Greetings again from the darkness. With a successful TV writing background ("ER" and "West Wing"), writer/director John Wells tackles the economic downturn in his first feature film. The story offers perspective on how a corporation's blind focus on profit wins out over employee loyalty when times get tough.
Craig T Nelson stars as James Salinger, who along with Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) started the GTX company years ago. The company made its name in ship-making and is now a conglomerate charged with shareholder return despite the economic recession. No mystery how to do that ... start cutting employees. Hundreds of them. Get the lawyers involved so the perfect balance of elder statesmen and young guns can be established - gotta avoid those lawsuits!
The initial focus is on Bobby Walker, hotshot salesman played by Ben Affleck. When he gets laid off, his initial reaction is anger followed by denial. While his wife, Rosemarie DeWitt, starts making practical plans on how to get through the crisis, her husband continues playing golf and driving his Porsche ... foolishly believing this makes him look "successful". He expresses near disgust when his brother-in-law played by Kevin Costner offers him a job on his home remodeling team. Of course, he can't picture himself "banging nails".
Next up is self-made man Phil Woodward, played with total annoyance by Chris Cooper. He is the first to realize that the image he had of his value to the company and his family was a total facade, and his reaction is not pretty.
As the film moves forward, we see how the strength of DeWitt's character not only holds her family together, but also helps her husband realize his self-value is not in his job, but rather with his loved ones ... including his parents.
The film really doesn't offer much other than a reminder that what makes us who we are is really not tied to a title or job description. It's also an example of how tough times bring out the best and worst in people and can draw a family much closer ... or drive a wedge. Character is revealed when tough choices are forced.
Craig T Nelson stars as James Salinger, who along with Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) started the GTX company years ago. The company made its name in ship-making and is now a conglomerate charged with shareholder return despite the economic recession. No mystery how to do that ... start cutting employees. Hundreds of them. Get the lawyers involved so the perfect balance of elder statesmen and young guns can be established - gotta avoid those lawsuits!
The initial focus is on Bobby Walker, hotshot salesman played by Ben Affleck. When he gets laid off, his initial reaction is anger followed by denial. While his wife, Rosemarie DeWitt, starts making practical plans on how to get through the crisis, her husband continues playing golf and driving his Porsche ... foolishly believing this makes him look "successful". He expresses near disgust when his brother-in-law played by Kevin Costner offers him a job on his home remodeling team. Of course, he can't picture himself "banging nails".
Next up is self-made man Phil Woodward, played with total annoyance by Chris Cooper. He is the first to realize that the image he had of his value to the company and his family was a total facade, and his reaction is not pretty.
As the film moves forward, we see how the strength of DeWitt's character not only holds her family together, but also helps her husband realize his self-value is not in his job, but rather with his loved ones ... including his parents.
The film really doesn't offer much other than a reminder that what makes us who we are is really not tied to a title or job description. It's also an example of how tough times bring out the best and worst in people and can draw a family much closer ... or drive a wedge. Character is revealed when tough choices are forced.