DIRECTOR: Paul Weitz
STUDIOS: Universal Pictures & Depth of Field
RATING: PG-13
WEBSITE: www.ingoodcompanymovie.com
RELEASE DATE: December 29, 2004
QUOTE: "Have you switched from mocha to crack?"
Quaid's In Good Company With a Couple Rising Stars
REVIEW BY CATHERINE KRUMMEY
Topher Grace's star shines brightly as Carter Duryea in In Good Company, the latest film from About a Boy filmmaker Paul Weitz. Grace is wrapping up his final season of TV's That '70s Show, and emerging into what looks to be a promising film career. His film experience entails a small role in the 2000 drug drama Traffic, a lead role in this year's charming flop Win a Date With Tad Hamilton and cameos as parodies of himself in Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12.
Dennis Quaid stars with Grace as aging ad exec/family man Dan Foreman. The two cross paths when the company Carter works for buys the company Dan works for and replaces Dan with Carter. Additional rising star Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation, Ghost World) co-stars as Alex, Dan's daughter and a love interest for Carter. Erin Brockovich's Marg Helgenberger is terrific in a supporting role as Dan's pregnant wife, Ann, as is David Paymer as beleaguered co-worker Morty. Malcolm McDowell has a small role as big boss man Teddy K, along with Philip Baker Hall, as Eugene Kalb, an important potential client of Dan's. Selma Blair, unfortunately, only has a couple of scenes as Carter's wife, Kim.
As a way of protecting his job, Dan agrees to be Carter's "wingman." When Carter comes to Dan's house for dinner one night, he really hits it off with Alex. Carter runs into Alex later and they start dating. When Dan finds out that they're dating and he then goes on to question Teddy K's policies, trouble arises.
Weitz has a great, creative story in Company, and the story is brought to the big screen wonderfully through the performances of Grace, Quaid, Johansson and the supporting players.