Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

When he finds out that his work superiors host a dinner celebrating the idiocy of their guests, a rising executive questions it when he's invited, just as he befriends a man who would be the perfect guest.

Director:

Jay Roach

Writers:

David Guion (screenplay), Michael Handelman (screenplay),

Stars:

Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Carell	...	Barry
Paul Rudd	...	Tim
Zach Galifianakis	...	Therman
Jemaine Clement	...	Kieran
Stephanie Szostak	...	Julie
Lucy Punch	...	Darla
Bruce Greenwood	...	Lance Fender
David Walliams	...	Müeller
Ron Livingston	...	Caldwell
Larry Wilmore	...	Williams
Kristen Schaal	...	Susana
P.J. Byrne	...	Davenport
Andrea Savage	...	Robin
Nick Kroll	...	Josh
Randall Park	...	Henderson

Storyline

Tim (Rudd) is a rising executive who "succeeds" in finding the perfect guest, IRS employee Barry (Carell), for his boss's monthly event, a so-called "dinner for idiots," which offers certain advantages to the exec who shows up with the biggest buffoon.

---

Plot Keywords:

dinner | irs | idiot | hairy chest | married to an inanimate object | 

---

Taglines:

Takes One To Know One.

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Dinner

Filming Locations:

102 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£940,586 (UK) (3 September 2010)

Gross:

$72,980,108 (USA) (8 October 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Spyglass Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (as dts) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The lead roles were originally intended for Steve Martin and Bill Murray.

---

Goofs

When Tim proposes outside the gallery. Julie's earring disappears and reappears between shots.

---

Quotes

Barry: OK, may I give you some advice too? Do not wear fishnets on New Year's Eve. It's too cold. When the wind blows, you gotta go with the hose.

---

Crazy Credits

After the credits, A diorama is displayed of a stuffed mouse sitting in a burnt down house, with Barry heard laughing as he reveals that Fender's company has gone bust with Forbes Magazine naming him the "World's Biggest Loser."

---

Connections

Remake of The Dinner Game (1998)

---

Soundtracks

"Senza Fine"
(1961)
Written by Gino Paoli
Performed by Monica Mancini
Courtesy of Concord Music Group, Inc.

User Reviews

It's silly, it's stupid and it's fun

This film shocked me. A new premise of cinema I am not familiar with, and had a very silly, very quirky style of story telling. I have to stick my neck out on this one but I enjoyed it.

I like my comedies, from the classics to the obscure, and this feature manages to slot itself in there somewhere. It's not rip roaringly funny but it makes you smile, makes you giggles and still manages to create a personal attachment to the characters. When they feel bad, we feel bad. When they put themselves through awkward, cringe-worthy situations we cringe along with them and we all end up laughing at the other end.

Stop trying to take this film seriously, it's not trying to be a serious film. It's about a group of idiots being shown of for being idiots by a bunch of corporate idiots. It's silly, fun and worth seeing.

I found the acting was good, little ropey in places but general was to standard, the direction was well thought out, the cinematography was clever and the set design and props (especially the mice) were all manufactured so well and realistically they helped to hold the film together.

This is no Godfather II but it'd no Manos: The hands of Fate either, it's a very silly, very goofy, very fun film to watch with friends, family or on your own. Everyone knows a Schmuck and everyone can relate to this film.