Horrible Bosses (2011)

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

Director:

Seth Gordon

Writers:

Michael Markowitz (screenplay), John Francis Daley (screenplay)

Stars:

Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis

3 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Bateman	...	Nick Hendricks
Steve Wiebe	...	Thomas, Head of Security
Kevin Spacey	...	Dave Harken
Charlie Day	...	Dale Arbus
Lindsay Sloane	...	Stacy
Michael Albala	...	Mr. Anderton
Jennifer Aniston	...	Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S.
Jason Sudeikis	...	Kurt Buckman
Jennifer Hasty	...	Kurt's Co-Worker
Reginald Ballard	...	Kurt's Co-Worker
George Back	...	Kurt's Co-Worker
Barry Livingston	...	Kurt's Co-Worker
Meghan Markle	...	Jamie
Donald Sutherland	...	Jack Pellit
Celia Finkelstein	...	Margie Emerman

Storyline

Nick hates his boss, mostly because he's expected to work from before sunrise to after sunset and his boss, Mr. Harken, calls him out for being a minute late and blackmails him so he can't quit. Dale hates his boss, Dr. Julia Harris, because she makes unwelcome sexual advances when he's about to get married. But Dale is on that pesky list of child offenders so he can't quit. Kurt actually likes his job and his boss, well, up until his boss dies and the boss's coked-out, psychopathic son takes over. But who would be crazy enough to quit their jobs in such poor economic times? Instead Nick, Dale and Kurt drunkenly and hypothetically discuss how to kill their bosses, and before they know it, they've hired a murder consultant to help them pull off the three deeds.

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Plot Keywords:

black comedy | scantily clad female | panties | white panties | voyeur | 

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Taglines:

Touchy Feely Boss

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language and some drug material

Did You Know?

Trivia

To promote this film, Warner Brothers Pictures Canada set up a twelve-foot voodoo doll resembling a corporate boss in downtown Montreal. People were given the chance to vent their office frustrations on the doll by stabbing and hitting it with large needles. They were also encouraged to share their best or worst boss story for the chance of winning passes to an advance screening of the film.

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Goofs

When Nick, Dale, and Kurt are talking to "MF" Jones in the bar, "MF" Jones moves the briefcase to the side of the table. However, it is back in front of him in several closeups and at the end of the scene when he tells them to leave.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Nick Hendricks: I get to work before the sun comes up, and I leave long after it's gone down. I haven't had sex in 6 months with someone other than myself. And the only thing in my refrigerator is an old lime. Could be a kiwi, no way to tell.

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Crazy Credits

Outtakes and bloopers at the beginning of the closing credits.

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Alternate Versions

The word "Fuck" has been muted on the Comedy Central airings.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.199 (2013)

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Soundtracks

This Is How I Roll
Written and Produced by Christopher Lennertz, Money Mark and Todd Bozung
Performed by Money Mark

User Reviews

Stop the Presses! A Funny Comedy for Adults

Those who think Hollywood is no longer capable of creating a funny comedy for adults need not worry, as "Horrible Bosses" is proof that that increasingly rare phenomenon can still happen.

"Horrible Bosses" is one of those comedies like the classic "Ruthless People," in which an outrageous and dark premise works because of good writing and an ensemble that knows exactly how to handle the material for maximum comedic value. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day play the requisite straight man, alpha male and dumbass, respectively, that male buddy comedies need, while Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell (sadly underused) play the titular bosses. All of them have a field day with their roles, and Aniston especially stands out because of the film's decision to cast her against type as a slutty, foul-mouthed sex kitten; you can almost hear Aniston sighing with relief as she gets to play something other than the cute-as-a-button girl next door.

As with most comedies, whether or not you think "Horrible Bosses" is funny will probably depend simply on whether or not you think the actors are funny. Charlie Day, for example, will likely drive some people crazy -- I thought he was hilarious.

Grade: A

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 July 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Horrible Bosses

Filming Locations:

2059 East 7th Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,302,165, 10 July 2011

Gross USA:

$117,538,559

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$209,838,559

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Rat Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 106 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39:1