Movie Review: In Good Company ***

In Good Company is a nice, if-uncomplicated, look at the changing face of the American workforce. If you don't know the premise, Dennis Quaid plays an aging advertising executive for a Sports Illustraited type magazine. His company is bought out by a huge conglomerate, and he is soon being led by a 26 year old up and commer (Topher Grace) . There's a love story between Grace and Quaid's daughter in the movie (Scarlet Johannsen), and a sub-plot about Quaid being a new daddy at age 51. While the film doesn't wow, it is an almost too real portrayal of business today. One by one long time employees are let go to save money on their inflated salaries.. as the young gun tries deaprately to keep it together.

It feels right as this youth movement seemingly sweeps across the country. Whether its senior workers jobs being outsourced, 50 something women coloring their hair with highlights and wearing old navy, or more T-V shows breaking away to show single young people.. we don't seem to be a culture celebrating age and experiance. (Course maybe it was always that way, i'm pretty young.)

The one note it may not hit right is this point of so-called "synnergy". A running joke in the film is about how the company wants all these rediculious tie-ins between different divisions in the company. The old exec argues that there's no reason for the magazine to change.. its fine the way it was.. but things can only survive when they evolve. The real sports illistraited probably gets 5 times as many readers on the web.. than it does in the actual magazine. The real synnergy is putting time tested ideas to work in a way that new audiences can realate to.

Interesting Film worth seeing.