The Promotion
by Steve Conrad
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Adrian Martinez, Chris Conrad, John C. Reilly, Rick Gonzalez, Seann William ScottDirector: Steve Conrad
Brand: Genius
Writer: Steve Conrad
Producer: Ben Ormand
Producer: Bob Weinstein
Producer: Christina Varotsis
Producer: Harvey Weinstein
Producer: Jessika Borsiczky
Producer: Steven A. Jones
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 86 minutes
Published: 2008-09-01
DVD Release Date: 2008-09-02
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Model: 81471
Studio: Weinstein Company
Movie Reviews of The Promotion
Movie Review: "My Grocery List Didn't Include Sexual Harassment, But Thanks" ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Doug Stauber (Seann William Scott) and Richard Wehlner (John C. Reilly) find themselves competing for the same managerial position. Where most films would have one clearly likable character pitted against another nefarious one, this work takes no such short-cut. Herein resides the beauty of this piece. The Promotion is as much a drama as it is a comedy.
Just a short caveat: This is not your typical comedy, so the exposition may throw you off. Nonetheless, after the first ten minutes the film's playfulness begins to peek through ... and by the twenty-minute mark, the viewer is thoroughly engrossed. So, just let go of all assumptions and let Conrad (the director) guide your feelings.
At times, this piece is genuinely hysterical: the comment-cards, the shopping-cart gag, the parking-lot gangs ... all funny. At other times, it's deliberately uncomfortable: both men need this advancement, both men have families, both have our sympathies. The moments of tension are fairly intense. The betrayals are almost heart-crushing. But even in its darkest moments (there are a few), the viewer never wants to abandon the film. Its complexity is what makes this work so appealing!
Hey, I knew it was a great film when I heard Public Image Limited on the soundtrack (just had to say that). But it is the small details that add a touch of reality: the well-intended but entirely annoying neighbors (who play the banjo), the myopic supervisor (who thinks every minor infraction will bring-about the apocalypse), the sticker name-tags worn at company-retreats (though everyone knows each others' names), and the bizarre mantra that the customer is always right (even if they concuss you with a Yoo-Hoo bottle). No matter what your position in life, no matter what your career, you should find some slice of yourself here.
This is a very clever, surprisingly nuanced, and entirely relatable work. It was both strangely touching (Riley dancing in the vacant store was surprisingly painful) and yet comedic (the Teddy Grahams stalker seemed to turn into a demented "Where's Waldo"). Can you ask for more?
If you want to see Seann William Scott in a more mature, more challenging role, this film may be a good choice. (Who knew he had it in him??!!) I hope more of these complex roles come his way!
The closest film to which I can compare Conrad's The Promotion is Forster's Stranger Than Fiction. Though there isn't much one can call "existential" in this piece, there is a similar emotional dynamic. So, if you've ridden that particular roller-coaster and found it gratifying, you may enjoy this one.
P.S. This film made me reexamine my approach to comment-cards. It think I'm going to start peppering-in some expletives ... just for fun ... but only on the positive ones!!
Summary of The Promotion
At 33, Doug Stauber is ready for a promotion. He's married, wants to buy a house, and is assistant manager at a Chicago supermarket that's building a new store in his neighborhood. His boss tells him he's a shoo-in to manage the new store, then, a rival appears - Richard Wehlner, transferred from Canada. Richard has a deeper resume than Doug, is really nice, has a wife and daughter, and wants the promotion to manager too. How should Doug behave toward Richard - as a friend, a colleague, a competitor, or an enemy? Richard, it seems, has demons and a past, but with the help of motivational tapes, he's resolved to succeed. Corporate and personal tests await the two men.Similar DVD Movies
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