IN GOOD COMPANY
US, 2004, 114 minutes, Colour.
Denis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, Clark Gregg, Macolm Mc Dowell.
Directed by Paul Weitz
Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a 51-year old family man and ad executive for a national sports magazine. He is enjoying his success when a huge multinational media corporation, Globe Com, buys the magazine and he is replaced by an upwardly mobile and successful executive from the cell phone division, 26-year old, Carter Duryea (Topher Grace). Though Dan is not “let go� (the euphemism the corporation used instead of the offensive word “fired�), many of the people he originally hired are fired by a supervisor, Mark Steckle (Clark Gregg). Dan wants to leave with his colleagues, especially Morty (David Paymer) who is now considered to old to get a good job, but his wife’s (Marg Helgenberger) surprise pregnancy and his oldest daughter Alex’s (Scarlett Johansson) transfer to New York University from SUNY, mean he needs the money. So he stays.
Carter knows he is out of his depth but plunges ahead. His wife Kimberly (Selma Blair) cannot endure his workaholic habits and divorces him. Carter becomes so desperate for some kind of life outside the office that when Dan unwittingly invites him home for dinner, the younger man readily accepts.
Carter and Alex become friendly, and then start an intense relationship. Then just when Carter and Dan start to get along well at the office, everything starts to unravel. Teddy K (Malcolm McDowell) arrives one day and gives a speech meant to inspire the workers. But Dan is outraged at how former employees have been treated, and confronts him. Dan is fired and Carter, in solidarity, quits. Dan and Carter go visit a client, Eugene Kalb (Philip Baker Hall), Dan had been developing and strike a deal. When they return to Globe Com, they find out that Teddy K has sold the company and Dan gets his job back in the restructuring, but Carter loses his.
Dan and his wife have the baby and Carter decides to take some time off, to learn the meaning of life.
The posters for In Good Company noted that it came from “the director of About a Boy�, Paul Weitz, but fail to mention that he also directed American Pie. Perhaps with American Pie and its box-office success, brothers Paul and Chris Weitz got the puberty blues out of their system and moved on to mid-life. This is definitely where they are with In Good Company. It is a film that offers a chance and hope to the 50 year-old and reminds the 20-something hotshot that verve isn’t everything; experience counts for something.
In Good Company is a very positive film. It raises many issues about unemployment in a cutthroat, globalizing world. The film is well cast with Malcolm McDowell? (who can look sinister at the best of times and here looks like evil capitalism incarnate) as the business tycoon. Dennis Quaid is quite persuasive as the husband, father, boss. Topher Grace, coming off eight seasons of television’s successful That 70’s Show, plays the ambitious and humbled too-young executive very well. Scarlett Johansson gives a quiet performance as the elder daughter and Marg Helgenberger took time off from television’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigations to play the 40-something mother of a surprise baby.
In Good Company is not a particularly startling film, but rather conventional with refreshing themes such as: progress does not lead to Utopia; moving in an out of commitment does not always lead to happiness; long marriages and deep commitments are possible. Dealing with people in the workplace as human beings and with respect is civilized as well as a means of achieving goals. The old are not always over the hill and the young do not have all the answers.
So often we feel that we live in a merciless world. In the world of business, ruthlessness is often the order of the day. We hear it in the speeches of Teddy K of GlobeCom? in In Good Company. His executives celebrate this ruthlessness and the profit and power that will enable them to attain a lifestyle that they want to be accustomed to. What about the hard workers, those who have toiled long and hard and then are discarded in the name of restructuring and answering to shareholders? This is not the world of mercy, kindness or compassion.
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Dan is a decent man who respects his staff. He shows mercy when he stands up for the rights of his staff and rather than let the new corporate bosses terminate their employment, Dan tells them himself. Dan appeals to the cocky young Carter and tries to share his experience and practical wisdom. Eventually, Dan must to take a stand. Mercy and meekness are not passive virtues. They are virtues which are the hallmark of justice.
1. An American story? Universal story? Family, business, ethics and morality? Relationships?
2. The American city, homes, offices, 21st-century style? Restaurants, clubs? The feel of the place and era? The musical score?
3. The title, positive interpretation? Ambiguity?
4. The issue of change, in business, sports and reporting, magazines, companies and ownership, the role of boards, authority, influence? Tradition and working with clients? The new
company and the emphasis on synergy?
5. Dan, Dennis Quaid’s interpretation, his age, relationship with his wife, long marriage, the daughters, his success in life, business? Relationships with his boss? The pressures? The takeover and his having to fire people? His being the “wingman�?
6. Dan’s handling of the firing process and taking responsibility for his department, especially when he lets Morty go; Morty’s appreciation of Dan the anger of others; Dan’s handling of the downsizing of his job, moving his office, learning how to cope?
7. The introduction of Carter, his age, personality, his training, the emphasis on synergy, phone companies and business, food companies? Incorporation?
8. The focus on the family, the devotion of his wife to Dan, her being pregnant? Jana, Alex, the prospective University? Education costs, mortgage?
9. Carter, his wife, her adultery, leaving him, his being upset? Learning within the company? Working with Dan? The introduction to Alex, the relationship, keeping it secret? Alex, strong character, yet her regard for her father and obeying him?
10. Dan discovering the truth, the revelation, punching Carter in the restaurant? Alex obedient?
11. Teddy K, the owner, American style, corporate ethos, his speech, synergy?
12. The gung-ho meetings of Teddy K’s executives, their heartless and ruthless talk about cutting jobs, firing and cutting costs; Teddy K’s speech to the staff and Dan standing up to him with his questions?
13. Steckle as boss, firing Carter, Dan’s role? The effect?
14. Collaborating with Carter, sales, Dan and his client and success? Carter taking time for himself? And his relationship with Alex?
15. Dan taking Carter in hand, helping him to see more clearly what has happened and why; the visit to Kalb and gaining the large account to keep the magazine growing; Dan’s motives and the content of the conversation with Kalb; the return to find the company sold again and Steckle (like the unforgiving servant, ousted); Carter without a job but wiser for the mercy he has experienced?
