Once upon a time, in a beautiful, white colonial in a stereotypical, affluent New York City suburb, corporate ads salesman Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) and his nuclear family lived comfortably amid general excess and a second mortgage. With two beautiful daughters, a beautiful wife, and a beautiful salary, Dan Foreman was, unabashedly, the traditional breadwinner, paterfamilias and Daddy dearist.
But one fateful day, this precious dream was destroyed in one fell merger as Dan's magazine, "Sports America," was greedily absorbed by the voracious capitalist Teddy K. and his mega-company Globecom.
Written and directed by Paul Weitz, "In Good Company" shows the human side of human resources. It's a mocking portrayal of corporate business and modern day materialism not without its mushier moments.
Dan, the 51-year-old business "dinosaur," finds himself outdated when up-start, slick side-parted Carter Duryea (Topher Grace) takes over. The practically adolescent newcomer is promoted to Foreman's position for his highly-praised creation of a cell phone for toddlers.
The veteran Foreman losing his job to a kid? This is the work of The Man. The Man wants to consolidate, conglomerate, decimate and dominate!
With this mentality underlying the characters' interactions, the film humorously inveighs against a soulless, corporate America and its merciless quest for world domination. Its truest recrimination lies in the supporting character Morty (David Paymer), another family man in Dan's office who is too old to adapt to the corporate takeover or find a new job, but much too young to retire and lose his yearly income. Paymer manages to poignantly convey his plight in a couple of memorable scenes. He shows the realistic results of the corporate game and single-handedly humanizes the fired employee.
Like Morty, aging good-old-boy Dan Foreman's old-fashioned salesmanship is no competition for marketing genius Duryea and his business merger cross-promotions. But rather than a more dignified firing, Dan suffers a humiliating demotion punctuated by Carter's dubbing him an "awesome wingman."
But under all his cocky bravado the 26-year-old Carter is really just a young, slightly neurotic, espresso-guzzling bundle of nerves and corporate platitudes. Grace portrays the dual sides of Duryea perfectly: the smooth-talking, newly minted salesman and the excited, obnoxious kid.
Grace handles the transition between the two personas with polished professionalism. Upon being told of his promotion, Carter vows to be a "ninja assassin," practicing celebratory ninja kicks when he thinks no one is watching. Carter then rewards himself with a Porsche. Yet when his wife of seven months (a memorably matter-of-fact Selma Blair) leaves him, Carter is completely blindsided and his vulnerable side shows through.
Dan Foreman, on the other hand, is in no position to lose his job; he has a third child coming, and New York University tuition to pay. Dennis Quaid shrewdly portrays his character: bringing depth and gumption to the mid-life businessman and sonless father. He is the perfect compliment to Grace's fatherless son. Grudgingly, Dan swallows his pride and endures Carter's new wave "business synergy." In a similar manner, Dan allows Carter to invite himself over for a Sunday dinner. And surprisingly, in the slew of firings and office politics to follow, Dan and Carter become unlikely allies.
And then, of course, there's the romance. Things are (briefly) complicated by the relationship between Dan's oldest daughter (an understated Scarlett Johansson) and the baby salesman. Though it sometimes seems that "In Good Company" could drift into a lackluster romantic comedy, Grace's tryst with Johansson is secondary (despite her top billing). For her part, Scarlett Johansson turns in a solid performance in a supporting role but doesn't steal the show -- which is a compliment. Surprisingly, and fortunately, the film focuses on the more intriguing surrogate father-son relationship.
Overall, the stellar cast makes what could have been a completely soft tale into one with some wit and zest, striking a balance that director Paul Weitz had not been able to find with his previous efforts, the boorish comedy "American Pie" and the sappy "About a Boy." "In Good Company" finds a place between the two. Despite its somewhat sappy Hallmark-card message, it's not above a few digs and gags either.
