In Good Company

Infobox Film
name = In Good Company


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Paul Weitz
producer = Lawrence Pressman
Paul Weitz
writer = Paul Weitz
starring = Dennis Quaid
Topher Grace
Scarlett Johansson
music = Damien Rice
Stephen Trask
cinematography = Remi Adefarasin
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = December 29, 2004
runtime = 110 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget = $15 million
gross = $61,315,215
website = http://www.ingoodcompanymovie.com/

"In Good Company" is a 2004 comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Weitz, the co-director of "About a Boy". The film stars Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, Clark Gregg, Selma Blair, and David Paymer.

Plot

Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a seasoned advertisement sales executive at a high-ranking publication when a corporate takeover results in him being placed under naive supervisor Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), who is half his age. Matters are made worse when Dan's new supervisor becomes romantically involved with his daughter, an 18 year-old college student Alex (Scarlett Johansson) and Dan's wife (Marg Helgenberger) is pregnant with their third child.

Rather than a romantic comedy with the plot focusing on the relationship between Carter and Alex, the movie is better described as a drama—in fact, Alex and Carter are only romantically involved for about half of the film, getting together well after the film begins and separating before the film's ending. There is an opportunity for Alex to rejoin Carter romantically, but an awkward pause indicates she has moved on in her life. Central to the story is instead the effects that the corporate takeover has on the lives of Dan Foreman and his family, and how Carter Duryea's life is changed based on his experiences with Foreman and his daughter Alex.

Cast

*Dennis Quaid as Dan Foreman
*Topher Grace as Carter Duryea
*Scarlett Johansson as Alex Foreman
*Marg Helgenberger as Ann Foreman
*Clark Gregg as Mark Steckle
*David Paymer as Morty Wexler
*Selma Blair as Kimberly
*Ty Burrell as Enrique Colon
*Frankie Faison as Corwin
*Philip Baker Hall as Eugene Kalb
*Lauren Tom as Obstetrician
*Colleen Camp as Receptionist
*Zena Grey as Jana Foreman
*John Cho as Petey
*Malcolm McDowell (uncredited) as Teddy K - Globecom CEO

Reception

The film received mostly positive reviews, with an overall score of 83% on the movie ratings website Rotten Tomatoes.

Trivia

* The film was originally titled "Synergy". One can still hear references which were kept in the final cut of the film. (The title was changed because a survey administered at various test screenings proved that 9 out of 10 people don't know what the word "synergy" means).Fact|date=May 2007
* Topher Grace took the role as a dedication for his father, who is in the advertising business.
* Ashton Kutcher, one of Grace's "That '70s Show" co-stars, also auditioned for the role of Carter Duryea.
* Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace are both avid tennis players; Grace himself even at one point considered going professional. Scarlett Johansson herself has absolutely no prior experience playing tennis and could barely hold her racket properly. Trick photography was used to make her appear skilled.
* In the unrelated movie "Ocean's Twelve", Topher Grace appears as himself and mentions that among his regrets in life is the fact that he "totally phoned in that Dennis Quaid movie."

External links

* [http://www.ingoodcompanymovie.com/ Official site]
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