THE PROMOTION
US, 2008, 86 minutes, Colour.
Seann William Scott, John C. Reilley, Jenna Fischer, Lily Taylor, Gil Bellows, Bobby Cannavale, Jason Bateman.
Directed by Steve Conrad.
The Promotion is a slight comedy with some serious undertones. Seann William Scott (playing a little more seriously than usual) is an assistant at a grocery store. He is allegedly a shoe-in for the position of manager at another store being built. His wife is played by The Office’s Jenna Fischer. A rival comes from Canada, John C. Reilley, with his wife, Lily Taylor. What follows is competitiveness between the two, some dirty tricks played on each other, visit to a motivational retreat (presided over by Jason Bateman) and a test of integrity.
The film is brief, some humour, but a focus on the difficult times and issues of employment and availability of jobs.
The film was written and directed by Steve Conrad, the writer of such bittersweet films as Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, The Weather Man, The Pursuit of Happyness.
1.A light comedy drama? Topical? Employment and hopes?
2.The suburban setting, homes and streets, the details of the store, the supermarket carpark? Outings, the retreat? Ordinary and realistic?
3.The title and its focus, the comic aspects for gaining the promotion, the serious themes underlying the competitiveness?
4.Doug and his character, in the workplace, the photo on the wall, relationship with the boss, the discussions about being a shoe-in, with his wife, at home, the noisy neighbours, buying the apartment on the strength of his getting the promotion? His wife, her work, the doctor and his style, especially confronting Doug? Doug upset?
5.The store, ordinary life in the store, the expansion, the new site? The board, the meetings, the interviews?
6.The manager and his style, the fat man and his stealing the goods? The security guards outside, lazy? The complaint box and the cards? Doug and his reading them, the authorities?
7.Richard arriving from Canada, his type, recovering after alcohol and drugs, his relationship with his wife? At work, the incipient rivalry, the competitiveness increasing? His listening to tapes in his car – with his own name substituted? Friendly with Doug or not?
8.The way that each undermined the other? The dirty tricks? Being outside on duty in the carpark? Inside? The cola deliverer? The issue of language and Doug capitalising on Richard’s mistake? Going to the camp, the motivation?
9.The final clash, the interviews?
10.The board, the personalities, the criteria?
11.Doug and his change of heart, support?
12.Ordinary issues, audiences identifying with characters, situations – and the competitiveness and tricks?
