This quirky little movie has its good points, especially including Topher Grace whose boyish charm and eyes filled with devilment are reminiscent of the early Hugh Grant without the English accent. Not sure there's a male equivalent of "starlet," an actor who's got promise and may or may not rise to stardom, but that's the category into which Topher Grace fits. For me, however, the surprise in this movie was Scarlett Johansson. Having seen her in two other roles -- Vermeer's model in "The Girl with the Golden Earring" and the lonely young woman whom lonely Bill Murray meets in Tokyo in "Lost in Translation" -- I would not have thought of her as right for a role as a young American college student who is collegiate in every sense of that word. However, she IS that youngster in this movie, and I found the story of her relationship with the Topher Grace character rather more interesting than the main story line: the young hotshot (Grace) installed as the boss of a man twice his age (Dennis Quaid), who also happens to be the girl's father. Johansson's college girl is supposed to be a tennis champion, a potential pro who gives up tennis to study creative writing, and that part of it is not, not, not well done. But that's the director's fault, not Johansson's. Few actors or actresses can convincing portray athletes without the help of camera angles and doubles who can actually do what the character is supposedly able to do. That aside, Johansson is quite good. I don't know why I should be surprised, but I was. I'm not yet ready to see a movie BECAUSE she's in it but this role convinced me that she's got some talent (in addition to being nice to look at).
Review of In Good Company
