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Management

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Management (2009)

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Reviews Counted: 75

Fresh: 35

Rotten:40

Average Rating: 5.3/10

Consensus: Clever and often beguiling performances by Steve Zahn and Jennifer Aniston can't revive this sweetly misguided stalker romance.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language.

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:May 15, 2009 Limited

Box Office: $809,787

Synopsis: Jennifer Aniston may get top billing in this romantic comedy, but MANAGEMENT belongs to Steve Zahn. The often goofy, always likable actor plays Mike Cranshaw, a man with little ambition but lots of... Jennifer Aniston may get top billing in this romantic comedy, but MANAGEMENT belongs to Steve Zahn. The often goofy, always likable actor plays Mike Cranshaw, a man with little ambition but lots of heart who works at his parents’ motel in small-town Arizona. When paint-saleswoman Sue Claussen (Aniston) stops at the inn, Mike immediately plots an awkward plan to seduce her. Things go better than either of them would have guessed, but Sue still leaves for her home in Maryland. Mike impulsively follows her east, beginning an uncomfortable but heartfelt courtship that takes the road less traveled. Sue’s move from Maryland to Washington does little to deter Mike, but the reappearance of her ex-boyfriend, ex-punk Jango (Woody Harrelson), could throw him off course. MANAGEMENT balances its star power (A-list actress Aniston) with its indie roots (theatrical distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films) to make a movie that doesn’t fit the rubric of either genre. It’s too quirky for a studio film, but it’s sweet enough that it shouldn’t scare away any fans of Aniston’s work in FRIENDS and HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU. She’s more in the territory of THE GOOD GIRL and FRIENDS WITH MONEY here, and Sue is a complicated part that Aniston pulls off. In his other roles, Zahn often labors in the background and steals scenes from actors with higher billing, but MANAGEMENT is indisputably a leading role for the actor. His Mike commits acts bordering on criminal (or at least crazy) in his cross-country pursuit of Sue, but thanks to Zahn’s performance, it’s hard not to feel devoted to his character and to understand Sue’s (reluctant) attraction. Fans of the cringe-worthy humor of comedies like THE OFFICE will enjoy squirming through this unlikely romance. [More]

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson, Fred Ward

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson, Fred Ward, Margo Martindale, James Liao

Director: Stephen Belber

Director: Stephen Belber
Screenwriter: Stephen Belber
Producer: Sidney Kimmel, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen
Composer: Michael Danna, Rob Simonsen
Studio: Samuel Goldwyn Films

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Release:

Sep 29, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Jennifer Aniston (Marley & Me, Office Space) and Steve Zahn (Sunshine Cleaning, Saving Silverman) star in this "rare romantic comedy" (Los Angeles Times) that's bursting with originality, humor and sweetness. It's lust at first sight for laid-back motel night manager Mike (Zahn) when Sue (Aniston), an uptight sales rep, checks in. Convinced that Sue is his dream girl, Mike shakes up his slacker life in an outrageous pursuit across the country. But can he steal her away from her hot-tempered boyfriend (Woody Harrelson, No Country for Old Men)? Both Mike and Sue must go on their own twisted journeys to find out if what they really need is each other.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Management

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    You watch Management thinking of the comedy Aniston and Zahn could have made, and wishing you were watching that movie instead.

    Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
    07/10/09
    Moira MacDonald
    Seattle Times

    Goes for broke on sentiment but overlooks important details that make decent films great.

    Full Review Source: Charlotte Weekly | comment Comment
    07/08/09
    Sean O'Connell
    Charlotte Weekly

    Management should have definitely been called on to make some adjustments.

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    07/03/09
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Austin Chronicle

    Random weirdness aside, Belber telegraphs this story arc from Sue's first drop-in to Podunk. Message received. No surprises here.

    Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
    06/26/09
    Troy Melhus
    Minneapolis Star Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The trademark hitch in Aniston's line delivery is an effective shorthand for taking a leap of faith. In the case of both her character and her career, Management represents an admirable choice.

    Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
    06/26/09
    Joe Williams
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch

    If your favorite Jennifer Aniston movie is The Good Girl, her new film might be for you.

    Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
    06/26/09
    Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
    St. Paul Pioneer Press

    The latest misfire to make 'indie' a dirty word.

    Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
    06/19/09
    John Beifuss
    Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

    Belber's twist on the standard rom-com is that it isn't weighed down with that "made-for-each-other" vibe that makes a happy ending inevitable.

    Full Review Source: Atlantic City Weekly | comment Comment
    06/18/09
    Lori Hoffman
    Atlantic City Weekly

    Management has two things going for it: Steve Zahn and Jennifer Aniston. Luckily, those are two very good things.

    Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
    06/12/09
    Tom Long
    Detroit News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Padding disguised as a feature-length screenplay.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
    05/29/09
    Michael Phillips
    Chicago Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    'Management' is an addictively charming little movie about loosening up and chasing your dreams.

    Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    05/23/09
    Frank Wilkins
    ReelTalk Movie Reviews

    Presents characters whose behavior is the behavior of grotesques; there is no connection drawn between what happens on the page and what is recognisably human.

    Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
    05/22/09
    Tim Brayton
    Antagony & Ecstasy

    Jennifer Aniston is stuck, again.

    Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
    05/21/09
    Renie Scolaro Mora
    PopMatters

    This movie was so stupid I was going to plead that Jango use the BB gun on me, but then I collected myself and remembered that it would all be over soon!

    Full Review Source: Kaplan vs. Kaplan | comment 1 Comment
    05/19/09
    Jeanne Kaplan
    Kaplan vs. Kaplan

    "Management" had potential if Belber had given us more heartfelt moments like the one with Sue and Mike handing out free Burger King vouchers to homeless men.

    Full Review Source: Kaplan vs. Kaplan | comment Comment
    05/19/09
    David Kaplan
    Kaplan vs. Kaplan

    There is such a fine line between stalk and courtship (in this film), and he normally falls on the stalking side. But he also does yoga, so I guess that makes it all right.

    Full Review Source: The Scorecard Review | comment Comment
    05/19/09
    Jeff Bayer
    The Scorecard Review

    Ultimately the second half completely undermined the first half.

    Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
    05/18/09
    Ben Mankiewicz
    At the Movies

    Zahn is essentially stalking Aniston and it’s really just downright creepy.

    Full Review Source: At the Movies | comment Comment
    05/18/09
    Ben Lyons
    At the Movies

    For a small movie trying to shoulder its way into the summer m ix, it could have been a hidden gem; either the most touching film of the season or the most pleasantly silly.

    Full Review Source: Bangitout.com | comment Comment
    05/18/09
    Jordan Hiller
    Bangitout.com

    Mostly compelling and occasionally sweet and funny thanks to its terrific cast, but it combines comedy, drama and romance awkwardly and unevenly while leaving you feeling somewhat underwhelmed.

    Full Review Source: NYC Movie Guru | comment Comment
    05/17/09
    Avi Offer
    NYC Movie Guru
     
     
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