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“In Good Company“
Reviewed by: Wayne A. Klein
Genre: Romantic comedy
Video: 1.85:1 Anamorphic widescreen
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Languages English, French, Spanish
Subtitles English, French
Length 110 minutes
Rating PG-13 some sexual content and drug references
Release Date 5/10/05
Studio Universal Home Video
Commentary: Actor Topher Grace and director Paul Weitz
Documentaries: None
Featurettes: “Stars”, “Youth”,“Real Life”, “Getting Older,” “New York Locations”, “Editing”, “Story”
Filmography/Biography: Cast and fillmakers
Interviews: None
Trailers/TV Spots: None
Alternate/Deleted Scenes: Deleted scenes with optional director commentary
Music Video: None
Other: None
Cast and Crew: Dennis Quaid, Scarlett Johansson, Topher Grace, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Philip Baker Hall, Malcolm McDowell, Ty Burrell, Clark Gregg
Written By: Paul Weitz
Produced By: Paul Weitz
Directed By: Paul Weitz
Music: Stephen Trask, theme by David Bryne
The Review:

Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is an ad executive for Sports America When Globecom buys the magazine he works for his world is turned upside down; he gets demoted, loses his office and gets a new boss half his age named Carter Duryea (Topher Grace) who is determined to turn the magazine’s falling stock around. Things take a turn for the worse when Carter starts dating Foreman’s daughter (Scarlett Johansson). They immediately butt heads over Carter’s lack of experience and their differing views of how to run things.

A well made thought provoking comedy from the director of “About a Boy”, “In Good Company” has more than a touch of the real world in it. Quaid gives a marvelous performance as Foreman and is equally matched by Topher Grace as the inexperienced but gung ho Carter.

Image and Sound: An outstanding transfer is a highlight of this musical. The blacks are rock solid and the image quality top notch filled with rich colors and textures. The 5.1 sound comes across with tremendous presence and very little distortion.
The Extras:

The multi-part featurette is entitled “SYNERGY” with one letter representing one part of the featurette for example, the “S” is for “Stars”, “Y” is for “Youth”, etc. You get the picture. As featurettes go it’s not all that creative but does allow for the stars and director to discuss what attracted them to the project in the first place and their take on the story. The deleted scenes with director Paul Weitz providing commentary focuses on why each scene was cut include a number of marvelous sequences that worked but had to be trimmed for time reasons. With an initial running time of 2 hours and forty minutes, Weitz knew he had to lose roughly an hour of the film to make it work in theaters. Although he agonized over a number of scenes, Weitz had to be pretty ruthless to make the film manageabe and to please Universal’s executives. There’s also text biographies on the cast and filmmakers. ---

Commentary: Paul Weitz’s comments play well against the witty Topher Grace. Weitz focuses much more on the difficulties in bringing his vision to the screen. Weitz’s inexperience as a film director meant that he learned a considerable about about pacing and transitions throughout the making of the film and he’s more than willing to point out the happy accidents that make the film work. It’s also nice that they feel comfortable in busting each other’s chops. While it’s not a quip a minute, it’s a nice addition providing additional background on the making of the movie. ---
Final Words: “In Good Company” manages to be touching, funny, romantic and heartbreaking all without pandering to the lowest common denominator. Well directed with a intelligent, thoughtful but funny screenplay, “In Good Company” continues to promise much from the former screenwriter of “American Pie” and director of “About a Boy”. Weitz manages to make the film appeal to both older and younger views with this examination of age, the generation gap and the changes both face in life and their careers.

 

 
 
 
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