The Promotion (2008) User Reviews

Lots of nice surprises, too bad the right audience may never find it

[bob_meg · 7/10 · 20 June 2009]

My first clue that "The Promotion" might have a little more below the surface than the usual Seann William Scott junior gag fest was the trailer...it didn't have too much easy humor and the plot seemed genuinely human, and even sensitive. Then there was the fact it was released by Miramax spin-off Dimension, an imprint more well known for horror movies than anything else. Something was up.

After seeing the film, I am pleased to say that lurking under the veneer of a slightly stupid mass-market comedy is a deftly knowing little indie movie waiting to surface.

The bad part of course is --- I don't know if many who would like the film will see it. It reminded me a little of "The Good Girl" with Jennifer Anniston. It was well scripted, rather slowly paced, and relied more on the script and storyline for laughs rather than leaning too heavily on the star-power of it's two principles.

The scene at the team-building retreat (dead-on if you've ever been to one) is a prime example. Yeah, there are a few pratfalls, but most of the time you're shriveling in your seat feeling horribly for John Reilly.

He's always been incredible at cutting to the human core of all his characters and he really shines in this part. You don't feel sorry for him as much as you feel empathy. And that's not the easiest thing to do with this character, who is far from lily white. As for Scott, he is definitely growing into an accomplished character actor and it's refreshing to see him tackle something this gray and still turn in a resonating performance. Some of the reviewers see him as a "wimp"....well, that's a bit too easy. I see him as distinctly human.

I'm also surprised that this comes from Steve Conrad, whose prior scripts I've always thought of as a bit heavy on the syrup. Nothing is forced here. Yeah, not much happens...this is a slice of life movie, albeit one with a funny crust.

It really is a shame it wasn't marketed a bit differently. It sucks to go into a movie expecting something and getting nothing close to what you expected out of it. Which, fortunately for me this time, wasn't the case.

Well written and realistic ................

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 2 January 2010]

"The Promotion" could easily have been written as a gross out comedy, in which case it could take it's place among the many failures of that overworked genre. Instead, it is a drama that includes amusing situations, none of which resort to slapstick for laughs. Sensitive performances by both Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly, add immeasurably to the film. There is a feeling that "I've been in situations like this myself". In the end the movie has a lot to say about honesty and relationships. Both main characters elicit sympathy, and the outcome of the supermarket promotion is in doubt until the final deciding interview. - MERK

Mediocrity at it's most benign

[brettchatz-1 · 6/10 · 29 August 2008]

Ever sat through one of those movies that you're hoping something's going to happen - and it doesn't? The Promotion is one such movie. Here's the uninspiring story of two guys - both intent on being promoted within a corporate supermarket franchise.

That's the premise - short and sweet. Naturally there's some tension between both men competing for the position, but overall the humor is weak; the competitive nature of the applicants is unconvincing and the story flat-lines a couple of minutes into the film.

John C. Reilly is the hopeful manager from Canada while the incumbent is Seann William Scott.

There's nothing to it, nothing to expect and with only a hint of infidelity or upheaval, it's best left out of the spotlight - preferably collecting dust someplace in a $1 rental outlet...

A story with depth and charm

[Gordon-11 · 19 November 2008]

This film is about two assistant managers of a supermarket fighting for a promotion to become the manager of the new branch.

The two assistant managers, Doug and Richard, are both developed well. They come across as real human beings that I care about. They are both torn between their need to climb up the ladder, but are both restrained by their morals. This soul searching is beautifully depicted, giving the story depth and charm.

I find "The Promotion" to be very well made. It successfully strikes the right balance between dirty office politics, reflections on moral issues and humour. This is really hard, given the fact that the topic of the film is likely to arouse some negative emotions in the viewer's own work place. I really enjoyed watching "The Promotion".

Run-of-the-mill comedy that has it's moments

[Nighthawk1 · 6/10 · 7 April 2009]

Not the best comedy I've ever seen, but it had it's moments. Occasionally, I did find something to laugh at during a few scenes.

John C. Reilly was was alright but, I expected more from him. Sean William Scott played a push over, a wimp who was the opposite of the American Pie Stifler character that he's known for. I wouldn't classify the movie as deep or profound, but it does have some things to say about ambition and the cost of success.

I would characterize the movie as being more mildly comical than outright hilarious. As a whole the movie was rather tepid. Some of the jokes were juvenile and others didn't work. In the end the movie succeeded more than it failed.

There was enough going on within the movie to keep my attention. Overall it was run-of-the-mill.

A weak movie.

[Siamois · 4/10 · 25 August 2008]

I expected a bit more from this movie, if only because of Steve Conrad's involvement as well as two decent leads for that type of movie. Unfortunately, Conrad, who is usually a good writer, really delivered his weakest story and lines here. Perhaps the double duty as writer and director didn't help.

Seann William Scott will never be mistaken for an Oscar performing actor but he usually has energy and a charisma that is very evident on the screen. Here, he really seems uninspired. There seems to be an attempt to pull a Jim Carrey or Will Ferrell with a performance that would be partly funny, partly tragic. Unfortunately, he fails on both fronts. John C Reilly, who is both a tremendous character actor and a great comedy guy is the most disappointing aspect of the movie. He utterly fails at making this character believable in any way and, at times, it seems he is reciting lines at a private rehearsal. Really, really bad. The actresses playing the wives of our main characters are equally uninteresting and unconvincing. Special mention goes to Lili Taylor in another awful role. Her worse performance ever and would have been worthy of a Razzie award if the movie was higher profile and her role more prominent.

There's still a nice basic plot, some moments are funny enough. The motivational tapes of Richard Welhner make for a nice running gag, until it becomes overused. By the end of the movie, we're just glad when Reilly throws that away on the sidewalk. The last arc of the film is even weaker than the rest, with a botched resolution. It really could have been a new kind of Office Space but unfortunately, those throwing that comparison are absolutely mistaken and need some more perspective. There simply aren't any classic elements in The Promotion, while Office Space is a top 10 comedy of all time. Quite a difference between the two, really.

Perhaps a director working with Conrad would have helped keep a sense of direction. A recast of the main characters (or much better actor direction) was also needed. The movie is a decent way to kill time but doesn't offer anything beyond that.

Entertaining and relatable.

[kelbyedmonson · 7/10 · 8 January 2022]

There was just enough comedy to keep me watching.

Keep in mind that this is an older comedy, so if you are expecting someone to put their balls on someone's drum set, this movie is a bit tamer than that.

A slow, boring drama disguised as a comedy

[ido50 · 3/10 · 18 May 2009]

I went into The Promotion hoping for a nice comedy to pass the evening, seeing as, after all, it was Sean Williams Scott and this John Reilly fella. But don't let yourself be fooled, this is not even near a comedy.

The Promotion is a by-the-book drama film disguised as a comedy. The default story about a guy competing for his dream job with a probably more qualified, more experienced, more successfully rival. The story is so boring that even the actors themselves seem bored by it.

Not that it's that bad, it's watchable, but in the end, there's nothing to it. Don't expect any laughs, you probably won't find them here.

Underrated film with a crazy, stupid good cast.

[Bob_Dang_Dole · 10/10 · 20 June 2021]

Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly.. what's not to love??

First off, this is not a Mr. Woodcock nor is it a Step Brothers type of movie. I think this movie had/has trouble finding an audience... it's not the film that is the problem. When this movie came out people were still used to, how can I put this, "College Humor".... people wanted Bad Santa, Old School, Idiocracy, Road Trip, Waiting, The Nutty Professor II....yanno fart and dick jokes! This is not one of those movies.

Secondly, nowadays people have no attention span; young adults these days are used to movies with nonstop hooks... one-liners every few minutes... think Thor Ragnarok type banter (a movie which I love btw). Point being is, nowadays young adults want fantasy with nonstop one-liners; they don't want a movie about real life. And that's what this movie showcases... real life... Some people complained this movie has too much swearing, that happens in real life!

Furthermore, this movie isn't PC at some points, but it's not overtly anti-PC. However, it's banned from Amazon so that should tell you something. They probably banned it simply for the "Black Apples" scene. That scene wasn't meant to be funny nor racist... it was showing the viewer how naive John C. Reilly's character is; it wanted to show the viewer that he is just a simple, naive Canadian man but certainly not a racist.

The world that this movie portrays is pre-2000's... I'd say a good estimate of the setting of this movie would be 1996-1998, so most young adults won't like this movie nor relate to this movie. Even though we live in a "woke" society, most young people are completely consumed by their own ego and apathy towards their fellow person.... so they don't understand why the two principle actors have empathy for each other... they simply can NOT understand empathy. The inability to understand empathy bothers them to their core/root, so they don't like the movie.

Lastly, even though this movie isn't PC, doesn't have one-liners nor does it have slapstick comedy... it's a funny, dark-somewhat-dry comedy, movie with a TON of heart that showcases the struggles of two men who are simply trying to put food on the table for their families.

Not entirely successful, but likable

[zetes · 7/10 · 19 July 2010]

Fairly sloppy indie comedy about two guys, Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly, vying for a promotion to head manager at a soon-to-open branch of the grocery store at which they work. One might expect it to be about the over-the-top pranks the two play on each other, but this film chooses to play it much more realistically. Each mostly just hopes the other will fail and perhaps does subtler things to cause the other to trip. Some people have found that boring, but I think it was the right choice. The comedy is quirky, and it frequently, I must admit, flops. But when it works sometimes it does so brilliantly, and the film certainly has its great moments (Scott's discovery of the ancientness of a Hilights-like magazine he finds at the doctor's office, for example, or the brief flashback to Reilly's improbable biker gang days). Perhaps the aspect that makes the film succeed most is its affection for its characters. The two competitors are both nice guys at heart, and both have believable reasons for needing this promotion. Far from being a great film, but it's worth a viewing.

Worst movie I've ever seen Sean William Scott in!!!

[nicolii_nolan · 1/10 · 28 May 2012]

I can't believe this movie is under comedy, at no point through this movie did I laugh. It was dull, boring and soooo dragged out. My husband wanted us to turn it off half an hour into the movie but I said no thinking it would pick up, so I waited and I waited and then I waited some more...nothing happened, this movie is a drama and not a good one. I love movies with Sean in them but I have to give this a big big thumb's down. I think the people who have given this a good review most have been either watching the wrong movie or high when watching it. Don't wait 90 mins of your life! You have been warned .................................................................

A little bit unpredictable, a little bit warm (and dark) at the same time

[angelsfang · 23 September 2008]

After watching Mr.Woodcock and Southland Tales, I was really looking forward to Seann William Scott's next production "The Promotion". As I have said before in a previous review, I always felt Seann had the ability to become the next Ben Stiller, and in The Promotion he again shows that Stiller had quite an influence in his delivery style. But The Promotion is not all about slapstick humor, although it had some very good moments. I'm glad that they didn't overdo the toilet humor. The Promotion has a really good message that some people might find cheesy, but I thought it was delivered very well.

John C. Reilly gives a good performance although his character was a bit unpredictable, at first I sort of expected an intense but wacky rivalry like one of Vince Vaughn's treacherous characters, but John played a goofball with some serious cultural clashes. Jenna Fischer was a welcome surprise, I didn't know she was in it and I'm a big fan of her from the US version of The Office. Jenna is a very underrated actress with a natural beauty, a girl next door type of demeanor, and a very pleasant personality. She did well in her part although it was a very typical role. The other characters fit in well, with notable exceptions to the store manager and the executive guy, Mitch, who was very suave and professional throughout the movie.

7/10, it's a good viewing for those who like to laugh, settle down, perceive some rather dramatic or emotional parts, then laugh again.

a tale about rivals where no one's a villain

[Buddy-51 · 7/10 · 5 February 2011]

A lot of familiar faces keep popping up in the course of "The Promotion," a charming indie comedy set in the outskirts of Chicago.

The ever-endearing Seann William Scott (Stifler from the "American Pie" series) plays Doug Stauber, an assistant manager at a grocery store who's having trouble controlling not only his own subordinates but the obnoxious gang members who seem to have taken up residence in the parking lot and spend their time harassing the shoppers. When Doug learns that a new franchise is opening soon in the area, he's assured by his current boss that he's a "shoo-in" for the position of manager there - until, that is, Richard Wehlner, a native of Canada, moves to town and becomes Doug's key rival for the spot.

Given the premise, "The Promotion" could easily have devolved into one of those broad, lowest-common-denominator farces, filled with obvious sight-gags and over-the-top slapstick. Instead, thanks to a restrained script and subtle direction by Steven Conrad, the movie becomes a genial and gently amusing tale of two equally likable people who are just trying to move ahead a little in the tightly circumscribed world in which they live. Doug and Richard aren't asking for fame and fortune, just a little recognition that they're doing a good job with the resources that have been handed to them. That they are forced to tear one another down in order to achieve that recognition is what gives the movie its poignancy and soul. The movie, thus, becomes that rare tale about competition and rivalry where no one is a villain.

In addition to the wonderful lead actors, the cast includes Fred Armisen ("SNL"), Jenna Fischer ("The Office"), Lili Taylor ("Six Feet Under") and Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development").

Give this one a chance; it will grow on you.

Nice, Charming, Satisfying Drama

[ahmadgebdu · 7/10 · 3 February 2013]

I was reluctant to watch the movie for such a poor rating, and halfway through I really felt, the movie is kinda boring, but after you finish watching it and think about it, you may remember the movie "the pursuit of happiness". Here the setup is kinda tricky, two person need a job, and they are in dilemma to be in rivalry or be friendly. This movie tried to be humorous, but I guess that is where the movie failed badly. When the serious portion of the movie comes, you gonna start to feel for the characters. American Pie famous Seann William Scott really acted well in tough situations, John C. Reily, Jenna Fischer really give us few charming moments. The main beauty of the movie is simplicity, characters feel like real humans. They didn't overdo anything to make people laugh, its just everyday life with nice touch of absurd or funny moments.

I really liked the movie. But I wish it was better.

Not bad at all

[dzlz105 · 6/10 · 18 November 2009]

I stumbled on this movie on cable and watched most of it. This is not a side-splitting comedy; you smile at the situations because they are so close to the truth. I've worked at less-than-professional jobs, where people were asked to report on one another, to wear paper hats & blow noisemakers at team-building events, to repeat slogans, and the like. Not too many movies focus on everyday work life -- the titans in the banking industry, with their huge bonuses, should watch this to see how the other 98 percent of us live. The two main characters are portrayed sympathetically. I was surprised at how Reilly was able to depart from his usual pie-in-the-face acting style. I'm not familiar with Scott's acting, but I liked his open-faced sincerity in this movie. Cute bit in the last scene as he's dashing down the street. Did he do his own stunts? My opinion: This is not a superb movie, but it's much better than most TV shows.

Did anyone read the script before making the movie?

[jhusk13 · 1/10 · 17 April 2009]

This movie was absolutely awful...I can't even think of an articulate way to describe this movie; which could detract credibility from my remarks. This movie isn't worthy of a thoughtful summary. It's a pile of trash. Apologies to those who find that judgement too harsh, you're wrong, there is no silver lining in this black cloud.

Here's why:

After viewing "Mr. Woodcock," it became abundantly clear to me that Seann William Scott will doesn't read scripts, he just accepts the work. He's not steve stiffler anymore, as bad as he want to be. To appeal to a greater demographic (than that of American pie) he seriously needs to find roles where he actually does some acting. His character in this movie is terribly frustrating to watch. The dialog he has with everyone else in the movie feels awkward and forced at best.

Mr. John C Reiley has made a name for himself through such drama filled gems as "walk hard" and "talladega knights." It's good to see The Promotion allow him to evolve and branch out into such a complex character. A marijuana addicted French Canadian with a daughter and a Scottish wife....ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? What a horrible character. That whole scene about "cracking the cheese" just about caused me to throw a large stone through my beautiful, large television. I like stupid movies, Harold and Kumar (both of them) are two of my favorite movies of all time. I can appreciate a good stoner character. God forbid the actors/actresses in this movie make the slightest effort to provide any humanistic qualities or emotions in their roles, and actually make you identify and relate to them.

acting was god-awful, writing was even worse, there is no cinematography to speak of, etc.

P.S. Lili Taylor (she's amazing in 'six feet under') with an F-ING Scottish ACCENT?!?!?!? WHY!?!?! Just employ a freaking Scottish actress!!

Why oh Why do production companies greenlight projects like these? The story is nothing but childish feuding, and would best be served as a failed pilot for a NBC sitcom...

A Good 'Win/Lose' Film.

[Len9876 · 6/10 · 27 August 2008]

This film depicts two assistant-managers, at one of the branches of a supermarket chain, applying for the position of manager. One is an American. One is Canadian. They struggle for a promotion to step- up the corporate ladder.

Competition for corporate promotions, and this is particularly true with chains or franchises, causes anxiety and tension by pitting competing employees against one another. Corporate politics, between front-line and mid-managers, often results in unfair and unnecessary control and manipulation by management. This does not promote good relations, between competing employees, and may result in anger and frustration.

In this film, the director and writer (Steve Conrad) and the writer stereotype the actors playing characters who are considered to be insiders or outsiders (this is clearly seen in characterizations by Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly). One is portrayed as the included "shoe-in". One is depicted as the excluded 'fall-guy'. Other actors are stereotyped as 'being gay', or 'being Hispanic', and so on. Are all Americans and Canadians alike? Are all gays, all Hispanics, and all etceteras alike? Stereotypical generalizations, so prevalent in the media (including films), is disturbing. John C. Reilly may become unnecessarily stereotyped, as an actor, by being portrayed as the 'fall-guy' (stereotypically portraying an 'addict', a 'retard', a 'weirdo', and etcetera). Why is an 'outsider' forced into exclusion, and considered to be inferior? Why is an 'insider' forced into inclusion, and considered to be superior?

In this film, a competing employee from Canada is treated as a scapegoat, by a competing American employee, as well as his American corporate managers and subordinates? The Canadian employee is excluded and shabbily treated--and is depicted as being 'different' (diverse) and 'weird' (unusual). Diversity and the unusual are not well managed in corporate America and in American society. Why is any individual, or group, forced into being the scapegoat?

This film, in fact, reinforces exclusion and scapegoating as being a natural course of life. Such things are not a natural course of life as they result in discrimination, inequality, prejudice, and unfairness.

I rank this film a 6 out of 10, as it opens the door for discussion about exclusion and scapegoating. It is very unfortunate that the film does not go far enough in the exploration of exclusion's and scapegoating's harmful and negative results. Why must there always be a loser and a winner? Why does the loser never win? Why do we always cheer the winner, and seldom cheer the loser?

An enchanting tale

[Oxycute2001 · 8/10 · 28 August 2008]

Some comedies make you laugh out loud, but this one makes you smile inside.

A languid tale of competition and two guys just trying to get bye in the world, both afraid of failure and willing to hurt the other to make it but each wrapped up in tragedy and common decency.

It will come as a surprise to many that Seann William Scott can actually act and he has real if understated presence in this.

John C Reilly is his usual excellent self but it is the tale that is the real star.

It is easy to make a comedy based on physical slapstick or outrageous language and acts. This one relies on a script and rhythmn and a gentleness of heart.

Without ever threatening to split one's sides, it is a nice film and well worth a watch.

One-dimensional space and character

[caspian1978 · 6/10 · 16 July 2022]

In physics and mathematics, a sequence of n numbers can specify a location in n-dimensional space. When n = 1, the set of all such locations is called a one-dimensional space. As for this movie, it too is one-dimensional when it comes to its characters. It is not a good sign when your subplots are more interesting than the main focus. Although Seann William Scott is a good actor, he is in the shadow of John C. Reilly's character and story. Like John C. Reilly character, the movie wastes its entire supporting cast. Fred Armisen. Jenna Fischer and. Bobby Cannavale have great characters that go nowhere. Exploited background characters at best, each had potential in expanding their storyline but falls short. The story has great merit but fails very short near anything great. The potential of the plot could have focused more on the American job market, the financial realities of an economy, issues of diversity and race in the workforce and rivalry in the sexes in the job market could all have been showcased, but falls second to a weak plot that is empty and leaves its audience unfulfilled with any moral conclusion or resolution outside of a weak dark comedy that is neither dramatic or funny.

If you like waiting for a payoff that never comes, this is your movie!

[Wildislander · 3/10 · 15 November 2008]

This film had potential, but it never went anywhere. The pacing of the film was terrible - everything was so slow. The dialogue: it seemed like every character had to clear his throat before uttering a syllable. It's fine to draw out the suspense in a dialogue by slowing it down as long as there's a payoff for the audience. In this film, there was never a payoff for anything. The plot was slow too: the writers of this script forget to include anything resembling rising action, let alone a climax. About halfway through watching, I started fast forwarding to see if anything of any interest was going to happen. Nothing ever did. The jokes were crude, and really not very funny. To me this movie was a lot like Nacho Libre. Both were films that tried to recreate a sort of "Napoleon Dynamite" charm but utterly failed. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that I didn't care about the characters much. The best scene in the movie takes place when the two rival characters have a heart to heart chat while smoking a joint. It seems like perhaps they're going to team up to face the odds, or some sort of change is going to occur after the conversation. Unfortunately, nothing changes. This movie was terrible. If you like being frustrated be my guest. Otherwise steer clear of this one.

Another probably otherwise pointless genre teaser

[Chris Knipp · 7/10 · 17 June 2008]

Another probably otherwise pointless genre teaser In writer Conrad's directorial debut, Doug (Seann William Scott) assistant manager at a chain store called Donaldson's, must make it to manager at the new branch soon opening up so his wife can continue her medical training and they can make a down payment on a modest house. He is a "shoe-in," till Richard (John C. Reilly) arrives from the store's sister chain in Canada and puts in for the same job. Competition mainly seems to consist of not making a horrible mistake--something neither Doug nor Richard can quite manage--and trying to reduce the number of complaints about the comfort and safety of the parking lot, which is menaced by young toughs. Stuff happens. And in the end somebody wins the job.

Is this a serious film with some comic moments (and overly pushed recurrent jokes), or a comedy that isn't very funny? Or is it an intelligent, "observant," subtly witty comedy that is going to get lost in a field of grossness dominated by drunken Vegas weddings and other "idiot farces," as the Village Voice argues? Yes, there is observation and some wit here, and a concern with making it while making sense of one's job, as one would expect from the man who wrote The Weather Man, and then The Pursuit of Happiness. But there are also the curve balls and shifts from kindness to cruelty that appeal a lot chiefly to people who like to puzzle over genre.

Like Me and You and Everyone You Know or Mike White's Year of the Dog, The Promotion hovers on the edge of bad-good taste in the manner of all those quirky and rarely successful anomalies that do well at Sundance and qualify for the label of Todd Solondz lite. Typically for such films, The Promotion has its own rather mysterious agendas. Conrad wants to make fun of low-rent motivational tapes; are they even worth making fun of? Isn't Richard's dependence on listening to them when under stress more pathetic than funny? What are we to make of the way minorities are treated in this film? Why is so much weight given to a bunch of obnoxious and boorish and menacing young men in the Donaldson's parking lot who are black? To lead up to Doug's improbably suave public apology to the local community--and Richard's (Reilly's) gaffe about "black apples"? What about the Hispanic employees who play a crude joke on Richard, exploiting his desire to learn Spanish? Here is where Conrad pushes the envelope, I suppose, a la Mike White.

But Richard is the problem. While Doug at worst is somewhat dorky or at least in a job where it's hard not to seem so, Richard is a genuine, pathetic loser, but one who's trying to make a go of it and has a loving (if sketchy) wife behind him. Yet he keeps messing up. And he's having a rough time. When Doug thinks Richard's conniving with a soft drink delivery person, the truth is he's consulting with his sponsor in recovery, trying to make it through a rough day. Conrad is willing to make a fall guy of a sincere fellow who's in 12-step recovery. Is that funny? This is where he most pushes the edge. But it's an edge that Mike White has consistently played with--only this time, it doesn't quite seem like Richard gets a fair shake. Conrad is cooler and maybe crueler than White.

This battle in a dinky big box store is watchable--it isn't as crazy-making or offensive as Chuck and Buck--but it has none of the drollery of the successful White-Arteta collaboration, The Good Girl, which has a similar unfashionable commercial setting but more going on (Chicago doesn't seem to have proved a very fertile milieu for Conrad this time). Maybe Conrad needs the kind of collaborator Mike White has had in Miguel Argeta, somebody to bounce your dumb-ass ideas off.

As it is, though this is not the feel-bad flick it might have become--but maybe feeling bad might have been good; it's a feeling, anyway. The Promotion has the limitation of its narrow range of characters. Richard and Doug are flat enough as it is; all the rest of the cast are one-liners or visuals. Under the circumstances, such "understated" comedy provides little opportunity for real comedic talent. The movie only adds to the type-casting of John C. Reilly as an increasingly uninteresting loser; at best it may give Seann William Scott hope, if he wants it, of taking on more serious roles; but has he the depth for them? Jennifer Anniston acquitted herself respectably in The Good Girl. But it was a ridiculous, if Mike White-like, decision to cast Lili Taylor here as a Scottish woman with strawberry hair.

It is true that in The Promotion as in other more authentically out-there Solondz lite efforts, there is a corollary appeal to some young audiences of humor that may not even know it's humor, or thinks it's funny when it's not, or may miss that it's in bad taste. But redeeming social value this has not. Good try, though, and the Village Voice is right: we need more comedies that try to be different.

A damning offspring of mainstream comedy and indie comedy tendencies

[StevePulaski · 6/10 · 17 March 2014]

The Promotion feels like the crossroads where mainstream comedy meets indie comedy and the result is a bit all over the place. Some of the jokes in The Promotion (IE: "black apples" and the foreigner who gets violent over a box of Teddy Grahams) seem geared more for mainstream comedy films, while the observations the film makes about male masculinity along with the nine-to-five hell of the workplace make the film a more low-key comedy with abrupt situational humor.

A strange hybrid this is, placing two talented actors at its core - the inherently likable Seann William Scott and the exuberant character actor John C. Reilly. Scott plays Doug Stauber, the assistant manager at Donaldson's, a supermarket chain based in Chicago. Day in and day out, Doug has to deal with poor and often abhorrent cards left in the parking lot dropbox for shoppers to state their shopping experience, a gang of loitering black teenagers in the parking lot, and just the drudgery of working for a little bit above minimum wage.

Doug feels this is about to change, as he presumes he's a dead lock for the manager position at a new Donaldson's, which is opening very soon. Yet, there's another man eyeing the position, as well, named Richard Wehlner (John C. Reilly), an unusually nice man who has just moved from Quebec with a squeaky-clean record that just may grant him the desired position. For now, though, he works alongside Doug as assistant manager at the current Donaldson's.

Just from that premise alone, I got anxious with The Promotion. I love films set in supermarkets, big-box stores, malls, or some other consumption-driven place. They often allow for humor more observant on human behavior to take place rather than your usual band of gags and can usually be levied by the thrills and unexpected happenings of a common setting. I was also hoping that The Promotion would rely quite a bit on humor driven by Donaldson's eclectic bunch of customers, similar to Kevin Smith's Clerks, a film I wouldn't hesitate to call one of my favorite comedy films.

The Promotion doesn't get too heavy with the blatant or observant comedy, however, and instead tries to provide a face and maybe some relatable instances to the dead-end job of a grocery store. The issue is that The Promotion doesn't have a real identity here. Sometimes it wants to be satirical (when it's showing Doug do all the jobs at the store), sometimes it desires to be observant (when Doug is reading the customer feedback cards), sometimes it wants to be flat-out hilarious and fish for laughs (returning to the "black apples" example along with the team-building activities the employees at Donaldson's take part in), and, at others, it wants to show the male mindset of wanting to advance and strive higher in the workplace (Doug's mentality throughout).

With all this on its mind, and a mere eighty-one minute runtime, The Promotion doesn't get a lot of this accomplished but shows us this is what it wants to do in the long run. What I can admire, however, is that everything it wants to do is fairly interesting and that the film itself finds ways to take dryer subjects and ideas and make them funny or at least watchable. The blatant comedy actually works more often than not, and the ideas it throws in about male masculinity and striving for the top position work, even if they're only given a surface explanation and depiction in the film.

Scott and Reilly also nicely and subtly personify the conflict between younger, more adaptable blood and older, more traditionalist blood. Doug is a younger soul who could easily adapt to the technological innovations of the workplace, as well as pressure coming from multiple different angles. We get the feeling Richard can, at times, but we feel he would do it in a rougher, more over-the-top way (given what we see when he tires to build a ship-in-a-bottle). Not to mention, Richard seems sloppier and more of a roly-poly than Doug, and to add to that, even in his Sunday best Richard still seems a bit unkempt. With this in mind, the film details this kind of present generation gap that is hardly detailed or spoken about in society.

The film has one core insight that I adore so much I may use it on a regular basis. The piece of wisdom comes from Richard who tells Doug, "we're all just here trying to get some food. Sometimes we bump into each other." This is a beautiful insight, almost as intriguing as Clerks' piece of insight about clerks ("just because they serve you doesn't mean they like you"). The quote basically sums up that we're all just looking for one simple goal and have one simple task, but sometimes we collide with someone who makes us a better person, gives us close companionship, or has absolutely no effect on us.

The Promotion, in short, is kind of a damning movie. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's dry. Sometimes it's observant, sometimes it's passive. Sometimes it wants to focus on its characters' masculinity, sometimes it just wants to have awkward silences. Very often it feels like a teenager who occasionally wants to be insightful and sometimes just wants to be lazy.

Starring: Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly. Directed by: Steven Conrad.

Argh, Not What The Previews Suggested

[Matt_Layden · 5/10 · 20 July 2009]

The Promotion is billed as a comedy about two guys who both compete for the same position...a promotion. I sat there watching this film, waiting to be entertained, waiting to laugh and waiting to see these characters battle for said promotion. This is a film that just goes through the motions and does not let the comedy roll with it. It's an unfunny, undecided film that lost it's focus from the script stage.

The two leads are Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly, both can be funny at times, here they mostly are not. Reilly, gets a few smirks, but here he feels so constrained and you can see it on his face. He wants to let go, but never gets the chance to. Scott plays the same character he's been playing as of late, a joe blow loser. The total opposite of what first made him famous. He plays the role straight, no laughs from him. He seems to be trying to leave the immature image of him at the door, it doesn't seem to be working because he is boring people to death.

The main problem with the film is that these two guys don't battle for said promotion. I think they try to trip the other one up once or twice, but that's it. This is a huge disappointment, since if they actually did do any of this, it might have made the film more interesting.

The film doesn't play up the environment either. You'd think it would too. It's set at a grocery store, like Employee of the Month. But, instead of focusing on funny situations at this place, it focuses more on the pathetic characters and their pathetic lives. Hmm, interesting take, only we don't give a rats ass about any of these people.

The film also has more swearing then I thought it would, it all seems out of place and out of tone with the rest of the film. Not a huge problem, but it just doesn't make it flow very well.

A Nutshell Review: The Promotion

[DICK STEEL · 6/10 · 6 September 2008]

One job, two candidates, you know the drill, especially when the offer is one that comes with a better job title, and with it, better renumeration, to move upwards in the corporate ladder, and to gain some foothold in keeping up with the Joneses.

The last time I watched a film primarily set in a supermarket was Cashback, and that became one of my favourite films of last year. Alas The Promotion, written and directed by Steve Conrad, had similar flair in telling the story of one man's struggle for economic betterment, but somehow lacked enough depth in material to what is essentially a tired formula. You know, the one-upmanship that two parties having a go at each other, pulling no punches in order to get ahead. Strangely enough, these acts of sabotage are few and far between, and didn't come off as either funny or essential, but more like that of desperation.

Seann William Scott can never seem to be able to break out from his jock role, though his Doug Stauber tried hard to carry the movie through by sharing with the audience his hopes and dreams, of being stuck in a dead end routine job with an incompetent boss. Opportunity arose from his employer's franchise opening another outlet, and therein lies his chance for promotion, better salary, and to move out of his current home next door to banjo-merry-makers so that he can make love to his wife Jen (Jenna Fischer) in peace.

With opportunity comes obstacle, and is personified by John C. Reilly's Richard Welhner from the supermarket's sister company in Canada, and he too is eying that job so that he can feed his family and provide them the nice to haves like various enrichment classes. He has help from a self-help audio book, and honestly, I think those books are a load of bull, and had already made first cut of your money through your purchase of it.

Anyway, the crux of the movie laid in the two of them second guessing each other's intention, but all the while when trying to sabotage one another, seem to have conscience prick them all the time, which led to half-hearted attempts without following through. In fact, they seem to pull off more stunts that backfire on themselves, rather than at the other person. It portrays that we are all sensible creatures, and we need not resort to low down and cheap tricks to derail another's rice bowl. That said though the story's very much in lala-land, because the real world out there, just isn't so kind, if at all.

Just about everything's predictable in the movie where it's about the length anyone would go to bring home the bacon. Nothing fancy in the movie, but it does have a certain honest though mundane feel about it.

gross Hollywood propaganda promoting (ANTI)social norms

[beregic · 1/10 · 30 August 2008]

this is one of those movies that disguises itself into a "liberal" form only to promote the opposite. a quiet general trend i notice more and more in Hollywood productions as of late(trying to identify with public beliefs only to prove them wrong, using the very same people that it claims it "defends";hard-core conservatism disguised as a "dove"). after watching this i feel completely deceived! to be more to the point, this is pro-corporate feature plain and simple, and the worst aspect here is that until the very end one is being kept guessing and hopping for some type of resolution that never comes... it is clear to me that Seann William Scott has been chosen to play his part here because his appeal towards the "American pie" franchise; those teenagers that are a bit older right now and find themselves in a corporate environment that "takes no prisoners". this movie simply wants to promote competition, as a fact of life, at ANY costs. i kid you not, there is NOTHING to be learned here at all, i can not believe i have wasted my time to watch such nonsense.

this is about the struggle and stress any American worker encounters at his/her work place; the competition that is promoted within any corporation for achieving "maximum best". what i find disturbing is that the viewer is encouraged to sympathize for both parties, only to be given proof that "beeing a man" is the absolute product of competition itself, that individualism is the way to go...

i found the jokes quiet lame overall, attempting to be pretentious at times. there are only 2 scenes/situations i found actually comic.the "sensible" parts have no witty to them( movies slows down just to make sure that the viewer "gets it"). besides that, there are quiet a FEW scenes with covert racism(, which makes me believe this whole plot has been developed in some L.A. mansion by a person(s) absolutely broken from the reality of how destructive such behavior(that is promoted here with subliminal messages) can be to any REGULAR citizen( you know the one that works for a living...). all black people are complete stereotypes(the worst ones), all Latin people always work the low end jobs(!?), Canadians are "wiered", and the list can go on...

for anyone thinking this is anything like "office space", i warn you; stay away. i can not believe i wasted 1.30hours watching a governmental social propaganda that promotes that EXTREME capitalism that is bankrupting the United States of America, at this very moment.