The Company Men
In America, we give our lives to our jobs. It's time to take them back.
From multi-Emmy winning writer/director John Wells (ER, The West Wing), The Company Men is a remarkably relevant and uplifting motion picture experience inspired by today's headlines. Featuring a powerhouse cast including Academy Award winners Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner, the film has been hailed as "grade A. juicy, timely and terrifically engrossing" (Entertainment Weekly).
Bobby Walker (Affleck) is living the American Dream, until he is stunned to find himself the latest casualty of corporate downsizing. Suddenly, Bobby is forced to re-evaluate his self-worth as a husband, a father and a man. For as long as he can remember, he's given his life to his job. Now, with only the love of his wife and family, it's time to take his life back...
Member Reviews
The Company Men - Jude
This was a well portrayed depiction of what has probably happened thousands of times in America - and Canada. Being Laid Off from a job you thought was secure is a terrifying time. This movie is very thought provoking, as it touches on the extremely high wages at the top of the company. It is an unrealistic situation that is unsustainable. Worth watching.good recession movie - cloicker
This movie protrays some of what is happening in North America based on the current recession. It drags a bit near the end getting to the point of an ending but in all it's not a bad movie. Hits close to home since Loblaws did the same to our family yet Galen Weston is still making millions of dollars a year and yet it seems to be hid in the media.Well-ordered ensemble recession effect drama - moviemonger
A recession can be a gold mine for great drama, as portraying the events of a recession can be poignant and cathartic for audiences. The film shows how the recession effects the various socio-economic classes, but fails to make something thought-provoking or distinctive. Though replete with an incredible cast that most certainly does its best with the material, particularly Ben Affleck, there simply isn’t enough creativity employed by Wells in his screenplay to keep movie-goers engaged from start to finish. The movie centers on the fictional Global Transportation Systems, a company feeling the pressures of the economic downturn, and three of its employees. As can be expected when you have an ensemble cast that includes some of the greatest male actors working today, the film’s greatest strength is the performances, but it’s Affleck who establishes himself as the best of the group. The main focal point of the film, he perfectly displays the slow deterioration of confidence that comes with month after month of joblessness. What causes the terrific performances to go to waste, though, is the archetypal characters and the blunt, unimaginative storytelling. The film is painfully aware of the times that it’s being made in and tries to capitalize by creating a stand-in for every protagonist and antagonist in a recession, be it the guy who gets laid off but is too old to get another job or the CEO who doesn’t care about people, only money and the bottom line. The Company Men is an attempt to put an on-going reality on the screen. Wells has the star-power and performances, but crafts a predictable story with story points that audience members can forecast from the start. As compelling as the actors may be, they’ll always fall flat without a solid and interesting story backing them up.
Member Reviews
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The Company Men - Jude
This was a well portrayed depiction of what has probably happened thousands of times in America - and Canada. Being Laid Off from a job you thought was secure is a terrifying time. This movie is very thought provoking, as it touches on the extremely high ...good recession movie - cloicker
This movie protrays some of what is happening in North America based on the current recession. It drags a bit near the end getting to the point of an ending but in all it's not a bad movie. Hits close to home since Loblaws did the same to our family yet ...Well-ordered ensemble recession effect drama - moviemonger
A recession can be a gold mine for great drama, as portraying the events of a recession can be poignant and cathartic for audiences. The film shows how the recession effects the various socio-economic classes, but fails to make something thought-provoking ...