The Company Men

Name: The Company Men
Genre: Drama
Released: January 21, 2011
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 69
Cast: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones

2011

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Generally favorable reviews based on 34 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 89 Ratings

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6.5	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 89 Ratings

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The Company Men

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Movie Details & Credits

Weinstein Company, The | Release Date: January 21, 2011 | R

Starring: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones

Summary: Bobby Walker is living the American dream: great job, beautiful family, shiny Porsche in the garage. When corporate downsizing leaves him and co-workers Phil Woodward and Gene McClary jobless, the three men are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers. Bobby soon finds himself enduring enthusiastic life coaching, a jobBobby Walker is living the American dream: great job, beautiful family, shiny Porsche in the garage. When corporate downsizing leaves him and co-workers Phil Woodward and Gene McClary jobless, the three men are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers. Bobby soon finds himself enduring enthusiastic life coaching, a job building houses for his brother-in-law which does not play to his executive skill set, and perhaps the realization that there is more to life than chasing the bigger, better deal. (Weinstein Company)… Expand

Director: John Wells

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 109 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Owen Gleiberman

Dec 6, 2010

Kevin Costner, as Bobby's carpenter brother-in-law, does the finest character acting of his career. Read full review

Rex Reed

Dec 7, 2010

Enhanced by superb writing and direction and nuanced performances by an ensemble of great actors, and enough take-home food for thought to keep the mind and senses totally focused from start to finish, The Company Men is pretty damn close to as good as it gets in a disappointing year at the movies. Read full review

Richard Corliss

Dec 13, 2010

John Wells's The Company Men is a juicy, judicious drama, and one of the few current movies to address an issue that affects many of the people who will see it - or, because reality is too depressing, avoid it. Read full review

Andrew O'Hehir

Jan 20, 2011

A lot of this is compelling, after its didactic and heavily thematic fashion, but if you strip most of it away, along with Roger Deakins' handsome cinematography, you're left with the conflict between Jack and Bobby and something like "Shop Class as Soulcraft: The Movie." Read full review

Bob Mondello

Dec 10, 2010

When it comes to the emotional state of those being laid off, of their families and even of those doing the laying off, it gets things right enough to make audiences squirm. Read full review

Empire James White

Mar 7, 2011

Wells knows how to extract the goods from a great cast, but it's in service of a somewhat mundane story. Still, it'll make you think about the imbalance in the business world, even if the arguments and consequences are nothing all that revolutionary. Read full review

Kimberley Jones

Feb 3, 2011

There's nothing that feels like real rage, nothing that even remotely approximates the spiritual decimation of a termination. Read full review

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User Reviews

drahcir

Feb 10, 2011

Not a perfect movie, but so basically intelligent in its treatment of the subject, and the characters, that it is one of the best films I have seen in years. The editing, pacing, is crisp, economical, never loses focus. The decision to deal with 3 major characters means that there is someNot a perfect movie, but so basically intelligent in its treatment of the subject, and the characters, that it is one of the best films I have seen in years. The editing, pacing, is crisp, economical, never loses focus. The decision to deal with 3 major characters means that there is some thin-ness in treating the family situations of the principals. I'd have preferred knowing more about how the Chris Cooper character's family responds to following the romance of T L Jones's character. But all 3 are needed to cover the corporate relationships that are incisively explored in the film. 10 for me -- beats Black Swan hands down.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

JamesL

Jan 22, 2011

This was a good film that captured the reality of America today. Strong performances all around drive this film. I wish there had been more about the affair but again it was a great start to 2011.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

eliteco3

Feb 22, 2013

Affleck does a compelling job of playing a career businessman cast off to fend for his family and himself. Costner fills in and does a nice job in a supporting role. The development of the story is precise and hits on many levels.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

asthobaskoro

Apr 1, 2011

Inspiring and 'provoking', teach us there's a price when we are losing job. Never greedy and always grateful is the option. Great premise deserves great execution, but I don't see it in this movie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FDT44

Jul 6, 2011

Not nearly as entertaining as delicate its treatment of the subject is handled, "The Company Men" hits home hard at a time when many are learning to walk the waters of business again. Strong performances (Jones, Cooper, and Affleck) are discreetly selected, spanning a variety of ages,Not nearly as entertaining as delicate its treatment of the subject is handled, "The Company Men" hits home hard at a time when many are learning to walk the waters of business again. Strong performances (Jones, Cooper, and Affleck) are discreetly selected, spanning a variety of ages, hangups and incomes---taking more and more people closer to our troubling economic times. Its somber and elegiac tone may be too real for some to experience on screen, but a streak of optimism for the future hangs in the balances, or imbalances [of big business]. Verdict: "The Company Men" is a business-oriented film that is teemingly technical with jargon, weak in pulse, and palpably true.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

txrangersfan72

Jan 8, 2012

The Company Men represents, but nearly insults, the white collar Americans caught up in the recent economy. While it accurately shows the reality of people who over-extend themselves and have been quickly impacted negatively by layoffs and a down economy, it doesn't spend any time onThe Company Men represents, but nearly insults, the white collar Americans caught up in the recent economy. While it accurately shows the reality of people who over-extend themselves and have been quickly impacted negatively by layoffs and a down economy, it doesn't spend any time on pointing out the blame on the individual level, instead choosing to blame the business completely. Not to say the companies aren't very much to blame for how this economy was handled, being deep in corporate America in similar positions as those represented in the movie, I was not touched the way the movie clearly tried to touch the hearts of its viewers. It's hard to feel sympathy for someone making $120-160K a year who suddenly gets laid off, but then cannot handle that downturn more than 3 months. Even though, in life, I am strongly critical of the stock market-based importance of growth and efficiency as to the life and health of a company, since the ability to handle downturns in demand and proof of diversity and breadth, I believe, are more important, I was turned off by how the film spent too much time implying that it was ok to develop these lives, but provide no security to live through down times. No, the companies succumbing to stock market and shareholder demands and repeatedly putting band aids on on problems that were keeping the stock price down were the REAL problems. Yes, it does a good job showing how the characters suffer through their loss, and that realism was very well portrayed, but the intent of the filmmakers was to make you feel sorry for those who put themselves (and their families) in an unprotected state, but vilified the big bad businesses, even though their decisions for dealing with such economic times were equally as bad. As good as the cast is, I feel "Hollywooded" when I see movies like The Company Men. This movie was someone's agenda, and that never sits right with me.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Charles_Peterso

Jul 3, 2012

Psychopath boss grows conscious? Is this a joke? why can't these people (film employee's) deal with the reality that powerful and rich people are (most of the time) savages? Oh i forgot that it would reflect badly on them(sarcasm).

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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