Even most Scarlett Johansson fans have forgotten about this romantic “dramedy” whose context still resonates today.
While Scarlett Johansson’s career has exploded in popularity since she joined the Marvel Universe in 2010 with Iron Man 2, she had been filming since 1994 and had (rather esteemed) hits before, if only ‘with Le Prestige or The Barber.
But in 2005, three films by the actress hit the screens: The Island in August, Match Point in October and In Good Company in May. However, if moviegoers and fans of the actress have remembered the first two, far fewer are those who remember the last.
Universal Pictures
In Good Company presents the story of Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid), 51, is the advertising king and sales manager of Sports America, a super popular sports magazine. When his magazine is taken over by an international company, Dan must force himself to become best friends with Carter (Topher Grace), the man who forced him to lay off some of his employees and took over the reins of Sports America. Dan holds his ground until Carter starts to hover around Alex, his eldest daughter (Johansson).
The film is directed by Paul Weitz, who had filmed For a Boy and American Pie a few years earlier. We find in In good company its squeaky side, with this large company presented as impersonal monopolizing a lucrative business with the upheavals that this implies.
Universal Pictures
Carter and Dan
Under cover of comedy, the film also tackles the subject of over-indebtedness via Dan who has to pay for his daughter’s studies and via Carter the ageism and loneliness of the one who has been left by his wife and drowns his loneliness in work . As for the resolution of their friendship, it still reserves a surprise in the last third of the film.
In the end, In good company deserves to be rediscovered but it is unfortunately not available on any platform at the time of these lines. Gentlemen streaming services, to your good heart!