In Good
Company would translate well into a sitcom, and I mean that in the
nicest possible way. At a time in which the majority of scripted television
shows have long left the airwaves and the few still on are trite and
mediocre, this movie reminded me of old episodes of “Boy Meets World” and
“Sabrina the Teenage Witch” that I would watch when I was a little kid. I’m
not sure if there has ever been a cast of characters—either on television or
film—as warm, funny, and likeable as those in In Good Company. It’d
be quite a treat to be able to watch a new episode starring them, once a
week. Unfortunately, it’s not likely that writer/director Paul Weitz will be
recreating his film in the form of a TV show, anytime soon, especially
considering its ending. This fact, however, does not detract from the
enjoyment that In Good Company, the movie, provokes. I smiled for its
entire 109 minute duration, and felt as though I had just left the presence
of several great friends as its credits rolled amidst the sounds of its
catchy title-track.
Dennis Quaid, who finally succeeds in his fourth
attempt to put on a good performance in 2004, plays Dan Foreman, a
fifty-one-year-old advertising executive at Sports America magazine.
However, when the company is taken over by WorldCom, a dominating
corporation, Dan is demoted to a much lower position. His job’s main duty
shifts from meeting with owners of the magazine’s affiliate companies to
advising his new boss, the twenty-six-year-old Carter Duryea (Topher Grace).
Carter has an impressive degree from business school under his belt, but no
experience in the Corporate World, let alone life, itself. In fact, after
his wife of a few months (Selma Blair) leaves him, he tries to preoccupy
himself with work and, one night, even ends up sleeping in his office. While
in this state of aimlessness, he falls for Alex (Scarlett Johansson), Dan’s
daughter, which proves to be most troublesome. The characters in In Good
Company realize how much their professions influence their lives, but
what they fail to understand is how similar the concepts of the two are.
Writer/director Paul Weitz continues with his
streak of witty, likeable movies, with In Good Company being his
first film since 2002’s great About a Boy. However, his work doesn’t
even come close to being the best thing about this picture. That title goes
to the performances, which all hit notes of both comedic and dramatic
brilliance. Quaid fits the profile of Dan better than any actor currently
working that I can think of, and is very likeable in his role. Even more
amazing is Topher Grace who, in a breakthrough performance, is able to
one-up his co-star. In Good Company represents an extreme rarity in
that audiences will sympathize for both the protagonist and the character
who, essentially, strips him of his job and creates a lot of inconvenience
in his life. Grace and Quaid share great chemistry in crafting this
sympathy. Not to mention, Scarlett Johansson, in a tremendously natural and
relaxed performance, is always a treat to watch.
The most admirable of In Good Company’s
many effective traits is its genuineness. All of the characters are, at
heart, honest people, even when they have trouble recognizing their own
personal needs, as human beings. The movie is ultimately about learning from
every situation one finds their self in, and the cast does so in a gentle
and humbling way. No matter how chaotic and puzzling the situations that
they find themselves in may be, viewers realize that these aren’t anything
that they cannot resolve. In Good Company flows just like everyday
life but does so at an elegant pace, bringing new joys and challenges with
each situation that the characters find themselves in. Just like the great
sitcoms that I remember from years ago, it always makes for a compassionate,
sincere, and, more than anything else, pleasurable, viewing experience.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews
(Posted in 12.28.2004-2.5.2005 Update)
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