BuzzSugar

The Promotion: Kind of a Slacker

BuzzSugar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:00:57 PDT

Steven Conrad, the writer/director of The Promotion, could have gone in a couple of different directions with his film, which centers on two guys battling for a job at a Chicago chain grocery store. He could have traipsed through the well-worn but awfully funny territory of office humor, replete with annoying coworkers and pesky in-jokes. Or he could have gone a bit deeper, meditating on success and what it means to be good.

The main trouble with The Promotion is that Conrad's script doesn't commit to either direction. One minute the film is full of silly workplace antics (including a highly amusing tater tot battle). The next, it's fumbling toward a ham-fisted statement about addiction or manhood. In the end, the movie provokes neither riotous laughter nor profound revelations. Like middle managers everywhere, The Promotion just gets stuck.

Seann William Scott plays Doug Stauber, a grocery store worker who fears he may never climb above the dreaded assistant-manager rung of short-sleeved shirts and embroidered name patches. Outside the office, things are going well enough - cute wife (Jenna Fischer), hopes of buying a house - and so when a shining beacon arrives in the form of an all-new grocery store, Doug sees a chance at salvation. It could be his store to manage, all his; his boss, Scott (Fred Armisen), even goes so far as to proclaim him a shoo-in. That, though, is before Richard Wehlner comes to town. Richard (John C. Reilly) is a nice guy with a laid-back Canadian attitude and a sweetheart of a wife (Lili Taylor, who for some reason speaks with a Scottish accent). But Richard isn't about to roll over and let Doug have the job: Bolstered by self-help tapes, he goes about making the promotion his own. The Promotion creates a vivid picture of the workplace, but it doesn't do as well with its main characters. To see what I mean, just

The Promotion scores points for getting the minutae of workplace life right, from the minor slights that preoccupy Doug and Richard to the tinny, piped-in grocery store muzak. The bane of Doug's existence is the store parking lot, the gang of kids hanging out there, and the nasty notes that subsequently end up in the comment box; those cards (which bear messages like "I didn't put sexual harassment on my shopping list, but thanks") give the movie some of its sharpest moments. We all have the equivalent of that comment box in our work lives, and those scenes perfectly mix pleasure and pain.

The film suffers, though, from a few attempts at pushing the boundaries of political correctness. Well, it doesn't really push the envelope - it just gently nudges it, without enough conviction to justify going there at all. Some of the cringeworthy moments are amusing: Richard's "blapples" quip, in which he calls some bad kids "black apples" in a racially charged meeting, was funny in the trailer and is even better in context. But too many others are just squirmy - including Doug's glory moment, when he has the final chance to impress the grocery store's board. What he says is so uncomfortable that the audience at my screening let out a collective "ohhhh no."

There's also something off-putting about the movie's underlying message, which crops up late in the film: Both Doug and Richard believe that the only way to make it, to be worthwhile in society, is to provide for their wives. "I want to be the primary breadwinner," Doug flat-out says at one point. But why Doug feels this way is never really explored; instead, it's presented as fact: Men, to be successful, must earn. That's just how it goes. We learn slightly more about Richard, but it's still not enough - and given the movie's somewhat sarcastic tone, I kept waiting for something in his story to be a lie or a joke.

As a workplace movie, The Promotion is quite funny. But when it tries to go deeper, things don't quite add up. In the end, too many of the film's choices - like Lili Taylor's baffling Scots brogue - just left me saying "why?"

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Movie Preview: The Promotion

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:52 PDT

The Promotion stars some awesome names like John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer and Seann William Scott and it looks hilarious. Yet I never heard of it at all until Cinematical posted a glowing review of the film after the South by Southwest screening. Now there's a trailer and a release date for the comedy: June 6. And I seriously can't wait.

The movie follows Richard (Reilly) and Doug (Scott), two mid-level Chicago supermarket employees who engage in a battle of wits over a promotion. Fred Armisen is in it, Jenna Fischer wears roller skates at one point, and it looks like Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal's love!) gets some funny bits. The trailer - which made me laugh out loud - makes it look like the movie has that funny-awkward thing going, similar to the tone of The Office. To check it out,

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Link Time! 3/11

BuzzSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:31:47 PDT

Popwatch is thrilled to see that Square Pegs, starring a baby-faced Sarah Jessica Parker, is finally on DVD, and wants to know what TV shows you're dying to see released on DVD. My vote goes to Ally McBeal.
Cinematical has all sorts of South by Southwest film news and reviews, including a super great review of The Promotion, an indie comedy starring John C. Reilly and Sean William Scott.
Goldie Hawn and Matthew Broderick have popped up on TV Squad's list of actors who should consider small-screen gigs.
If you didn't watch The Bachelor's "where are they now" special, TV Filter tells us, um, where they are now.
Idolator is pumped for the Pitchfork Music Festival, which will feature Public Enemy, Vampire Weekend, M. Ward, and Animal Collective, among others.
With Fox seemingly rolling out a new show every night, The TV Addict delivers a make your own Fox show Mad Libs game.
Check out PetSugar's adorable slideshow of her top 10 movies that star animals, including Best in Show and The Truth About Cats and Dogs, among others.
Vulture has a shot-by-shot commentary on the final scenes of The Wire.

Kristen Stewart Rocks Short Shorts to Party With Robert Pattinson

Katie Henry — Sat, 26 May 2012 11:33:00 PDT

Kristen Stewart slipped out of her Reem Acra gown and into a Dolce & Gabbana t-shirt and sexy black shorts for Robert Pattinson's Cosmopolis Cannes Fim Festival afterparty. Earlier in the evening, Rob hit the red carpet solo at the film's formal premiere while Kristen stuck close to his best friend, and her On The Road costar, Tom Sturridge. The trip to France came right in the middle of Kristen's international Snow White and the Huntsman press tour. The film opens in theaters June 1 and Kristen's headed back to the States next week for a few more promotional stops. As for Rob, he's in the running for two of the hottest roles in Hollywood. New reports say Rob's considering the part of Finnick Odair in Catching Fire, the follow up to The Hunger Games, and he's among the sexy guys competing to play Christian in Fifty Shades of Grey.

Watch Will Smith and Jimmy Fallon Make Old-Timey Music Magic

Maggie Pehanick — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:35:46 PDT

Will Smith stopped by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night to promote his new flick Men in Black 3 and ended up making some sweet, sweet music with the talk show host. Or, at least, their "great grandfathers" did. Turns out Smith and Fallon's relatives played together on a radio show and their tunes may have inspired some of Smith's hit songs, like "Parents Just Don't Understand." Though Smith remains adamant that he came up with the tunes on his own, the resemblance is remarkable . . .

Photo courtesy of NBC

Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman Stick Close From Coast to Coast

Lauren Turner — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:09:28 PDT

Anne Hathaway's fiancé, Adam Shulman, was right behind her as they arrived at LAX yesterday. The couple hopped on a flight to NYC after visiting with friends on the West Coast. Anne's on a break from filming Les Misérables in London, where she hit the set with costar Hugh Jackman in April. She took advantage of the downtime to escape to Miami earlier this month. Anne wore a black bikini for a dip in the ocean with her mom Kathleen during the getaway, which came just before Mother's Day.

Anne may still be sporting cropped hair for her character in Les Mis, but she'll soon be switching gears to another project. The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters in July and Anne will be traveling to promote the latest installment in the Batman franchise.

Robert Pattinson Rises Early For Cosmopolis in Cannes

Lauren Turner — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:08:24 PDT

Robert Pattinson drew a large crowd at the Cannes Film Festival in France this morning. He stepped out for a photocall to promote Cosmopolis after also talking up the project on Le Grand Journal yesterday. Rob will be back in front of the cameras for the premiere of the film later today, though he's already made his red-carpet debut at this year's festival. Rob supported girlfriend Kristen Stewart by showing up at the screening of her movie On the Road, which also stars his pal Tom Sturridge. The fun continued after the event when Rob and Kristen kissed on the balcony of Le Baron's Cannes outpost. Kristen is apparently still in the South of France, but we'll have to wait and see if she makes another red-carpet appearance with Rob this afternoon.

Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen Couple Up For Their Movie in Cannes

Lauren Turner — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:55:35 PDT

Nicole Kidman chose a black-and-white checkered dress for her latest Cannes Film Festival look. She stepped out this morning for a photocall with Hemingway & Gellhorn costar Clive Owen after also promoting The Paperboy. Nicole, Zac Efron, and Matthew McConaughey made multiple stops for their project, including the red-carpet premiere and an appearance on Le Grand Journal. Nicole will be back in the spotlight later today when Hemingway & Gellhorn screens at the Grand Palais. Matthew will also return to the festival's famous carpet for Mud, which also stars Reese Witherspoon. Reese arrived in the South of France with her husband, Jim Toth, just yesterday and we can't wait to see the glamorous looks she chooses for her many events. Nicole, Reese, Zac, and Matthew may all be friendly at the festival, but they're in direct competition for the top spot in the PopSugar 100. Make sure to play the PopSugar 100 faceoff game for the chance to win $2,500 in cash!

Cute Candids Celebrities Shared This Week

Brittney Stephens — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:43:06 PDT

It was a big week on social media, with celebrities hanging out on set, on the beach, and at the Cannes Film Festival! Bar Refaeli gained workout inspiration from a shirtless Brad Pitt, while Rihanna had a little trouble getting out of bed the morning after the Billboard Music Awards. Heidi Klum got a lift from a few majorly buff men, and Chris Rock chilled on a balcony between promotional duties in Cannes.

Click through now to see the week's cutest celebrity candids, and don't forget to follow PopSugar on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Insanity's Shaun T's Last-Minute Diet and Exercise Tips

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:34:46 PDT

Shaun T, the personal trainer who's motivated millions with his at-home workouts, knows how to get people in shape in a short amount of time. After all, his Insanity workout program promises incredible results in just 60 days of sweating and jumping in front of your TV.

With Summer a mere few weeks away, we spoke with Shaun about how to get in shape for anything - whether it's a beach holiday, wedding, or event - when you've only got a little time. Find out his recommendations below!

Watch your drink calories: "Don't drink your calories. That's the number one rule of thumb: not to drink your calories. It will eliminate so many calories in your body. Everybody knows that sugar that's not burnt off eventually turns into fat," says Shaun, who's also holding live workouts nationwide to promote his partnership with Powerade Zero. Shaun recommends portion control and cutting the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet in half, but "still ensure you have enough energy during the day," he says.

Kick it up a notch: "If you're a person who works out at the gym, try to take [fewer] breaks," Shaun recommends. "If you're a weight lifter, while you're not doing weights, try to do some different cardio exercise in between to try to ramp up the calorie burn."

Keep reading for more of Shaun T's last-minute diet and exercise advice!