In Good Company ***
Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is the 51 year-old manager of ad sales for a fictional magazine called "Sports America".
When the magazine's parent company gets taken over, Dan gets demoted and, to increase ad sales, a replacement is assigned in Carter Durea (Topher Grace), a 26 year-old hotshot with a lot to prove.
But it's his relationship with Dan that proves to be his biggest challenge.
For Carter, his recent divorce leads him into a relationship with Dan's 18 year old, mature and free spirited daughter (Scarlett Johansson). And for Dan, there's the obvious dismay that comes from having to report to a superior half his age.
It's frighteningly easy to think how any number of hack writers and directors would handle such a premise with either heavy-handed satire or slapstick comedy.
But fortunately, with In Good Company, we're in the reliable hands of writer/directors Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie), two guys who know how to write characters and aren't afraid to throw a few curve balls into the Tinseltown formula. How? By actually taking the time to craft plausible characters we care about in situations we can relate to. And that's the pleasure of watching the movie unfold.
Grace is a particular surprise, as he successfully emerges from the shadow of That 70's show and proves he's well on his way to establishing himself as a unique kind of leading man. Think a young Cary Grant mixed with a more subdued Jim Carrey, and you'll know what I mean.
Quaid is moving gracefully into a new phase of his career, and here he has the courage to tackle a role that for many people hits close to home.
And Johansson is effectively low key as Quaid's daughter, an NYU creative writing student who is wise beyond her years.
It's a nice change of pace to just sit back and watch characters interact according to their nature, and don't let Hollywood conventions dictate their actions. Just when you think you've figured things out, the humanity of the characters takes over and something happens that you weren't expecting. But that's life, right?
Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is the 51 year-old manager of ad sales for a fictional magazine called "Sports America".
When the magazine's parent company gets taken over, Dan gets demoted and, to increase ad sales, a replacement is assigned in Carter Durea (Topher Grace), a 26 year-old hotshot with a lot to prove.
But it's his relationship with Dan that proves to be his biggest challenge.
For Carter, his recent divorce leads him into a relationship with Dan's 18 year old, mature and free spirited daughter (Scarlett Johansson). And for Dan, there's the obvious dismay that comes from having to report to a superior half his age.
It's frighteningly easy to think how any number of hack writers and directors would handle such a premise with either heavy-handed satire or slapstick comedy.
But fortunately, with In Good Company, we're in the reliable hands of writer/directors Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie), two guys who know how to write characters and aren't afraid to throw a few curve balls into the Tinseltown formula. How? By actually taking the time to craft plausible characters we care about in situations we can relate to. And that's the pleasure of watching the movie unfold.
Grace is a particular surprise, as he successfully emerges from the shadow of That 70's show and proves he's well on his way to establishing himself as a unique kind of leading man. Think a young Cary Grant mixed with a more subdued Jim Carrey, and you'll know what I mean.
Quaid is moving gracefully into a new phase of his career, and here he has the courage to tackle a role that for many people hits close to home.
And Johansson is effectively low key as Quaid's daughter, an NYU creative writing student who is wise beyond her years.
It's a nice change of pace to just sit back and watch characters interact according to their nature, and don't let Hollywood conventions dictate their actions. Just when you think you've figured things out, the humanity of the characters takes over and something happens that you weren't expecting. But that's life, right?