated as well. His wife (Marg Helgenberger) is suddenly pregnant and his daughter (Scarlet Johannsen) is transferring to a more expensive university. Dan takes all this in stride the best he can because he knows he needs to hold on to his job because who'll hire a 52 year old salesman that commands his salary. But things start heading south as more and more of Dan's friends are fired and he soon realizes that Carter and his daughter are a couple.

This movie is very smartly written and very well acted. Quaid is at his best in these more reserved roles and Topher Grace is very good as the new stud, but unaware that he is in over his head. "In Good Company" is sort of an example of how out of control the business world has gotten with new technology and synergy, where the old timers really don't have much of a chance anymore because things are advancing so much. (***1/2)

Dennis Quaid is a husband and family man whose job as an advertising executive for a sports magazine is on shaky ground; there's been a corporate takeover and the new owners install a 26-year-old go-getter as Quaid's boss. Far too much corny, obvious humor (Topher Grace's car, Quaid discovering a pregnancy test box in the garbage) is redeemed by Quaid's nearly faultless performance. Never one to be scaled down without an effort, Quaid admirably gives himself over to this role; he doesn't chew the scenery (as Jeff Bridges might) and he doesn't go for broad personal affects (as Nicolas Cage might). In fact, he's perfect. Topher Grace has a difficult role (almost villainous--nobody likes THE BOSS), but he doesn't resort to sniveling and has many successful scenes. As Quaid's eldest daughter, luminous Scarlett Johansson has developed some actorly tics that I'm not fond of (faraway looks and smiles, confusion and curiosity always undercut by wistfulness), yet she does wonders with a thankless role. **1/2 from ****

IN GOOD COMPANY (2004) ***1/2 Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Clark Gregg, Philip Baker Hall, Selma Blair, Frankie Faison. Better than anticipated comedy drama from filmmaker Paul Weitz about a middle-aged ad salesman (Quaid, never finer) who finds himself dispensable when his company is bought out by a corporate takeover, which involves a new boss, who's old enough to be his son (Grace continuing to be the Tom Hanks of his generation). Things get dicey when his daughter begins to see the young upstart as well as each one discovering something unique about their situation overall. Very funny and surprisingly warm screenplay covers all the bases until its seemingly pat final act. Bravo to the fine ensemble especially Johansson whose natural style is a breath of fresh air.