In Good Company

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/14/05 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Written and directed by Paul Weitz, In Good Company is a lighthearted comedy about a 51-year old ads salesman for a top sports magazine who has been demoted after a corporate shakeup and buy when he's forced to work under an inexperienced, 26-year old man. With a new child due, tuition to be paid for his older daughter at NYU, and a second mortgage taken out, the old man is in a tough position in his life while seeing colleagues being fired. Meanwhile, his younger boss is dealing with his own insecurities, failed marriage, and trying to impress his corporate bosses while dating his employee's daughter. A wonderful examination of the corporate world, Weitz delivers a smart and sweet film that works on most levels only to be hit hard with his own ideals. Starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Philip Baker Hall, Clark Gregg, Selma Blair, John Cho, and Malcolm McDowell. In Good Company is an enjoyable yet compelling film from Paul Weitz.

For the 51-year old Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid), his life seems to be charmed until he hears rumors that his Sports America magazine company might be bought by the conglomerate Globecom owned by billionaire Teddy K. (Malcolm McDowell). After a trip to meet with his client and friend Eugene Kalb (Philip Baker Hall), he goes home to learn that his wife Ann (Marg Helgenberger) is pregnant with a third child. Already having two children with Jana (Zena Grey) and college-bound tennis prodigy Alex (Scarlett Johansson), a third child might seem to calm him. Instead, Sports America is bought with his fellow colleagues including Morty (David Paymer) worrying about being fired. Then Dan learns that he's going to be demoted by a young 26-year old cell phones salesman in Carter Duryea (Topher Grace) who is also working along with Globecom man Steckle (Clark Gregg). Dan learns that his old office will now be Carter after he meets him.

The stress couldn't be worse for Dan when he learns that Alex has been accepted to NYU meaning that he's forced to take out a second mortgage and pay for his daughter's tuition. With Alex now moving to the NYU dorm, Dan's new life under as a wingman for Carter is going to be tough, especially with fellow colleagues being let go, including best friend Morty. Carter's life meanwhile is also falling apart as his wife of seven months Kimberley (Selma Blair) is leaving him forcing Carter to live in an apartment and sometimes at the office. After a last-minute meeting on a Sunday, Carter invites himself to eat at Dan's house where he sees Alex as the two begin a conversation.

With Carter instigating a plan for "synergy" to mix products that have nothing to do with each other like computers in a sports magazine, Dan couldn't help but give in to Carter's energetic attitude. One day, Carter bumps into Alex as the two have another heart-to-heart conversation that suddenly leads to a secretive romance forcing Alex to not talk to her father for a while. Dan becomes suspicious, even when his business life is turned upside down after a concert meeting with one of Carter's colleagues (John Cho) where Dan couldn't do business with another person due to corporate rivalry. With Carter and Alex's romancing blossoming, Dan becomes more suspicious that leads to an emotional confrontation. Even with Dan's life falling apart, Carter is forced to grow up to see what has been going on, even as Teddy K. visits where he is forced to learn about the soulless world of corporate conglomerates.

While In Good Company doesn't have the emotional strength of About a Boy, Paul Weitz deserves credit for going into that deep world of corporations and conglomerates including a heavy scene with Malcolm McDowell that almost suggest something of an evil movement. Weitz's study of the corporate world and morals is very spot-on but his idealism in the third act isn't very realistic since the corporate world isn't very nice at all. The subplots involving the Alex/Carter romance and the situation involving David Paymer's characters are well-written for the script since it gives the movie a new sense of energy and pace to Weitz's direction that is very dead-on in the situations of comedy and drama.

The film is masterfully presented to Weitz's lighthearted approach to the film with a lot of credit to the cinematography of Remi Adefarasin who brings a lovely, colorful look to the film with help from production designer William Arnold and art directors Sue Chan and Fred Kolo for its detailed look of corporate buildings. With Molly Maginnis doing great work on the costume design, notably for Johansson's character, the film looks great without being too superficial. The editing by Myron Kerstein is very well-paced, notably the meeting of Carter and Dan that is almost like a scene from Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly. The film's score by Hedwig & the Angry Inch composer Stephen Trask is very lighthearted to the film's tone with music by Peter Gabriel, the Soundtrack of Our Lives, and David Byrne.

The film carries some wonderful performances in smaller roles from Colleen Camp, Zena Grey, John Cho, Selma Blair, and the always-brilliant Malcolm McDowell in his devilish role as Teddy K. Clark Gregg is excellent as the corporate brown-noser Steckle who worships at the altar of Teddy K. Philip Baker Hall is excellent in his brief role along with Marg Helgenberger who provides some of the comedy and dramatic foil for Quaid's home life. The film's real standout in the supporting cast goes to David Paymer in a role many can sympathize with since he’s a guy who is trying to work hard in his business while we feel sorry for him when he's fired, especially in a tough scene that included a post-firing scene with Quaid that balances comedy and drama though it would've been nice to see him more.

Scarlett Johansson delivers a charming, marvelous performance as Alex. Instead of making her into a typical girl who goes after a guy, Johansson brings some depth to her character early on when she seeks love for her scenes with Grace while as she develops, she learns of the sacrifices her father had to make in a very poignant scene. Johansson proves herself again to be a very smart, capable actress who can shine in tricky situations though, in the third act following a scene with Grace was very unnecessary.

Topher Grace is the film's real breakthrough as the caffeine-addicted, energetic Carter Duryea with his ambitious ideas and immature state of mind that caused the failure of his marriage. Grace could've been a real villain but he gives his character sympathy and depth as a young man trying to find himself through romances and business while he has greater scenes with the veteran Quaid. Dennis Quaid delivers another masterful performance as Dan Foreman with his wise insight into the business world and family life as he becomes a fraternal figure for the naive Grace while having some great, tender moments with Helgenberger and Johansson while dealing with the anguish and stress of the new chapter in his life.

***Updated 5/22/05-DVD Tidbits***

The Regional 1 DVD of In Good Company includes the usual Anamorphic 1:85:1 Widescreen format (for those who want to see the film in widescreen) along with Spanish and French subtitles. Also included in its Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound is French and Spanish dubbing. While the DVD features in the film are minimal, it's substantial enough for those who enjoy the film. Included with a filmography section for cast members Dennis Quaid, Scarlett Johansson, Topher Grace, Marg Helgenberger, and David Paymer along with the Weitz brothers and executive producers Rodney Liber and Andrew Miano. Overall, there's only three big features on the DVD.

First is a seven-part, 30 minute documentary segment called Synergy that interviews several cast and crew members where they talk about the film locations, the atmosphere of Corporate America and how young corporate businessmen want the knowledge of older businessmen and the father-son relationships. Director Paul Weitz talks about the editing of the film how originally, it ran nearly three hours as he and editor Myron Kerstein talk about trying to rid of some scenes. In the interviews with the cast, one segment was for Quaid and Helgenberger about life in middle-age life while Grace and Johansson talk about why they did the film where Johansson felt the film had sentimental references to her own relationship with her dad.

The film includes several deleted scenes that were cut out for length reasons as well as emotional reasons from Paul Weitz's commentary. Some scenes involved some funnier moments with Quaid, Paymer, and Kevin Chapman as another colleague who bring some of the humor to Quaid's business lifestyle. Along with scenes of Quaid playing golf and dealing with the corporate merging, he's the real star in the deleted scenes. One includes a confrontation with Grace about Grace's relationship with Johansson and another is when Grace's character forgots about an early meeting. Grace too has his moments in the deleted scenes where one scene is him, feeling sick after firing someone and another when he tries to call Selma Blair. The best deleted scene that I felt shouldn't have been cut is a scene where Quaid tries to dye his hair to look younger and the result is extremely hilarious.

The feature-length commentary from Paul Weitz and Topher Grace is wonderfully entertaining with Weitz explaining why he wanted to do a film about corporate synergy and his own take on the father-son relationship. He also explains his intentions of the film, including the much-aligned third act which he admit, he struggled a bit on how to end it. With Grace helping in the commentary, the two talk about New York and Grace's own feelings about the film since he feels very close to it because his dad is in the same corporate atmosphere as well. Both men also do a lot of praising for some scenes as well as praise for their actors, notably Quaid, Johansson, and Paymer, who Weitz wished wanted more of.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Despite an unrealistic, uneven third act, In Good Company soars as a very good film with very good morals and insight into Corporate America. Paul Weitz makes a film that is funny and poignant in his messages with great performances from Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell. While the film shows a promise into Weitz's maturity as a writer, it is clear that he's a director and writer with some talent who could make a great comedy. In Good Company is an excellent film from Paul Weitz.

© thevoid99 2014

Erin Brockovich

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant, Erin Brockovich is the story of an unemployed single mother who works for a lawyer as she helps fight against a gas company for people who had been hurt by them. Based on the real life about the woman of the same name, it’s an unconventional bio-pic that has a woman trying to help people by using her sex appeal and street smarts as she’s played by Julia Roberts. Also starring Aaron Eckhart, Albert Finney, Marg Helgenberger, Tracey Walters, and Peter Coyote. Erin Brockovich is a sassy and phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh.

The film is about this unemployed woman who has three children from two ex-husbands as she gets a job working for the lawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney) who was handling her injuries claim case which they lost. In her job, Erin Brockovich learns about a real-estate files case that Masry had been working on as she makes some chilling discoveries about the Pacific Gas and Electric Company whose water was contaminated and many of the people in the small town of Hinkley, California were struck with a myriad of illnesses. In turn, it’s a film where this very unlikely woman and a small-time lawyer with a private firm go against a massive billion dollar corporation to help a bunch of people in a small town who had been conned by this corporation. What makes the film much more unique than it actually is its protagonist as she is this single mother of three kids who wears skimpy clothes and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

Susannah Grant’s screenplay is unconventional at times but also very engaging for the way it presents Brockovich as this no-nonsense woman who is just trying to get work to raise her three kids as she has very little money in her bank account and little experience with anything. While she dresses in skimpy clothes that often shows her cleavage and has this sassy attitude, she is perceived as this unintelligent and trashy woman who gets by with having sex with men and such. Instead, Brockovich uses her sex appeal to dig deep into her discoveries where she impresses Masry. While the job gives her some respect from Masry, co-workers, and the people she talks to about what they’re dealing. She tries to balance that with being a mom as she gains the help and companionship of her new neighbor in a biker named George (Aaron Eckhart) who would struggle with her long working hours as does her kids yet they come around to see what she’s doing as she sometimes takes them for the ride.

Brockovich’s relationship with Masry is also unique as they become this unlikely duo where Brockovich is the one talking to the people and gathering all sorts of information as she was willing to get her hands dirty. Especially as she would get Masry to be more accessible to the people where he does have a scene at a community center talking to them about what is going to happen with this lawsuit the town has filed. It’s a moment where Brockovich watches in the back as she lets Masry let his guard down a bit so he can become someone the people can trust despite some of legal bullshit he has to handle. Even as Brockovich and Masry also have to rely on a more prestigious legal firm to help in the case where the two don’t get treated with much respect by their new partners.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is pretty simple in some respects as he doesn’t go for anything flashy in some of the compositions he creates. Still, there are moments that has him creating a film that is a mixture of a comedy and drama while finding a balance to mesh the two genres. Even as he plays to the comedy in an offbeat way where he’s not afraid to use sexuality to drive the story though there’s no nudity that occurs in the film. It’s not overt but enough to bring some energy to the film while Soderbergh also creates moments such as how Brockovich is able to engage the people with just her charm as she’s just wearing regular clothes while a law assistant is struggling to connect with them as she’s just talking about all sorts of legal bullshit the people don’t really understand.

Much of the film is shot in Ventura, California with some of it shot in Los Angeles where Soderbergh uses the deserts and small-town locations to create something that makes it more than just a film in California. He gives the idea that something like this could be set in any small American town as the people themselves are just good folk who want to hear the truth and why they’ve been sick. His use of medium shots, close-ups, and wide shots give Soderbergh an atmosphere to help tell the story and engage the audience into these characters in the film. Especially as he would maintain that sense of drama and the stakes that is happening so that audiences can root for Brockovich and Masry to see if they can beat the Goliath that is the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Overall, Soderbergh creates a very rich and entertaining film about a woman who helps the people fight against a corporation.

Cinematographer Edward Lachman does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography by playing up the sunny look of California with its rich interior lighting schemes in the daytime while going for more stylish lights for the scenes at night. Editor Anne V. Coates does excellent work with the editing as she infuses some style such as jump-cuts to play with some of the film‘s humor and drama that adds to the unconventional tone of the film. Production designer Philip Messina, with set decorator Kristen Toscano Messina and art director Christa Munro, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of Masry‘s office firm as well as Brockovich‘s home to play into their two different personalities.

Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland does nice work with the costumes from the skimpy clothing that Brockovich wears to the biker look of George. Sound editor Larry Blake does terrific work with the sound to play into some of the film‘s sound effects as well as the calmness of some of the locations in Ventura, California. The film’s music by Thomas Newman is fantastic for its score that is largely driven by keyboards and orchestral pieces that is upbeat at times but also eerie and somber while music supervisor Amanda Scheer-Demme brings in a soundtrack that features some low-key ambient music, bluegrass, and a couple of songs by Sheryl Crow.

The casting by Margery Simkin is incredible for the ensemble that is created for the film as it features cameos from the real Erin Brockovich as a waitress and Ed Masry as a diner patron along with small roles from Scotty Leavenworth and Gemmenne de la Pena as two of Brockovich’s older children, Emily and Julie Marks and Ashley and Brittany Pimental as the youngest of Brockovich’s children as it’s a baby in two different ages. Other small yet notable performances include Gina Gallego as a PG&E attorney, Veanne Cox as a paralegal who tries to do Brockovich’s job, T.J. Thyne as a waters department employee who is charmed by Brockovich, Conchata Ferrell as Masry’s secretary Brenda, and Peter Coyote as a top attorney who teams with Masry on the case yet has no clue in how Masry and Brockovich do their work.

Tracey Walter is terrific as a mysterious Hinkley local who attends the town meetings as he is suspicious of what Brockovich is doing while Cherry Jones is wonderful as another local who is wary about what Brockovich is doing as she thinks that no money will come from this case. Marg Helgenberger is superb as a Hinkley local who becomes the first person Brockovich talks to as she deals with her declining health and what her family might deal with. Aaron Eckhart is excellent as Brockovich’s neighbor George as this very nice biker who helps out by taking care of Brockovich’s children while dealing with her workload as he understands what she’s trying to do.

Albert Finney is brilliant as Ed Masry as this old-school and well-meaning attorney who reluctantly hires Brockovich to be in his firm while becoming aware of what he might go up against realizing the risks of what he might lose. It’s a performance where Finney plays the straight man for Roberts as well as bringing a complexity and accessibility into his role as a lawyer who often doesn’t connect with his clients on a personal level. Finally, there’s Julia Roberts in an outstanding performance as the titular character where it’s Roberts at her most brash and charming where she isn’t afraid to get a little dirty and be overtly sexual at times. It’s a performance that really has Roberts going all-out while also proving to be pretty sensitive where she has her characters listen to other people as it’s definitely Roberts at her best.

Erin Brockovich is a remarkable film from Steven Soderbergh that features a fantastic performance from Julia Roberts in the titular role. Along with some amazing supporting work from Albert Finney and Aaron Eckhart, the film is definitely one of Soderbergh’s finest films as well as one of his most accessible. Even as he creates a character as captivating as Brockovich that allows the audience to be engaged by her. In the end, Erin Brockovich is a spectacular film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray's Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven (2001 film) - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-The Equlibrium - Ocean's Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2014