In Good Company -- Rhinotainment

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You become just another hourly employee or just another victim of downsizing when, before the merger, you used to be valued and the company respected you for your accomplishments and rewarded you for your hard work. I've experienced all of that in five years with the same company. Dennis Quaid is about to ingest a big dose of it in the brilliant character study/romantic comedy In Good Company.

Quaid plays a 51 year-old advertising sales manager for a Sports Illustrated-esque magazine named Dan Foreman. Dan's admittedly not a great salesman, but he's old school to the bone and he's respected by his clients for his hard work and his honesty. Therefore, he's earned his spot in the company and he's loved by his peers and management. Then the corporate takeover occurs. Suddenly, people who have been working for the company for 5, 10, 20 years are being shuffled out the door and new corporate goons are moving in.

Dan's not out the door yet but he is quickly demoted to just a plain old sales rep while Carter Duryea (Topher Grace in a star turning role) enters to take over the managerial helm. Carter is 26 years old and has no previous ad sales experience. As a matter of fact, his claim to fame was coming up with an idea for cute animal shaped cell phones for kids. He's smug and witty yet completely clueless at the same time.

One thing that the two have in common is that their personal lives are on a bit of a rollercoaster ride. At 51, Dan is about to become a father for the third time. His oldest daughter, Alex (the radiant Scarlett Johansson) has been accepted to NYU and wants to live in the city which he feels obliged to fund. Losing his position in the company couldn't come at a worse time. Meanwhile, Carter is in the midst of a divorce from a woman who never loved him. He has no real friends and is painfully lonely. He latches on to Dan and won't let go.

After practically inviting himself over for dinner, much to Dan's chagrin, Carter becomes romantically linked with Alex all the while realizing what a schmuck he really is. Needless to say, when Dan finds out, things couldn't get any uglier. Dan struggles to find a place in the company, in his own home and in his daughter's life while Carter struggles to become a better person.

This is one of those heartwarming stories that guys aren't supposed to like. But there is actually a lot in this film for guys to like, especially the dynamic between Dan and Carter. Really, this is a total adult crowd pleaser. Fantastic acting, excellent storyline, great jokes, great character dynamics, great soundtrack, warm fuzzy feelings without feeling like you've been covered in a layer of Velveeta . . . it's just a great film. It also has a very realistic ending which is helpful in a film like this. You completely expect it to end one way and it doesn't which was VERY refreshing.

And while we are at it, when will Dennis Quaid get the respect he deserves? He's truly one of the most underrated actors in the last 20 years. He's exceptional in this film, as usual, yet it will probably be overlooked because of the great acting by the younger actors. While Grace and Johannson deserve their kudos, Quaid was the soul of the film and he should be rewarded for it.