|
|
|
Search Movie Review
Archives
|
|
|
| |
| Dvdivas
was founded by John Gabbard in 2000. It's purpose has been and
remains to be to provide you, the entertainment community with
the latest dvds and movie reviews. It will continue to be your
link to the most popular dvd movies. |
|
|
“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. |
|
|