The Company Men

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The Company Men

R

Released Jan 21, 2011

1h 55m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

67%

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165 Reviews

55%

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25,000+ Ratings

A young executive at a shipping and manufacturing conglomerate, Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is on the fast track to the top. He is a rising star at work and has all the material trappings of success. Then his company goes through a few rounds of layoffs, so Bobby and colleagues Phil (Chris Cooper) and Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) find themselves on the unemployment line. As the year unfolds, all three must redefine their lives as they struggle to survive in a hostile post-career landscape.

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Critics Consensus

It might be hard for most viewers to identify with The Company Men's well-heeled protagonists, but writer/director John Wells uses their plight to make universally resonant points -- and gets the most out of his excellent cast.

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Caryn James

Newsday

With harrowing realism, The Company Men captures the raw, personal impact of the economic meltdown.

Feb 7, 2018

Full Review

Kimber Myers

The Playlist

The Company Men, aka "The Supposed Problems of Unsympathetic Rich People" or "Good Actors Stuck in a Mediocre Movie," tries to be timely, but it's as out of touch as Pat Buchanan.

Rated: C

Aug 15, 2013

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Philip French

Guardian

A serious, schematic, well-acted film about adjusting to new lifestyles in a changing world...

Mar 14, 2011

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Wells explores themes relevant to everyone in America. No one will come out of the film without thinking of someone they know who’s been impacted in the same way as the characters onscreen.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 3, 2023

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Ben Affleck performs ably for the second time in a year.

Rated: 2.5/4.0

Sep 5, 2020

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Ed Travis

Hollywood Jesus

I would recommend this one. It rang true to me and it gave me some food for thought about the best way to move forward in this economically tough time.

Apr 2, 2020

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brian mcfly m

Disjointed and unsympathetic. Let’s keep the Porsche and the Country Club as long as we can. Did not develop collapse of jones’ characters bad marriage. Somehow the millionaires turned pro-labor. Coooers’ character suicide was telegraphed ahead. Costner must have needed work.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/14/25

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Clark S

Let me first start out by saying...I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!! Why would a star studded cast like this do such a crummy movie that is equivalent to diarrhea!!!!!!? Was it the money they needed? Looks like a first years film school student attempt at a movie. If you rent it or buy it, after the movie's over, be prepared to sit on the couch with feeling of utter disappointment!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

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Alejandro E

El volátil mundo de los negocios y el complicado arte de sobrellevar el desempleo. Si bien el resultado no marca historia, se agradece que el guion y el reparto le dan un tono que coincide con la realidad.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

Full Review

Daniel G

I'd watched this movie closer to 2010, when it was released, but watching it again in 2023 it still felt impactful, although maybe nowadays there would be more of these "company men" looking to open their own business or invest in a franchise - like a very good friend of mine, a company man all his life, unemployed close to age 60, ended up doing after not finding a job. The movie rang quite true and was very watchable and entertaining, which is expected from the leading actors, though looking back on it, it actually was superficial in many of its portrayals.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/08/25

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David H

This is an excellent movie tells a true story.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/04/25

Full Review

Richard F

If you have ever lost a job then you will find thingx to relate to in this movie. All of the characters exhibit the reactions, feelings, and behaviors related to being laid off/fired.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/28/24

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John Wells

Director

Ben Affleck

Bobby Walker

Chris Cooper

Phil Woodward

Kevin Costner

Jack Dolan

Tommy Lee Jones

Gene McClary

Maria Bello

Sally Wilcox

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Synopsis

A young executive at a shipping and manufacturing conglomerate, Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is on the fast track to the top. He is a rising star at work and has all the material trappings of success. Then his company goes through a few rounds of layoffs, so Bobby and colleagues Phil (Chris Cooper) and Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) find themselves on the unemployment line. As the year unfolds, all three must redefine their lives as they struggle to survive in a hostile post-career landscape.

Director: John Wells
Producer: Claire Rudnick Polstein, Paula Weinstein, John Wells
Screenwriter: John Wells
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Battle Mountain Films
Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 21, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.4M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Dolby

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