I turned on one of the movie channels just in time to catch most of the film In Good Company starring Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow (2004)), Topher Grace (That 70’s Show), Marg Helgenberger (C.S.I.) and Scarlett Johansson (The Island (2005)). With a cast like that, it would seem like it’d be something worth seeing, right? Wrong.

Don’t get me wrong - Dennis Quaid does a good job as usual, and Topher Grace manages to contribute a rather decent performance, as does Scarlett Johansson and (when she’s seen) Marg Helgenberger, so the trouble with the film isn’t the acting. It’s the rest of the film that seems rather pointless.

If you don’t already know, In Good Company is all about how Dennis Quaid gets a new boss - the much younger Topher Grace…and Topher takes an interest in Quaid’s daughter Scarlett Johansson. Supposedly, hilarity ensues. Unfortunately, in actuality, it doesn’t.

This movie doesn’t go anywhere. As Quaid basically kowtows to monetary pressures to stay in his now incredibly demeaning job working for a kid half his age, his new boss Topher deals with his loneliness at the top. Of course, Topher tries to buddy up to Quaid almost from the get-go, and Quaid can’t stand him much at all.

Then, after inviting himself over to Quaid’s house, Topher (who is going through a divorce) falls immediately for Quaid’s daughter Johansson (whose manly voice and rather ugly looks in this film make that seem highly questionable). As it happens, Johansson is about to go to NYU. On her own now, Johansson runs into Topher again, and they immediately go straight to bed (can you feel the love?).

And from there, you know Quaid’s going to eventually find out. Can he keep his cool or will he finally get enough of his degradement and stand up for his family?

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The way it is, a film like In Good Company is just a complete waste of time, no matter how decent the acting is.

 

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