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Promotion, The
EMAILPRINTDimension Films (The Weinstein Company)

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 4 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by: Steve Conrad
Directed by: Steve Conrad
Release Date:
Theatrical: June 6, 2008
DVD: September 2, 2008
Running Time: 85 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: R for language including sexual references, and some drug use
Starring John C. Reilly, Seann William Scott, Jenna Fischer, Lili Taylor, Fred Armisen, Gil Bellows, Bobby Cannavale, and Rick Gonzalez
The Promotion is the story of two mid-level Chicago supermarket employees – Doug and Richard, a dubious new guy from Canada - who compete ruthlessly for a coveted managerial post at a new store location. Doug and Richard could not be more different, but going head-to-head in a contest of wits and will reveals how they have more in common than they once suspected. The duo battle toward a hilarious final showdown that will leave you guessing until the very end. (The Weinstein Company)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
ReelViews James Berardinelli
There are enough laughs to justify it being labeled as a comedy but a stronger storyline than one normally associates with this kind of film. It's an enjoyable diversion amidst the big guns of summer.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
It's totally down-to-earth, as real as a trip to the supermarket.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
The film's refusal to take its characters anything less than seriously makes it cut deeper than a Will Ferrell lampoon.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Scott Foundas
As to whether a smart comedy about work and family can itself succeed in a marketplace overrun by idiot farces about reluctant bridesmaids (male and female), shotgun Vegas weddings, and finding or losing Mr./Ms. Right . . . this remains to be seen.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell
Conrad seems to have used whatever clout he got from "The Pursuit of Happyness" to fund something personal and sincere -- a story that's ultimately about victories of character and suppressing your worst impulses.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin
It's a sweet, human movie, if not an entirely successful one.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
Then there's screenwriter Steve Conrad. He's interesting. He likes his protagonists to suffer a little en route to finding a better place, and not in the usual sitcomic ways.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
As this sweet, ineffectual comedy follows two sad sacks competing for the job of manager at a new branch of a Chicago grocery chain, it pointedly avoids the raucous bad-boy clowning of the typical Everyguy farce. Think of it as a polite, tightly muzzled "Clerks."
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
There's still a lot to like here, but ultimately the movie reflects its hapless hero a little too well. While we're constantly rooting for it to succeed, the finish line seems forever out of reach.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
The Promotion edges toward some pretty bleak stuff. Then it steps back and laughs, like an office slacker.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White
At its best, The Promotion offers a sympathetic view of ordinary people caught on the hamster wheel of corporate politics.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub
Isn't quite as boring as it sounds, thanks to writer/director Steve Conrad's strong script and decent performances by John C. Reilly and Seann William Scott.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
It's one of those off-balance movies that seems searching for the right tone.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
Chicago native Steve Conrad, who scripted "The Weather Man" and "The Pursuit of Happyness," makes his feature directing debut with this low-budget comedy, which isn't as broad as its premise might suggest.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
Blends into so much white noise, until all that's left is the lingering sense that the tragic and promising story of Doug and Richard won't be sticking with you past the closing credits.
Read Full Review >Washington Post John Anderson
You have to wonder whether writer and director Steve Conrad, who wrote the films "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway," "The Weather Man" and "The Pursuit of Happyness," had something more hefty in mind before Harvey and Bob Weinstein came aboard and marketed his movie as a laugh riot. Regardless, it's not the stuff of lighthearted summer comedy.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
One of the unfunniest comedies ever. Punch lines are lifeless. Characters are borderline catatonic. Running gags can't even walk.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Ryan M gave it a10:
This movie was surprisingly very enjoyable. The two main characters are so serious and driven about the promotion, but the joke is that it's a battle over a grocery position. Very well done, lots of clever subtlety. Makes me thankful I don't work in a grocery store.
Gerard Z gave it a3:
Weak plot and moves very slow.. John Riley is a tremendous talent worthy of much better material.
Jay H gave it a6:
Very well written with solid performances from Seann William Scott and John C. Reilly. It is slow moving at times, but it is entertaining. Likable.
Miranda N gave it an8:
It cracked me up. Maybe I've just been in the corporate world for too long, but this movie was very funny. Some of the acting was a little stiff at first, but if you just sit back and enjoy it you'll get a lot of laughs.
