Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is headed for a shake-up. He is demoted from head of ad sales for a major magazine when the company he works for is acquired in a corporate takeover. His new boss, Tom (Topher Grace) is half his age - a business school prodigy who preaches corporate synergy. While Dan develops clients through handshake deals and relationships, Tom cross-promotes the magazine with the mobile phone division and Krispity Krunch, an indeterminate snack food under the same corporate umbrella.
Both men are going through turmoil at home. Dan has two daughters - Alex (Scarlett Johansson), age 18, and Jana, age 16 - and is shocked when his wife tells him she's pregnant with a new child. Between college tuition, the mortgage and a new baby, Dan can't afford to lose his job in the wave of corporate lay-offs. Tom, in the meanwhile, is dumped by his wife of seven months just as he gets his promotion. Dan and Tom's uneasy friendship is thrown into jeopardy when Tom falls for, and begins an affair with, Dan's daughter Alex. Weitz's examination of life's surprises, ironies and coincidences combine to form synergy.
Special Agent Matti
In good company is a strange movie. I some respects it's a buddy movie. In others, it's a romantic comedy. In still others, it's a drama. The three genres represent the three sides of the star triangle: look for the names above the title on the poster and you have the stars who represent the genres that represent the three sides of the star triangle. [Enough already, we get it - Director of Intelligence.]
The last time I saw Dennis Quaid as an advertising dude having family issues he was a closet homosexual (see Far from Heaven) - fortunately, there's none of that (can you imagine love scenes between pretty, young Topher Grace and flabby, old Dennis? Ewww!). Unfortunately, there's not much else. to pique your interest. Late-middle-age men undergoing work-related stress and having parental over-protection issues does not make for any sort of intensity.
Wait for the DVD to come out so you can impress your girlfriend by selecting a movie from the Romance rack.
PG (Mature themes, medium level coarse language, sexual references)
109 minutes (1:49 hours)
Film: 21 April 2005
