Review
IN GOOD COMPANY
Starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson
Written and directed by Paul Weitz
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It’s true that you probably don’t expect subtlety from the maker of American Pie, but with In Good Company, director Paul Weitz builds on the maturity he flirted with in making About a Boy.
When Sports America’s long time ad executive Dan Forman (Dennis Quaid) learns that he has to step aside to make room for Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), a hotshot half his age, he knows he’s in for a rough time. When Carter falls for Dan’s college-age daughter Alex (Scarlett Johansson), their relationship falls under further strain. Although this sounds like the kind of formula Hollywood churns out in its sleep, Weitz, with the help of a stellar cast, turns the film into an understated gem.
By having In Good Company focus on the everyday trials of living rather than a bloated romance or diatribe on the new corporate agenda, Weitz not only makes a completely accessible story, but also ably transforms the iconic cast into the average people they pretend to play. Quaid, Grace and Johansson (and the criminally underused Marg Helgenberger) look and act like regular folk as opposed to the vacuous well-dressed types we usually see in films like this, and their performances alone easily make this film worth seeing.
But to focus solely on the cast would do a great disservice to Weitz. In an era where slice-of-life dramas are spiced up with sexy stylization, In Good Company is so simple that I’m sure certain audience members would find it dull. The film is light to be sure, but by exploring the mundanity of modern living, Weitz’s modest storytelling is refreshingly uncluttered. Having characters who behave like actual people, succeeding and failing in equal part, Weitz doesn’t have to force the laughter and tears, they manifest on their own. |
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