The Company Men

In my interview with John Wells, the producer of The Company Men, he gave some savvy advice for those who are experiencing unemployment:

I can tell you what I've heard from people over and over again who have been through it. The first thing was to accept the help of everyone around you and turn to your family, your friends, the community that you have, and use that as a way to gather your friends. Everybody who goes through it is shocked when it first happens, and those are the people who will pull you through. It's a good place to find out how much more love, care, family, and community that you have in your life than you think you have.

And then second is to be realistic about the length of time it's going to take and the humility it's going to take to search for another job in this market. Maybe you'll have to look at the value of your home and realize that it doesn't matter how much you've got in it or how much you were making before, it's what the market is in now. Just try and get working no matter what you're doing now, take on something that keeps you busy, talk to friends, stay involved, and don't just sit and wait in hopes of securing what you had before, you may eventually secure what you had before, but it probably won't be right out at the gate.

Have a laid off story you want to share? Join our Laid Off Ladies group or vent anonymously in Savvy Confessions — see you there!

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There's a reason why so many people can relate to our series of postings by an anonymous job hunter: with nine percent of America unemployed, it is real life. Producer John Wells brought this harsh reality to the big screen with The Company Men, and it shows how being laid off brings out the best and worst in people. It's the raw emotions — the crushing shame, stubborn denial, and humbled beginnings — which will strike a chord with you. The movie opens this Friday, so grab your popcorn and watch your life unfold.

SavvySugar: How will this film resonate with America?

John Wells: The perfect example of that is, as we tested the film, and the first question we have (in front of about 300 people), will be, "Who here has been affected by this personally or had it happen to someone in their immediate family or maybe a close personal friend?," and every single hand will go up every time. It is a situation that a lot of people are going through, and the film is trying to give some hope to and at the same time dramatize the tremendous pressures that families and individuals are having to go through and dignify that experience.

Many people feel that it's a very singular experience. Even though a lot of people go through it, there's a lot of shame and sense of being alone, and the film is trying to say that no this is something a lot of people have to go through, and when you take a look at it, you'll see your own life shown, honored, and respected.

To find out about how corporate America is changing and how that affects you, read more.

Ben Affleck didn't have Jennifer Garner by his side at the NY premiere of The Company Men Wednesday night, but she wasn't far from his mind. Check it out on PopSugar Rush!

Ben Affleck stopped to sign a few autographs and pose on the red carpet at a screening of his new movie, The Company Men in NYC last night. The film's official theatrical release was moved to late January, but his promotional appearances were already set into motion for the scheduled date of Dec. 10. Ben took off from LA last Friday, leaving Jennifer to watch over Violet and Seraphina and their adorable afternoon meeting animals and playing at the market. Ben's name is starting to come up in award season talk for his turn as a director for The Town, but first up he's big in our Best of 2010 coverage. Ben is up for sexiest male star and best beard, while his Handsome Men Club appearance made our top TV moments.

To see more photos of Ben at the NYC premiere, just read more

Ben Affleck switched gears from promoting The Town to suit up in LA yesterday and do reshoots for The Company Men, which is scheduled to hit theaters on Oct. 22. Ben's second directorial effort, meanwhile, is going into its second weekend at the domestic box office after doing great business initially. The movie has done so well that it's already even attracting Oscar buzz. Ben can share the good news with his wife, Jennifer, and their girls, Seraphina and Violet, who all stayed home in California tending to dance lessons and shopping at the farmers market while Ben was off in Europe.

The movies from this year's Sundance Film Festival are slowly rolling out into wide release, and Ben Affleck's The Company Men is on its way as well. The aptly-timed drama follows the three corporate businessmen (Affleck, Chris Cooper, and Tommy Lee Jones) as their lives are affected by the recession and downsizing at their firm. The trailer is all about Affleck: we see that he gets fired, struggles to find work, cries to his wife, takes a job as a carpenter.

I know it seems like the whole film is being given away here, but there's definitely a lot more going on than what we see in the preview. I really liked the film when I saw it at the festival, though much like the trailer, it tries a little too hard. Still, it's a film that we can all relate to, so check out the preview when you read more