MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 107 this week

The Promotion (2008)

5.7
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 5.7/10 from 13,235 users   Metascore: 51/100
Reviews: 50 user | 71 critic | 21 from Metacritic.com

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

Director:

Writer:

Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 10000 titles created 3 months ago
 
a list of 3627 titles created 1 month ago
 
a list of 614 titles created 6 months ago
 
a list of 453 titles created 2 weeks ago
 
a list of 250 titles created 27 Apr 2011
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: The Promotion (2008)

The Promotion (2008) on IMDb 5.7/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of The Promotion.

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Role Models (2008)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

Wild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps to enroll in a Big Brother program.

Director: David Wain
Stars: Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Goon (2011)
Comedy | Sport
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

Director: Michael Dowse
Stars: Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

A comedy centered on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters.

Director: Jesse Peretz
Stars: Paul Rudd, Nick Sullivan, Elizabeth Banks
Cedar Rapids (2011)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

Tim Lippe has no idea what he's in for when he's sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself under the "guidance" of three convention veterans.

Director: Miguel Arteta
Stars: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche
The Campaign (2012)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.1/10 X  

In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center.

Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis
Comedy | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.

Director: Seth Gordon
Stars: Jason Bateman, Steve Wiebe, Charlie Day
Step Brothers (2008)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

Two aimless middle-aged losers still living at home are forced against their will to become roommates when their parents get married.

Director: Adam McKay
Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen
Old School (2003)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Three men are disenchanted with life and try to recapture their college days.

Director: Todd Phillips
Stars: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn
Due Date (2010)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

High-strung father-to-be Peter Highman is forced to hitch a ride with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay on a road trip in order to make it to his child's birth on time.

Director: Todd Phillips
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

Three kids hire a low-budget bodyguard to protect them from the playground bully.

Director: Steven Brill
Stars: Nate Hartley, Owen Wilson, Alex Frost
Comedy | Music
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

A record company intern is hired to accompany out-of-control British rock star Aldous Snow to a concert at L.A.'s Greek Theater.

Director: Nicholas Stoller
Stars: Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Jonah Hill
Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.

Director: Colin Trevorrow
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
...
Kristopher Lofton ...
Jarreau Brown ...
...
Fourth Kid in Parking Lot (as Edwin M. Walker)
Jamaal C. Adams ...
Mario Larraza ...
Geremy Webster ...
Breden
Tory O. Davis ...
...
...
...
Edit

Storyline

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. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Two guys. One job. No rules.

Genres:

Comedy

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

28 August 2008 (Singapore)  »

Also Known As:

Quebec  »

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$30,493 (USA) (6 June 2008)

Gross:

$406,252 (USA) (11 July 2008)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was originally scheduled to be released on May 2007, but was pushed back to June 2008 to add new scenes featuring Masi Oka's cameo appearance. See more »

Goofs

The size of the joint that Richard is smoking on the loading dock changes from when Richard is talking to his wife to when Doug catches him. See more »

Quotes

[after giving his apology speech at a community center following his incident with a gang at the supermarket, Doug meets with Richard, the board of directors and the community leaders]
First Community Leader: It's isolated.
Richard: Oh yeah, it's a one-time thing.
First Community Leader: What's that?
Richard: I agree, it's isolated. I think it was just some 'black apples'. We won't be seeing that happen again.
[Long pause between everyone]
First Community Leader: Black apples.
Richard: What's that?
First Community Leader: You said, 'black apples'?
[Another long pause]
[...]
See more »

Soundtracks

"Tonight I Have to Leave It"
(2007)
Written by Adam Olenius
Performed by Shout Out Louds
Courtesy of Merge Records
by arrangement with Bank Robber Music
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
"We're all just here trying to get some food. Sometimes we bump into each other."
8 December 2008 | by (Luoyang, China) – See all my reviews

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!


28 of 45 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
THIS MOVIE IS HORRIBLE. fotoobscura
The movie was awful pooterdad64
Just want to leave a message for the Cast and Crew of the promotion DavidHernandez
Hands up who fell asleep during this movie ashrex
Lili Taylor's Accent Sucks!! almightyTallest
This film was more depressing than Bad Lieutenant or Requiem for a Dream satansfist
Discuss The Promotion (2008) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?