Written and directed by Paul Weitz, "In Good Company" is a mild little social comedy about a 51-year-old ad executive who suddenly finds himself working for a hotshot 26-year-old neophyte who knows next to nothing about the advertising business. To add insult to injury, Dan, the exec, is shocked to discover that Carter, the boss, has fallen in love with his beloved college-aged daughter, fetchingly played by Scarlett Johansson.
"In Good Company" has a few pertinent things to say about how the callous corporate world, concerned primarily with profits and the bottom-line, often mistreats its workers, but the film suffers from heavy-handed plot mechanics, facile ironies, and so many musical montage sequences that the film begins to resemble a cut-rate version of "The Graduate" at times. (David Byrne and Peter Gabriel have provided the Simon and Garfunkel-ish score).
Still, there are a number of positive elements to be found in the film. Dennis Quaid brings a quiet dignity to the role of a middle-aged man who is slowly but surely being put out to pasture to make way for a generation that values youth, energy and loyalty to the CEO above all else. As the 20-something boss, Topher Grace, in many ways, has the more challenging part, making Carter into a sympathetic figure where other actors might have played him as a hard-nosed villain. Weitz is careful to show that Carter is really a decent kind of fellow under all the bluster and ambition - deferential, insecure, and eager to find some meaning in life beyond career and work.
The performances and a few genuinely insightful, touching moments help to make up for the shaky plotting and the fact that the humor is so low-keyed that it is practically nonexistent. The movie also earns points for its somewhat unconventional ending. "In Good Company" doesn't amount to much when all is said and done, but it has enough modest virtues to make it worth watching after a tough day at the office.
"In Good Company" has a few pertinent things to say about how the callous corporate world, concerned primarily with profits and the bottom-line, often mistreats its workers, but the film suffers from heavy-handed plot mechanics, facile ironies, and so many musical montage sequences that the film begins to resemble a cut-rate version of "The Graduate" at times. (David Byrne and Peter Gabriel have provided the Simon and Garfunkel-ish score).
Still, there are a number of positive elements to be found in the film. Dennis Quaid brings a quiet dignity to the role of a middle-aged man who is slowly but surely being put out to pasture to make way for a generation that values youth, energy and loyalty to the CEO above all else. As the 20-something boss, Topher Grace, in many ways, has the more challenging part, making Carter into a sympathetic figure where other actors might have played him as a hard-nosed villain. Weitz is careful to show that Carter is really a decent kind of fellow under all the bluster and ambition - deferential, insecure, and eager to find some meaning in life beyond career and work.
The performances and a few genuinely insightful, touching moments help to make up for the shaky plotting and the fact that the humor is so low-keyed that it is practically nonexistent. The movie also earns points for its somewhat unconventional ending. "In Good Company" doesn't amount to much when all is said and done, but it has enough modest virtues to make it worth watching after a tough day at the office.