EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

US, 2004, 96 minutes, Colour.
Matt Dillon, Steve Zahn, Christina Applegate, Andrea Bendewald, Dave Foley.
Directed by Mitch Rouse.

Employee of the Month is a little-seen comedy-drama with Matt Dillon and Steve Zahn.

For most of the film it seems a forty-something variation on the Michael Douglas film, Falling Down, about a man’s day going completely wrong after he loses his job, loses his fiancée, is involved in all kinds of emotional tangles. However, towards the end, with a bank robbery, it changes tone completely to become a very cynical black comedy.

Matt Dillon (in the vein of You, Me and Dupree) is good in the central role with Steve Zahn doing a much more manic variation on many of his characters. Christina Applegate is the fiancée and Andrea Bendewald (the wife of director, Mitch Rouse) is a bank worker.

The film was written and directed by Mitch Rouse, an actor who also wrote and directed the television series The Secret Life of Men.

The film tries to blend serious reflection on life, fate, God’s plans, Nirvana – along with a very cynical approach to human nature and moral conscience. For those who like very black humour.

1.The impact of the film, entertainment, serious, cynical and black?

2.The Los Angeles settings, the streets, transport, apartments, motels, the bank, seedy clubs? The atmosphere of California and Los Angeles? Musical score? Songs and lyrics?

3.The title, its reference to Kyle, to David? Ironies of expectations?

4.The introduction: the voice-over, David’s perspective, information about his life, his reflections on destiny, God, God’s plans, Nirvana? His style? Going back for thirty-six hours? The seeming portrait of a man who loses his job, fiancée and everything in life? His recounting what happened to him? Eliciting audience sympathy? The religious perspective and destiny? Fate? The ironies, the ending, the final comment on Nirvana?

5.The bank robbery and the change of tone, audiences expecting the twist or not? The plot change cutting the ground from under expectations? The movement to black comedy, the cynical observations? The overall impact?

6.Matt Dillon as David Walsh, the introduction, sitting on the bus, his comment about the man next to him, fate? Sarah, the relationship, the engagement? Jack and his turning up, his manic behaviour? David’s reaction? The relationship with Wendy? At the bank? David’s character, some sympathy?

7.The workplace, Bill Gartin as the manager of the bank, the interaction with David, Kyle and his sneers? The boss’s long speech, seeing David as a loser, despising him, firing him? The possible confrontation? David seeming weak? His return to the main office, the women’s reactions, Wendy? The impact of being sacked? His inability to tell Sarah over the phone? Telling Jack, Jack’s reaction – offhand and sympathetic (ironic in view of the later events)? David and his going to dinner with Sarah, her parents, her father as a minister, very serious? Her mother and the drinking background, Sarah reading her letter? The effect on David?

8.David, at the club, Jack, the party? David and his going to the motel? Whisper coming to the door? Talking at length with her? Sarah’s phone call, her visit, the gun? Whisper taking his car?

9.Jack and his work, personality, his partner? The corpses, the accidents, talking with the police, the introduction of the black comedy theme through Jack? The corpses, surveillance, his robbing them?

10.Jack going to the office, telling off the boss, drawing the gun, Kyle? Self-assertive?

11.The robbery, the effect on David, the staff? Taking Kip into the vault – and the masked men shooting him dead? Wendy and her pushing the alarm? Jack and his heroics, being shot? The truck into the bank and taking the money? The news of Jack’s death? The television and his heroism?

12.Eric, friends with Jack and David, the sauna sequence, the gay man, the jokes? His being a disbarred dentist? His being part of the plan?

13.The audience response to the truth, David alive, in the motel, with Wendy? The whole plan and deception?

14.The mercilessness of David shooting Jack dead? The background of his being burnt when a child, his story about the fire, the gasoline – and Jack visiting him in hospital?

15.Wendy leaving, coming back, shooting David? Comment on the maid and cleaning up – and the maid robbing the bodies?

16.The surprise of Sarah and Wendy together, the plan – and the irony of the crash?

17.The reprisal of these themes and scenes during the final credits? The blend of the serious and the black comic?