The Promotion (2008)

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

Director:

Steve Conrad (as Steven Conrad)

Writer:

Steve Conrad (as Steven Conrad)

Stars:

Seann William Scott, John C. Reilly, Chris Conrad

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Seann William Scott	...	Doug Stauber
Chris Conrad	...	Teddy Grahams
Rick Gonzalez	...	Ernesto
Adrian Martinez	...	Octavio
Maestro Harrell	...	First Kid in Parking Lot
Kris D. Lofton	...	Second Kid in Parking Lot (as Kristopher Lofton)
Jarreau Brown	...	Third Kid in Parking Lot
Edwin Walker	...	Fourth Kid in Parking Lot (as Edwin M. Walker)
Jamaal C. Adams	...	Fifth Kid in Parking Lot
Mario Larraza	...	Edgar
Geremy Webster	...	Breden
Tory O. Davis	...	Keith
Fred Armisen	...	Scott Fargas
Bobby Cannavale	...	Dr. Timms
Jenna Fischer	...	Jen Stauber

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

motivational tape | canada | supermarket | lunchroom | urination | 

---

Taglines:

Two guys. One job. No rules.

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

13 June 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Quebec

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,493, 8 June 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$406,252, 13 July 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dimension Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

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

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.

---

Quotes

[Richard struggles to assemble a ship in a bottle while his motivational tape plays in the background]
Motivational Speaker: Have you ever seen an eagle blow his top? Do your best to keep your cool.
Richard: Stay loose...
[the ship tips over when Richard places his tweezers near it]
Richard: Fuck!
Motivational Speaker: Every life has its frustrations, but be careful not to let them get the best of you in front of your family. Instead of curses, find a more family-friendly way to express life's frustrations.
[...]

---

Connections

Featured in The Great Canadian Supercut (2017)

---

Soundtracks

Harness and Wheel
(2005)
Written by Bill Taylor, Ryan Richardson, Clarque Johnson (as Clarque Blomquist), and Paul Finn
Performed by Kingsbury Manx (as The Kingsbury Manx)
Courtesy of Yep Roc Records
by arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

Reviews have been good

I saw the film in Austin and I actually thought it was really funny....the humor is not slapstick....it's dark humor...I loved it....the cameos are amazing too! Jason Bateman shines in this film! I think the casting job is great. We can finally see Seann William Scott in a deep role that shows what a great actor he is. He also has great comedic timing with John Riley. Riley with his Canadian accent is hysterical in this film. His random odd lines are going to be repeated all over. My favorite is about the mesquite krunchers....so funny. I think that in this film we really get to see what a great comedic writer Conrad is. I also love that he takes a really funny film, but gives it a realistic heart. What it comes down to are these two men trying to provide for their families. It is the American Dream at it's core. Everyone can identify with its message. The films humor is similar to Office Space. The review from film school rejects on it was good too.