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10/18/08
The Promotion (2008)
53
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:74
Fresh:39
Rotten:35
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: With a workplace-related theme worthy of satire, The Promotion features some sharp witticisms but ultimately disappoints.
Theatrical Release:Jun 6, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $362,531
Synopsis: THE PROMOTION is a low-key, deader than deadpan comedy-drama that fans of THE OFFICE should love. The film stars Sean William Scott (AMERICAN PIE) and John C. Reilly (TALLADEGA NIGHTS) as assistant... [More]
Starring: John C. Reilly, Seann William Scott, Jenna Fischer, Lili Taylor
Director: Steve Conrad
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Reviews for The Promotion
This notable, Chicago-filmed comedy was inspired by the true events of director Steve Conrad seeing a store employee at a Chicago chain armed only with a yellow courtesy vest break up some unruly loiterers in the parking lot.
06/06/08
Steve Conrad's wry debut takes place in an urban Chicago grocery store, in which an intimate epic of manhood unfolds.
06/06/08
bills itself as a comedy, and elements of it do fall into that category, but at its core, this is an incisive and often merciless deconstruction of the American Dream
06/15/08
At last, we have a completely and profoundly American movie with all the classical skills of timing, editing and character development that we associate nostalgically with some Hollywood golden age.
06/04/08
Top CriticA confident and clever character study about the commonality of dreams from the boardroom to the bag boy.
06/08/08
Two regular Joes square off in The Promotion, a sly comedy that finds fresh humor in the workplace.
06/13/08
...an odd yet compelling comedy...
10/16/08
Not that there aren't some great laughs, but this is far from the laugh-a-minute yuck-fest some might expect.
06/04/08
Easily one of the freshest, funniest comedies of the year.
07/01/08
I predict that when this film is released, lots of critics who miss the point will complain about its muted tone. Scott and Reilly actually underplay the comedy to great effect.
03/15/08
The Promotion, beyond what's a deeper screenplay than some may give it credit for, is consistently funny in a build-up-and-release way that, much like The Weather Man, supplements those one-liners with uncomfortable behavior and a comedy of manners.
04/10/08
Precise, clever, wonderfully strange, and so funny it hurts, it is simply the best studio comedy since The 40-Year Old Virgin.
03/11/08
Conrad has the humanity part down. Even if his little film is something of a mess, that counts for something.
06/06/08
Doesn't match the brilliance of Mike Judge's 'Office Space' but has enough amusing moments to merit your look.
04/07/08
Isn't as broad as its premise might suggest.
06/06/08
A nice little comedy about what it takes to climb the corporate ladder and the toll such actions take on the psyche of a decent individual.
10/18/08
Top CriticMature satire has unexpected brains and heart.
06/04/08
Reilly and Scott richly mine their characters, alternately confiding in and undermining each other. Their vulnerability and yearning for the good life is a quiet but powerful statement that will stay with you long after the closing credits.
06/13/08
The Promotion does sacrifice some comedy in its attempt at depth.
02/15/09
Latest News for The Promotion
May 25, 2008:
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