THE D TRAIN
US, 2015, 101 minutes, Colour.
Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Russell Posner, Mike White.
Directed by Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul.
The D Train is a star vehicle Jack Black. it is a serious comedy for audiences in their 30s and 40s, especially for the male audience.
Black portrays Dan, who has grown up in his home town, married his childhood sweetheart (Kathryn Hahn), has a son who is reluctant to talk with his father, and has sexual problems. Dan has good job and a very sympathetic boss (Jeffrey Campbell) who is reluctant to move into the computer era.
Dan’s principal preoccupation is the school reunion, his dominating the committee who don’t want to have drinks with him, and then his seeing a former student, Oliver Lawless (James Marsden) in a television ad and has the bright idea of inviting him to the reunion, to ensure that most people will turn up.
Then he tells a lie, wanting to get a Los Angeles but telling his boss that there was a deal possible, lying about availability of tickets, but the boss getting two tickets and then going, staying in the hotel, and Oliver impersonating the company chief and pretending that there was a deal.
In the meantime, Dan goes to a nightclub, drinks, drugs, and finishes up spending the night with Oliver, causing him some shock.
Because of the tensions, the reunion does not go well and Oliver ousts Dan vehemently and very publicly – with the result that he has to admit the truth to his wife, talk with son, recover his relationship with his boss.
1. The title? Expectations? Dan and his name, nickname?
2. A comedy for the 30s and 40s? Career, success, failure? Marriage? Commitment? The truth lies? Consequences?
3. The mid-US, homes, workplaces, schools? Los Angeles and the contrast, apartments, the clubs? The musical score?
4. Dan’s story, Jack Black and his screen presence, age, growing up in the town, memories, marrying the childhood sweetheart, his son, teenager? Relationship? His job, relied on by his boss? The preoccupation with the reunion, his keeping control, keeping the password to the site? The meetings of the committee, the different characters, their work in contacting past students, his domination, not wanting to have drinks with him? His self-image? Seeing Oliver on the commercial, thinking that it was great, his reaction, going to the meetings, the promise – and the group going to drinks? Making contact?
5. Dan, his one lie, the discussions with his boss, place in the company, the boss reluctant to have computers? The issue of the ticket, the boss getting the tickets, the explanation to his wife? The flight to Los Angeles? The betrayal of trust? Dan’s tension? The further complications of lies? Going to the hotel?
6. Oliver, the ad, Dan meeting at the club, the agreement to meet, the audience knowing the truth about Oliver? The meeting, trying to be a friend of Dermot Mulroney? The drinks, the drugs, the sexual consequences, the night, the homosexual encounter, the effect on Dan, borrowing the singlet the morning after?
7. Oliver, the impersonation of the company boss, Dan fostering the discussion, his boss and the enthusiasm, the hopes, the deal? The plan to cancel the deal afterwards? Oliver, his reaction, liking Dan’s boss, continuing to foster the deal on the phone?
8. The return home, his boss, getting the computers, having the tutorials, enthusiastic?
9. Oliver coming for the reunion, in his house, Dan’s son, not able to talk to his father, sexual preoccupation, the girlfriend, the menage, Oliver encouraging him?
10. His wife’s reaction to Oliver, memories of the past, the talk? Washing the clothes and discovering his singlet?
11. Dan’s son, the failure of the menage? The boy not wanting to participate? Talking to his father?
12. The reunion, the committee, the drinks, Dan and his reactions, Oliver and the girls? The confrontation, Oliver and his blunt talk, humiliating Dan publicly?
13. Dan talking to his boss, the reaction, recovery?
14. Oliver leaving, talking with Dan, telling the truth, Dan admitting the truth?
15. Dan and his learning by his mistakes – with the result that the film is a comedy with the touch of bitterness, and the need not to lie but to tell the truth?
