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Up in the Air From the Other Perspective

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (17)

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Here’s a little sizzle reel (via Slashfilm via AICN) of Ben Affleck’s upcoming The Company Men, which also features Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello and Chris Cooper (Jesus, that’s some kind of great cast, actually). And forgive me for saying this, but as soon as Costner realizes that he can’t continue to play romantic-comedy leads or washed-up athletes anymore and starts choosing his parts a little more wisely (think Newman in his twilight), he might have some solid late career juice left in him.

The Company Men is written and directed by John Wells, who is making his feature directorial debut. Most know Wells as a writer and producer for “ER” and “The West Wing,” post-Sorkin (i.e., the bad years, save for that remarkably strong final season). It’s hard to get a feel for how good the movie might be from this little teaser set to music, but it’s an intriguing premise, as it follows several men as they cope with the aftermath of a round of corporate downsizing (from the looks of it, Affleck gets pushed back into his Good Will Hunting job). The movie thematically explores the powerlessness of losing one’s job, ground which was also covered in Up in the Air, though there’s a lot of mileage in that topic still.

The movie will premiere at Sundance (out of competition) later this month, before getting a wide release later this year. I’m kind of aching to see it, myself. As someone who gave up a more promising, more secure career to do his dream job, only to feel interminably like the street curb is but a missed student-loan payment away, I’m really captivated by movies that explore career transitions and the loss of dignity (and identity) that’s often attached.










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Comments

looks nice! Does anybody know that song? me like...

Posted by: CooperTempleClause at January 13, 2010 11:09 AM

You know, while I fully appreciate that jobs are what feed mouths and pay mortgages (believe me, that's the only reason I do the job I do), there really needs to be a course for people entering the work force to show them just that. In "Up in the Air" I saw all the usual responses that I witnessed through three corporate mergers (all with significant lay-offs) when I was a corporate employee, to wit: "I'm the best employee they have", "I've given so much to this company", "I work extra hours all the time", "this job defines me", etc.
People, corporations don't care. All you are is a number on a page to them. They will tell you you are valuable and a great guy and all that crap but they don't think twice when it comes to down-sizing. Never believe that you are an "essential employee". Go to work. Do your job. Expect nothing from them. That's the only recipe for a happy corporate life.

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 13, 2010 11:10 AM

And that's why I work in state service, PaddyDog. Good benefits, plenty of holidays, plenty of sick/vacation, GREAT pension. The only thing that sucks is the pay. But you get used to living on less. Fuck a rat race. I like cubicle life. It's boring but safe, and they'll never take it away from me.

Posted by: John Denver's Wingman at January 13, 2010 11:19 AM

amen, paddy dog.

our employer took away 5% from everyone's salaries at the end of last year and yet somehow is flying all of his managers to mexico to party this weekend?

what.the.fucking.fuck.

Posted by: gem at January 13, 2010 11:35 AM

Expect nothing from them.

Corporate hypergreed will kill our country in the end.

I should know. I'm from Michigan.

Posted by: twig at January 13, 2010 11:41 AM

You say this corporate greed/don't give a fuck about the employee like it's a new thing. Haven't we known this for years? Isn't it obvious? Shit, even "Mad Men" adressed the issue.

I've held one corporate job, hated it, worked for mom and pop places ever since. Know what sucks about that? They're going out of business.

Posted by: DeistBrawler at January 13, 2010 12:00 PM

Deistbrawler: My mom and pop being one of them. They simply cannot compete with the bulk discounts the mega stores get. My dad called a supplier rep "a fucking whore" yesterday to his face over this bullshit loophole against price fixing. I give them 5 years at most to keep the enterprise alive, and they've had it for 25 years. Sad times if you are anti-big box stores, as everyone really fucking should be.

On the first day of my first real job out of college my boss sat me in her office and told me "Work to live, don't live to work." May sound pithy, but I live by those words. I LIKE my job (usually), but I LOVE my life. Would I rather do something else with my days? Hell yes. But this pays the bills and allows me to live the life I want in reasonable comfort. But it won't last forever and I'm now looking for the next thing. Won't be for a few years, but I sure as hell ain't retiring here.

Posted by: TylerDFC at January 13, 2010 12:13 PM

DesitBrawler: That's exactly my point. It seems to me that everyone should have known this for years, but I hear the same "I gave them everything and they just let me go" shock and disppointment all the time from people who have worked in corporate world for years: most recently from a 59 year old man who had worked 30 years in the same company. They sit and watch others being laid off and have this idea that it can never happen to them. That's how companies get people to work 12 hours a day and over holidays and ostracize the guy who is described as "not a team player" because so many people believe they are "on the inside" and it's only the slackers who will be laid off. Frankly I think more people have drunk the Kool Aid than have actually realized what's happening to them.

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 13, 2010 12:15 PM

TylerDFC:

I'm sorry for your parents. While I appreciate that there is a segment of the population who cannot afford to shop anywhere but Wal-Mart (especially Wal-Mart employees themselves), I truly hate the fact that so many well-heeled people shop there in pursuit of a bargain. There's a book called "Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture" that puts everything in perspective.
*Crosses fingers and hopes we haven't awoken the BarbadoSlim Wal-Mart project of a few years ago*

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 13, 2010 12:26 PM

Ditto, PaddyDog. I understand why my students and folks who get paid jack shop at Walmart and the like (though really, it is ultimately a bad idea for anyone), but I can afford not to and I don't. I may pay a little more for some things, but I feel like I'm helping my community (local and national).

Posted by: Alarmjaguar at January 13, 2010 4:01 PM

"the BarbadoSlim Wal-Mart project"?

do tell....my curiosity is officially piqued.

Posted by: gem at January 13, 2010 4:15 PM

Gem:

About three years ago, there was a discussion about Wal-Mart hate and several commenters objected to the concept as elitism and then the whole thread erupted into flame territory. B'Slim then went on a rampage for the next 3 months of working something derogatory about Wal-Mart in every single comment he posted. It took a stint in TK's basement to cool him off.

Sometimes I feel like Last of the Mohicans around here, recounting lore from the early days. "You know when Pajiba was just a new web site, we had to post our comments up the hill backwards with no shoes on. And we were glad of it!!!!"

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 13, 2010 4:57 PM

This discussion is the whole reason why I have a hard time seeing "Up in the Air". Screw the corporation and the people they hire to do the firing. I just have a hard time feeling sorry for the guy looking for 2 million miles.

Posted by: Mrcreosote at January 13, 2010 5:07 PM

My goodness there's a lot of Boston on the screen these days.

Posted by: Kinda Fancy at January 13, 2010 7:46 PM

Mrcreosote: That was my one problem with the movie, I saw someone call it the anti-Grapes of Wrath and I think it is a fair assessment.

I am long been past sick of seeing rich people centered movies, I can't tell you the last time I got to see a movie for the little guy. I hope that this fits the bill.

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Posted by: Celia at January 14, 2010 1:37 AM

Celia: Blow me.

Posted by: Maryscott O'Connor at January 14, 2010 12:52 PM