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The Company Men

Play trailer Poster for The Company Men R Released Jan 21, 2011 1h 55m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 166 Reviews 55% Popcornmeter 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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The Company Men

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review Philip French Guardian A serious, schematic, well-acted film about adjusting to new lifestyles in a changing world... Mar 14, 2011 Full Review 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 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Ben Affleck performs ably for the second time in a year. Rated: 2.5/4.0 Sep 5, 2020 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review Eye C A good drama about the evil capitalist corporation and how it destroys the poor labor workers. A little biased to the left, but it doesn’t tells lies either. Great cast, always good to watch Kevin Costner to perform. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/04/24 Full Review Thomas S Depressing at times but we'll-acted by a stellar cast Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/29/23 Full Review David W The Company Men features a monumentally talented cast playing a set of characters with starkly different personalities and motivations. This allows the film to explore different perspectives of the storyline. The tone is decidedly somber and sinister, which works well for the subject. An attempt to provide an uplifting, hopeful ending feels like a studio executive insisted on a happy ending to increase marketability. The result is an ending that is a jarring departure from the rest of the film both in tone and quality. Ignoring that piece, which ironically may speak to the issues the story is addressing, the overall film is as enjoyable as it is meaningful. I agree with other viewers that the focus on upper class white men may not be relatable to all audiences. But as one of the millions of Americans personally touched by the events the film portrays in the decade since its release. I found the focus on otherwise unrelatable characters makes the film watchable. Had it instead focused on average workers, it would have still been excellent, but personally harder to watch by hitting too close to home. I would definitely watch this one again. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/21/24 Full Review Michael F An excellent film that tells the stories that so many have encountered through the unexpected loss of a job Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/15/23 Full Review corkball I really liked this film. Not for the action or the twists, or even the drama. It is a solid look at what happens when people with wealth and power are downsized, and they struggle to adjust to a new life without what they had. Some people adapt and learn humility, and some, well... don't. And then life goes on. The movie doesn't really have a point of view. It has each character present their own point of view - even the asshole CEO presents his 'side' (albeit not very sympathetically). If I had to fault this film, it is that in the end, life just... goes on. Nothing really happens. And maybe that is the point. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

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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