Dir/scr: Paul Weitz. US.2004. 106mins.

A warm, timelycontemporary comedy set against a backdrop of corporate mergers and staffdownsizing, In Good Company (formerly titled Synergy), is ripewith value for its distributors both as a medium-sized theatrical performer anda robust TV and DVD title.

Both a bittersweet romanticcomedy and a moral fable of keeping human in big business, In Good Companymarks the solo writing and directing debut of Paul Weitz, who previouslyco-directed three films with his brother Chris - American Pie, DownTo Earth and About A Boy.

Assisted by a gifted cast,he demonstrates admirable focus in his storytelling and firmly steers away fromthe schmaltz or sermonising that traditionally afflicts studio pictures of thisilk.

Released by Universal in theUS on Dec 26, In Good Company will build a fanbase gradually and scorestrong word-of-mouth, although its tone is probably too light for it to make abig impression in awards season other than maybe for Weitz's crisp screenplay.Universal enlisted specialised arm Focus Features to sell it to independentsoverseas, and they will likewise enjoy good reviews and long-term value inancillary markets.

Although none of the leadtrio in the cast - Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johnasson - can openpictures, they each have growing followings and this film can only help toassist them in their impressive careers. The amiable Grace has most to gainfrom this film after doing his time on TV sitcom That 70s Show and insupporting roles in Traffic and PS.

Quaid plays Dan Foreman, a51 year-old father of two teenage girls whose wife Ann (Helgenberger) has justannounced that she is pregnant and whose eldest daughter Alex (theever-beguiling Johansson) has just got into the expensive but prestigious NewYork University. They live a comfortable suburban existence supported by hislucrative job as head of advertising sales at popular sports magazine SportsAmerica.

Foreman is a well-liked,successful professional who knows everybody in his trade and is respected byhis staff. But when he comes into the office in New York City one day, hediscovers that the company he has worked for for two decades has been boughtout by Globecom, a media giant run by the enigmatic Branson/Murdoch amalgamTony K (McDowell). His new boss is a 26-year-old marketing whizzkid drafted infrom another Globecom division called Carter Duryea (Grace).

Carter may be an ambitiousand occasionally inspirational young turk, but his personal life is in tatters.His neglected wife (Blair) has just left him, he has crashed his new Porscheand he has been struck by a severe case of loneliness. As the seasoned Foremanstruggles to readjust to life as Carter's number two and is forced by Carterand new demands of profit margins to lay off some of his oldest staff members(including Paymer), Carter latches on to him socially and invites himself todinner one night at the Foreman house.

There he meets and falls forAlex, and the two embark on an affair in New York City behind Dan's back. It isonly a matter of time before Dan finds out, but the soulful Alex has a powerfulinfluence on Carter, and, by the time Dan catches them together, Carter hasfaced up to his shortcomings enough to deal more humanely with new developmentsin the corporate merry-go-round.

Although set in thehigh-flying world of New York City (shot mostly in Los Angeles), internationalaudiences will relate to the all-too familiar scenario of corporatecost-cutting and waves of redundancies. It's no coincidence that the offendingmulti-national is called Globecom, since globalization has rendered this uglytrend a universal theme.

Prod cos: Depth Of Field
US dist: Universal Pictures
Int'l sales: Focus Features
Exec prods: Rodney Liber & Andrew Miano
Prod: Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz
Cine: Remi Adefarasin
Prod des: William Arnold
Ed: Myron Kerstein
Mus: Stephen Trask
Main cast: Dennis Quaid, TopherGrace, Scarlett Johansson, Marg Helgenberger, David Paymer, Philip Baker Hall,Selma Blair, Malcolm McDowell