In Good Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Good Company

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Paul Weitz
Produced by Lawrence Pressman
Paul Weitz
Written by Paul Weitz
Starring Dennis Quaid
Topher Grace
Scarlett Johansson
Music by Damien Rice
Stephen Trask
Cinematography Remi Adefarasin
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) December 29, 2004
Running time 110 min.
Country USA
Language English
Budget $15 million
Gross revenue $61,315,215
Official website

In Good Company is a 2004 comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Weitz, the co-director of About a Boy. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, Clark Gregg, Selma Blair, and David Paymer.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a seasoned advertisement sales executive at a high-ranking publication when a corporate takeover results in him being placed under naive supervisor Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), who is half his age. Matters are made worse when Dan's new supervisor becomes romantically involved with his daughter, the beautiful 18 year-old college student Alex (Scarlett Johansson) and Dan's wife (Marg Helgenberger) is pregnant with their third child.

Rather than a romantic comedy with the plot focusing on the relationship between Carter and Alex, the movie is better described as a drama—in fact, Alex and Carter are only romantically involved for about half of the film, getting together well after the film begins and separating before the film's ending. There is an opportunity for Alex to rejoin Carter romantically, but an awkward pause indicates she has moved on in her life. Central to the story is instead the effects that the corporate takeover has on the lives of Dan Foreman and his family, and how Carter Duryea's life is changed based on his experiences with Foreman and his daughter Alex.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Reception

The film received mostly positive reviews, with an overall score of 82% on the movie ratings website Rotten Tomatoes.

[edit] Trivia

  • The film was originally titled Synergy. One can still hear references which were kept in the final cut of the film. (The title was changed because a survey administered at various test screenings proved that 9 out of 10 people don't know what the word "synergy" means).[citation needed]
  • Topher Grace took the role as a dedication for his father, who is in the advertising business.
  • Ashton Kutcher, one of Grace's That '70s Show co-stars, also auditioned for the role of Carter Duryea.
  • Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace are both avid tennis players; Grace himself even at one point considered going professional. Scarlett Johansson herself has absolutely no prior experience playing tennis and could barely hold her racket properly. Trick photography was used to make her appear skilled.

[edit] External links