"In Good Company" starring Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson....

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.....was absolute crap.

Thinly-written, cliche-ridden, godawful. Saw it this weekend. Walked out halfway through. Considered asking for my money back. It made "Jerry Maguire" look like "Citizen Cane." It was almost as bad as "Love Actually."

Discuss.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

sitizen cane

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

You mean there's actually a person called "Topher"? Cool.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually may see this tonight for $5, because Dennis Quaid still plays a role in my fantasy life. You're saying I should switch to "Racing Stripes"?

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Dennis Quaid was the only respectable presence in the film, and I wept for him.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

seriously. this movie is the worst. i went on a date to see national security, which we were both TOTALLY excited for. but the online listings were wrong, and natl security wasnt showing. so we went to see in good company. WORST SHIT EVER. everything about it was horrible. dennis quaid can probably ruin anything.

when hes giving that long speech about how cross-marketing is so awful, and he slips in that part about "...at least the democratic countries", i saw red. i mean, i believe wholeheartedly that democracy is the tops, but this was the most unbelievably jingoistic movie moment of 2005.

the movies philosophy is one of the most uncomfortably conservative ive ever heard. computers are bad, creative marketing is bad, cant we just make it simple and nice like the old days? young people are spirited but stupid, old people hitting young people is funny and deserved, etc etc.

and then there was the music. agh. sub pop, you are to blame for this.

― peter smith (plsmith), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

dennis quaid was the worst part of this.

― peter smith (plsmith), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:33 (twenty-one years ago)

So yr saying you walked out on a movie you went to see wif yr wife... right Alex?

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:34 (twenty-one years ago)

sub pop, you are to blame for this.

Wolf Eyes??? sounds cool

― elwisty (elwisty), Monday, 31 January 2005 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

So yr saying you walked out on a movie you went to see wif yr wife... right Alex?

She wanted to walk out after fifteen minutes. I persuaded her to stick with it for a little longer. I reached my breaking point when Scarlett Johansson, explaining why she was giving up professional tennis to pursue creative writing because "I've always loved stories." Ugh. Bye. Crap!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 31 January 2005 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, Topher. I had such high hopes for you.

At least you're not Ashton, though.

― Suedey (John Cei Douglas), Monday, 31 January 2005 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

i liked it a lot. very much.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Monday, 31 January 2005 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

You are truly soulmates.

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Monday, 31 January 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Let me also say that we were already paying a baby-sitter twelve dollars an hour, so sitting there watching crappy, underwritten garbage was both costing us money and eating into otherwise valuable drinking time.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 31 January 2005 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I HATE SCARLETT JOHANSSON HER CULT OF PERSONALITY SCARES ME

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 31 January 2005 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I like scarlett johanssen her boobies entice me

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Monday, 31 January 2005 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

You pay your babysitter TWELVE DOLLARS AN HOUR? I should move to New York.

― adam (adam), Monday, 31 January 2005 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

actually i would probably not mind her in person, its more of a "i dont think shes that talented and gets too much credit from slavish drooling cult admirers".

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 31 January 2005 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

You pay your babysitter TWELVE DOLLARS AN HOUR? I should move to New York.

Twelve bucks is sort've inudstry standard, or at least so far it has been.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 31 January 2005 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

You pay your babysitter TWELVE DOLLARS AN HOUR? I should move to New York.
-- adam (hexenductio...), January 31st, 2005.

actually i would probably not mind her in person, its more of a "i dont think shes that talented and gets too much credit from slavish drooling cult admirers".

-- latebloomer (posercore24...), January 31st, 2005.

Yeah, I don't dig the babysitter much either.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Monday, 31 January 2005 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.montrealmirror.com/2005/011305/film2.html

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 31 January 2005 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

And Topher's real name is Christopher, so it's not even exotic.

― nickn (nickn), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I had this conversation already with Jimmy but really I'm kind of glad that the post-Ghost World Thora Birch cult of "personality"/titties has apparently completely gone away and been replaced with the Scarlett Johansson one because she annoyed me the least of everyone in that stupid ass movie. But really Topher Grace really has only been kind of worthwhile for his cameo in Ocean's 11. Not s o much Ocean's 12, that one kind of annoyed me.

― Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah, s1ocki: the voice of moderation.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 31 January 2005 19:52 (twenty-one years ago)

can you tell i was ambivalent about this movie?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Look at my chest
What do you see?
The cult of titties

― Bizarro Living Colour (Dan Perry), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I bet she cultivated them for that purpose.

― Suedey (John Cei Douglas), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

A Love Song for Bobby Long may well have just been titled Titties

― Aaron A., Monday, 31 January 2005 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Dude 90% of films may well just be titled that, and they'd be better for it.

― Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

the girlfriend told me that there was more chemistry between Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace than there was between Scarlett Johansson and Topher Grace. unfortunately by this, she didn't mean that sparks actually flew between Dennis and Topher - were that the case, i would've had to go and see it.

i'm so glad she has other friends that go with her to movies like this so i don't have to.

― lemin (lemin), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:18 (twenty-one years ago)

i really don't get why people dislike this movie. its goals are simple and straightforward. it's funny. it's smart. dennis quaid is amazing and very funny. true, the grace/johansson shit doesn't work, but the rest of the movie is great.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Inexplicably, I want to punch Topher Grace in the nuts every time I see his face on TV.

― sugarpants (sugarpants), Monday, 31 January 2005 20:41 (twenty-one years ago)

i really don't get why people dislike this movie.

Because it positively INSULTS the viewer with its bad writing and reliance on tired cliche.

its goals are simple and straightforward.

..and obvious and predictable and...again...cliched.

it's funny.

Hardly.

it's smart.

It pretends to be smart....and fails. Miserably.

dennis quaid is amazing and very funny.

Quaid is a seasoned actor doing the best he can with undercooked material.

true, the grace/johansson shit doesn't work, but the rest of the movie is great.

The key word in this last sentence was shit.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

That's the best way to argue!

― Suedey (John Cei Douglas), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

for ally:

http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/scarlett-johansson-hand.jpg

― Dude, are you a 15 year old asian chick? (jingleberries), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

is that a shot from In Good Company? Cos then I am not sure what Alex is bitching about.

― Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

If it is, it happens during the second part of the film (after we left to go get drunk somewhere in the Flatiron district).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

i think that's girl with the pearl ~~earring~~ necklace

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:44 (twenty-one years ago)

...which is otherwise the most pointless crap of 2004.

― Pears can just fuck right off. (kenan), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I think its a still from an upcoming movie with Tom Cruise. Or Tom Hanks. Or someone else who sucks.

― Dude, are you a 15 year old asian chick? (jingleberries), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

READ ONE STORY

― Site Admistrator (deangulberry), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

The Girl With Pearl Nipples

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 31 January 2005 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I wish I would have left to go get drunk instead of watching the second half of the movie. (And we pay $10 an hour down here unless we throw caution into the wind and hire that 7th grader who surfs porn/Skinemax but only charges us $5.)

Topher Grace and Juggz Johannsssonnn were miscast, but that didn't ruin the movie. Does she have a real personality or just play a person without one in films?

Quaid is a great actor and was very good as always.

― don weiner, Monday, 31 January 2005 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

that I might be a hand and rest upon that cheek, or whatever.

Squeezy squeezy

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Monday, 31 January 2005 23:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Does she have a real personality or just play a person without one in films?

DON WINS A BEER! SALUT!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I love beer Alex. Thanks for that, which I shall claim at a later date. Preferably at a dive bar where I can watch you go off on a rant in person.

I wonder how many more films Johansson will not have to show her nipples.

― don weiner, Tuesday, 1 February 2005 02:59 (twenty-one years ago)

or until the exposed ass shot

― Kingfish MuffMiner 2049er (Kingfish), Tuesday, 1 February 2005 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Quaid and Grace are indeed carry the movie; their relationship is clearly the focus. But it's just not up to a great corporate comedy like "The Apartment," since it turns into a feel-good fantasy in the last 20 mins, and from the get-go Topher behaves too adorably to be mistaken for a fucking bizboy-machine asshole. (Then there's also big laffs for the unwashed like "Bite me.")

Based on this and About a Boy (in which Hugh Grant was nearly tolerable), I think this Weitz guy needs steelier balls and greater reluctance to make all the major characters likeable. (I never saw American Pie.)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 16:38 (twenty-one years ago)

"Anyone old enough to hold down a job will enjoy In Good Company; even its soundtrack, with the Shins and Damien Rice for the kids, and Steely Dan and Peter Gabriel for the old folks."

So says the Torygrraph. Maybe one to miss.

― NRQ, Friday, 18 February 2005 14:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Damien Rice for the kids

FFS!

― lock robster (robster), Friday, 18 February 2005 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

The title seems to imply that mothers should feel safe having their daughters go to this movie. Topher Grace and Dennis Quaid are 'good' company, while other actors (Ashton K, Collin Farrel) are not. The promos show Grace and Quaid in suits, with carefully combed hair, etc, the costume that signfies 'safe' and 'security.'

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 18 February 2005 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

But they wear suits for most of the film...

Kutcher was initially cast in the Grace part and withdrew over "creative differences." ie, he might've been more persuasive as the asshole.

The original title was "Synergy," the change reflecting the ballslessness of the third act.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 18 February 2005 14:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw this movie. I thought it was one of the blandest movies I've ever seen. After a couple of days, I had forgotten I had ever seen it.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

we decided that we don't like scarlett johansson.

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

but them titties is nice.

― sugarpants (sugarpants), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Speaking of which, ain't the poster w/SJ on it in the Tube just absolutely fugly? (Obv. a pic would help the conversation, but I got zilch...)

― Girolamo Savonarola, Friday, 18 February 2005 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

don't say the girl's talentless
say 'the titties is out'

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 18 February 2005 20:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Bahahahaha. I didn't expect a Nas allusion on this thread.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

I saw this movie. I thought it was one of the blandest movies I've ever seen. After a couple of days, I had forgotten I had ever seen it.

-- n/a (nu...) (webmail), February 18th, 2005 3:29 PM. (Nick A.) (link)

but you seem to have remembered again...?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 07:53 (twenty-one years ago)

why don't you (plural) (who plural) like scarlett, RJG?

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 10:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Dam13n B0na's top 10 of 2004:

1. Kinsey (Bill Condon)
2. The Dreamers (Bernardo Bertolucci)
3. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater)
4. Home Of The Brave (Paolo di Florio)
5. In Good Company (Paul Weitz)
6. Fahrenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore)
7. Birth (Jonathan Glazer)
8. A Dirty Shame (John Waters)
9. Notre Musique (Jean-Luc Godard)
10. The Distant Station (Alireza Raisian)

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

nine months pass...

This would have been passable with anyone but Johansson as the female lead.

I don't mind Weitz's tendency toward making everyone likable and having an upbeat spin for the ending, those actually seem to fit in organically with his material. But God, Johansson is awful.

― Erick Dampier is better than Shaq (miloaukerman), Thursday, 8 December 2005 07:39 (twenty years ago)

why don't you (plural) (who plural) like scarlett, RJG?

-- cozen (skiplevel...)

what?

― cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 8 December 2005 10:24 (twenty years ago)

In Good Company - one of the most interesting films of the last five years: discuss. (I believe that too.)

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 8 December 2005 11:44 (twenty years ago)

lay it on us, baran

― cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 8 December 2005 11:55 (twenty years ago)

In Good Company - one of the most interesting films of the last five years: discuss. (I believe that too.)

You need to get out more often.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 8 December 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

I really wanted to like this because the cast was so charming and I liked About A Boy very much....but, yes, it was underwritten.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 8 December 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

I need to get out less often. I will elaborate my thesis further when I break the bonds of work, but I means what I says. Suffice it to say it is the idea of the film being about values, the facelessness of modern management culture versus the old boy network: and then deciding that actually selling magazine ads is not anything to be proud of being good at, and is an inherently soulless thing in the first place.

Underwritten = nicely open for audience to fill in the gaps.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 8 December 2005 14:22 (twenty years ago)

You're still making apologies for its especially poor execution.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 8 December 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Not at all. I think the problems with most view of IGC is people expected eaither a rom com or a corporate satire (a la The Apartment). What they got was a relatively wistful treatise on the utter pointlessness of being a pawn in the wheels of business, that service culture DOES NOT ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING, whilst accepting that one way or another this is inevitable for survival. It toys with the ideas of "good working practice" and "bad working practice" before shrugging its shoulders and saying all work is shit. Perhaps it is a bit reactionary on the family values bit, but it is anything but on capitalism.

― Pete (Pete), Thursday, 8 December 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

I wasted $30 on this shit too. first off, if topher was my boss i would fucking punch him in his gullet.

― slow jamz and white guy indie acoustic shit (Chris V), Thursday, 8 December 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

I enjoyed IGC. Dennis Quaid was really, really good, good enough to make me think twice about his new family comedy Cheaper By the Baker's Dozen or whatever. TG was okay. The ending crapped out, but that's what endings generally do. The younger sister was way more interesting than SJ, but to have TG get involved w/ her would've been gross.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Thursday, 8 December 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

If Topher Grace were my boss, I would force him to sexually harass me.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 8 December 2005 15:02 (twenty years ago)

ROFFLES

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v719/gofugyourself/GFY112005/56397985.jpg

― Erick Dampier is better than Shaq (miloaukerman), Saturday, 10 December 2005 00:56 (twenty years ago)

i watched this on cable per pete's pitch, and it's v. nice and exactly what he says. also topher and scarlett weren't rilly supposed to have extreme chemistry -- it was just this little aimless wistful fling. it really does toy with your expectations in a very sweet way, the whole thing.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 12 December 2005 07:38 (twenty years ago)

an excellent little movie.

― good.one, Monday, 12 December 2005 07:48 (twenty years ago)

Pete's overreading this. (Did I just make up a word?) The movie hardly implies that "all work is shit," unless you're willing to believe that a character -- Quaid's -- the viewer has been directed to like throughout is now suddenly supposed to be seen as engaged in a wholly meaningless (except for that new baby, daughter at NYU, double mortgage, etc.) enterprise. I mean, the movie didn't offend me or anything, but it's hardly masquerading as anything, least of all radical.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 12 December 2005 08:13 (twenty years ago)

anything anything

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 12 December 2005 08:14 (twenty years ago)

What the film is saying is that the new baby, daughter at NYU, content family stuff is great - but that comes with a cost: and that is the all work is shit. It is what the Topher Grace character works out, and the film shifts nicely in the last quarter to turn him from an antagonist to almost the protagonist (and it does not have to work too hard to do that: Quaid is good at being an arsehole). It is possible I am reading too much, but I think the film allows you to do that. I think the film has no obvious value judgement about the worth of the job, until the final scenes where Grace and Quaid get physical and humilate themselves just to win a pitch. Then all of a sudden the stakes are clear. THIS IS JUST MEDIA SALES!

I think it bodes well for the new Weitz satire anyway, American Dreamz.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 12 December 2005 10:14 (twenty years ago)

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