The Promotion (2008)

Director:

Steve Conrad

Writer (WGA):

Steve Conrad (written by)

Release Date:

28 August 2008 (Singapore)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Two guys. One job. No rules.

Plot:

Two assistant managers of a corporate grocery store vie for a coveted promotion.

Plot Keywords:

Motivational Tape | Canada | Chicago | Supermarket | Dance

Cast

Seann William Scott	...	Doug Stauber
Chris Conrad	...	Teddy Grahams
Rick Gonzalez	...	Ernesto
Adrian Martinez	...	Octavio
Maestro Harrell	...	First Kid in Parking Lot
Kristopher Lofton	...	Second Kid in Parking Lot
Jarreau Brown	...	Third Kid in Parking Lot
Edwin M. Walker	...	Fourth Kid in Parking Lot
Jamaal C. Adams	...	Fifth Kid in Parking Lot
Mario Larraza	...	Edgar
Tory O. Davis	...	Keith
Fred Armisen	...	Scott Fargas
Bobby Cannavale	...	Dr. Timms
Jenna Fischer	...	Jen Stauber
Richard Henzel	...	Motivational Speaker

Also Known As:

Quebec (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-11 | Netherlands:6 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

S. Greenwood Avenue between 54th & 55th Streets, Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

Though Donnie Wahls (Nathan Geist) is referred to as a bit too "junior" in the film, in actuality Geist had to pluck gray hairs before each day of filming during production.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Richard Welhner is from Québec, and his car has Québec plates, but vehicles from this province only have license plates on the rear of the vehicle, not on the front.

Quotes:

Person in bar: Hey, got a light?

"We're all just here trying to get some food. Sometimes we bump into each other."

Having recently watched the amazingly disappointing Step Brothers with John C. Reilly and Will Farrell, I was not expecting much when I watched Reilly star alongside Seann William Scott in what looked to me like your standard rivalry comedy. But it's my job to watch movies so I was forced to sit through it, and I must say I was certainly pleasantly surprised.

Scott is Doug Stauber, a regular guy with a regular job at a supermarket and he's looking to get a promotion to store manager. He sees a career and a simple but comfortable life with his young wife and their dream of a small home and a happy family. He's a good guy and he works hard, and we want him to get the job.

The simplicity of his character is illustrated in a charming interaction with his wife, where she assures him that things will be okay, she can get a job and help them make money.

Doug: "I wanna be the primary breadwinner, Jen."

Jen: "Female lions do the hunting…"

Doug: "I'm not a lion, I'm a guy…"

But then a Richard Wehlner, a charming Canadian transfer, arrives and they each realize that they are both seeking the same position. Richard has more experience than Richard and is probably more qualified for the job, and he also has his own wife and daughter and is also a great guy. Doug and Richard respect and even like each other, which makes their competition genuinely interesting.

The movie centers on each man's inability to figure out how they are supposed to respond to and treat each other. They both want to be amiable and friendly, but they each realize that they have to destroy the other's hopes in order to achieve their own. The escalation of their competition and the gradual collapse of their formality is far more than I had expected from the movie, and the best way that the movie succeeds is that it makes us want to root for both of them.

I noticed another user said on the IMDb that the movie was like an attempt to "pull a Jim Carrey or Will Farrell." This person has missed the point of the movie so completely and so ridiculously that it's difficult for me to believe that he actually watched it. The Promotion is a smart movie starring two guys best known for doing not very smart comedy. All have made a step forward here and they should be recognized for it. Bravo!