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Promotion, The
Dimension Films (The Weinstein Company)


5.6

based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 3 votes
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MPAA 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)

GENRE(S):	Comedy
WRITTEN BY:	Steve Conrad
DIRECTED BY:	Steve Conrad
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: September 2, 2008 Theatrical: June 6, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	85 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

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.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Conrad's script surprises at nearly every turn.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

It's totally down-to-earth, as real as a trip to the supermarket.

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.

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.

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.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

It's a sweet, human movie, if not an entirely successful one.

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.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

A good, occasionally insightful workplace comedy.

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."

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.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

The Promotion edges toward some pretty bleak stuff. Then it steps back and laughs, like an office slacker.

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.

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.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It's one of those off-balance movies that seems searching for the right tone.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Variety Todd McCarthy

A stillborn would-be comedy.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Easily the worst movie I've seen so far this year.

The average user rating for this movie is 5.6 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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Promotion, The Dimension Films (The Weinstein Company)

Promotion, The
Dimension Films (The Weinstein Company)