Career Opportunities is a guilty pleasure of mine. I saw it for the first time last year, but I've since bought the movie, and watched it several times. The plot has several different characters ending up in an unlikely situation. Frank Whaley stars as an unmotivated pathological liar, who is starting his first shift as a night janitor at a Target store. Jennifer Connelly plays a lovely, but frustrated rich girl who just wants to get away from her father's numbing influence. And Dermot and Kieran Mulrooney portray two inept criminals, intent on looting the Target.
The first third of the movie is similar to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", in that Whaley is avoiding responsibility, and frequently has clever comments to the camera or other characters. The middle third reminds me of the "Breakfast Club", when Whaley discovers Connelly in his store after hours, and the two sit down to get to know each other. The final third is very reminiscent of "Home Alone" in the way the two criminals threaten Whaley and Connelly, and the way they get outsmarted. Nowhere near as violent as Home Alone, but still similar in tone.
All of this makes for quite the fun film. Whaley is hilarious, especially when amusing himself alone in the store, Connelly is good as the "poor little rich girl" that just wants her freedom. Plus, she's an absolute knockout! The Mulrooney brothers are disgusting and slimy as the villains, and it's very satisfying to see them get everything that's coming to them.
Can't be fairly compared to any of it's three inspirations, but still a nice package from Hughes that you will enjoy again and again.
The first third of the movie is similar to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", in that Whaley is avoiding responsibility, and frequently has clever comments to the camera or other characters. The middle third reminds me of the "Breakfast Club", when Whaley discovers Connelly in his store after hours, and the two sit down to get to know each other. The final third is very reminiscent of "Home Alone" in the way the two criminals threaten Whaley and Connelly, and the way they get outsmarted. Nowhere near as violent as Home Alone, but still similar in tone.
All of this makes for quite the fun film. Whaley is hilarious, especially when amusing himself alone in the store, Connelly is good as the "poor little rich girl" that just wants her freedom. Plus, she's an absolute knockout! The Mulrooney brothers are disgusting and slimy as the villains, and it's very satisfying to see them get everything that's coming to them.
Can't be fairly compared to any of it's three inspirations, but still a nice package from Hughes that you will enjoy again and again.