Career Opportunities

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Career Opportunities

PG-13

1991

1h 24m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

37%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

38%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When night-shift custodian Jim (Frank Whaley) is accidentally locked up alone in the store he cleans, he realizes he has access to the entire building and decides to indulge in the abundance of free food and merchandise at his fingertips. Surprisingly, he bumps into local rich girl Josie (Jennifer Connelly), who is also imprisoned in the store for the night, and they quickly bond. But, just as romantic sparks fly, Josie and Jim are interrupted by two small-time robbers.

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Variety Staff

Variety

[The film] has plenty of absorbing characters, smart, snappy dialog and delightful stretches of comic foolery.

Jan 8, 2008

Full Review

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Scenes like the one in which Jimmy's father eats fried chicken dipped in peanut butter should appeal to kids of all ages.

Rated: 3/5

May 20, 2003

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Hal Hinson

Washington Post

Jennifer Connelly is very easy to look at. Career Opportunities isn't.

Jan 1, 2000

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

It is rather sad to see such an iconic run of films end on such a comparatively weak note.

Rated: 5/10

Feb 23, 2025

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Career Opportunities improves considerably as it progresses...

Rated: 3/4

May 19, 2024

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

[Connelly] goes a long way toward making Career Opportunities watchable.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 27, 2021

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Melissa L

Cute early '90s John Hughes movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Totally underrated movie. More relatable connection between the costars than in most movies. Also it is true that you don't need to be the most handsome guy ever to catch the attention of someone special - just treat them with respect, be open about your thoughts and feelings and don't tone down the quirky side of yourself

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

Full Review

Horror fan 4

A underrated classic directed by John Hughes. Connelly is absolutely gorgeous and Whaley gives a tremendous performance. The Cameo by John Candy is fantastic. Tim Treakle

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/30/25

Full Review

T. A

يفتقر فيلم Career Opportunities إلى عدة نواحٍ أساسية. أولاً، لا يتناول الفيلم ماضي جيم وجوسي في أيام المدرسة، مما يجعل علاقتهما سطحية ودوافعهما غير واضحة. ثانيًا، لا يوضح كيف ربط جيم بين نيستور وجيل وجريمة القتل في سالزبورغ، مما يخلق فجوة سردية. ثالثًا، يعتمد الفيلم على صدف لا تصدق: تمتد وردية جيم الليلية بلا نهاية بينما ينظف الرفوف، يشاهد التلفاز، يتزلج على عجلات، ويجرب الملابس؛ يدخل المجرمون ويخرجون بسهولة من باب خلفي غير مقفل رغم حبس جيم في الداخل؛ ويعثر جيم بشكل مريح على مفتاح الخزنة في درج مكتبي عادي دون أي تلميح قبلي. هذه الحيل تضعف مصداقية القصة وتقلل من تأثيرها العام. Career Opportunities falls short in several key areas. First, the film never explores Jim and Josie’s school days, leaving their relationship superficial and motivations unclear. Second, it fails to reveal how Jim connected Nestor and Gil to the Salzburg murder, creating a narrative gap. Third, the story relies on implausible coincidences: Jim’s overnight shift stretches endlessly as he cleans shelves, watches TV, roller skates, and tries on clothes; the robbers enter and exit freely through an unlocked back door despite Jim being locked inside; and Jim conveniently discovers the safe key in an unremarkable desk drawer with no prior hint. These conveniences strain credibility and weaken the overall impact.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

Full Review

Audience Member

A very minimalist yet very interesting plot...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

Full Review

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Bryan Gordon

Director

Frank Whaley

Jim Dodge

Jennifer Connelly

Josie McClellan

Dermot Mulroney

Nestor Pyle

Kieran Mulroney

Gil Kinney

John M. Jackson

Bud Dodge

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Synopsis

When night-shift custodian Jim (Frank Whaley) is accidentally locked up alone in the store he cleans, he realizes he has access to the entire building and decides to indulge in the abundance of free food and merchandise at his fingertips. Surprisingly, he bumps into local rich girl Josie (Jennifer Connelly), who is also imprisoned in the store for the night, and they quickly bond. But, just as romantic sparks fly, Josie and Jim are interrupted by two small-time robbers.

Director: Bryan Gordon
Producer: John Hughes, Hunt Lowry
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Production Co: Universal/Universal Int
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.0M
Runtime: 1h 24m
Sound Mix: Surround

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