John Hughes wrote but didn't direct this one, and it shows, Frank Whaley is a slacker and a chronic liar who spends his first night as a night janitor at Target and hooks up with runaway rich girl Jennifer Connelly.The second act is quite good and has some elements of The Breakfast Club - existential, one-location story about the interaction between very different people. The third act completely misses its mark when the plot is interrupted by two robbers, and it turns into a Home Alone clone and ends on a very unsatisfying note. Connelly is very very good though and Whaley is good too, similar to but more likable than Broderick's Ferris Bueller.

Josie (Jennifer Connelly), the daughter of the town's wealthiest businessman, faces problems at home and wishes to leave home, but is disorientated. Her decision is finalized after she falls asleep in a Target dressing room, and awakes to find that she is locked in the store overnight with the janitor, Jim (Frank Whaley), the town "no hoper" and liar.For a film that is written and produced by John Hughes, this comes off as a bit of a disappointment and it is no surprise that this has been largely forgotten. Not even the star power of a young Jennifer Connelly can save this one.What went wrong? The soundtrack? The direction? The plot? This is hard to say. There is a lot of potential involved in two young people locked in a Target. Heck, Hughes did wonders with a few kids put in a detention hall (library). This one has its good moments and a lovable loser (not unlike Ferris Bueller), but just never takes off.

Finally! We get a film, taking place mostly inside a store. One of my favorite settings in a film. This one takes place in "Target", which, believe it or not was around in 1991. I know some people might know that, but thats news to me.The film is about Jim Dodge (Frank Whaley) a typical slacker who applies for a well-paying job, but instead gets to work as the night clean-up boy in Target. On his first shift, his trainer leaves him in a locked store with all the lights off. He says he will come back to unlock the door at 7 AM. Jim, unwillingly, turns all the lights back on and finishes his duties early then plans to slack around till dawn.He meets Josie McClellan (Jennifer Connelly) a run away girl and typical "spoiled rich girl", who purposely stayed in the store after closing. They then get to know each other, and have some fun while being locked in the store. Till they discover a criminal duo (Dermot Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney) have broken into the store holding the teens hostages. But the tables have really turned.The dialogue in this movie, like most John Hughes Comedies, are funny memorable and quotable lines not used often in current films. Not to mention 80s and 90s morals rarely seen in movies that meet the needs of today's standards."Career Opportunities" was a very overlooked movie when released in theaters. It had minimal commercials, plus with known blockbuster competitors like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II", "Silence of the Lambs", and "Dances With Wolves" we can see why it did poorly. It's rarely spoken about, and only seen in the five dollar bin. Thats the last place it needs to be.Starring: Frank Whaley, Jennifer Connelly, Dermot Mulroney, and, Kieran Mulroney. Directed by: Bryan Gordon.

A sweetly charming and rather simple-minded teen movie penned by John Hughes and starring an unforgettably ravishing Jennifer Connelly. Too bad the rest of the film isn't as memorable as the talented Connelly. "Career Opportunities" isn't really a bad film, but just doesn't set itself apart from the crowd with few too little jokes and amusing interactions/situations. The story's structure is quite slight (too so) with the witty script going beyond the comedy at times to delve within serious/complex inner characteristics. Although nothing too detailed, there's some food for thought in its absorbing character driven set-up. However it's the lively performances that do the job. A buoyant Frank Whaley effectively creates a character who lives in his own comfortable world (getting fired from one job after another) and makes a perfect combination with Connelly (who's looking to rebel against her wealthy father's influence). Dermot Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney are comically fun, but are rather secondary. John M. Jackson and Noble Willingham are productively good in their snappy father roles. John Candy gets an enjoyable little cameo too. Director Bryan Gordon's controlled style is peculiarly brash, but doesn't have a whole lot to work from. He brings a colourful soundtrack to give the atmosphere its playful air, which the retail company Target gets a fair plug. Just make sure you get that product in shot… and why not test it out too. Likable, but indistinguishable (well definitely not Connelly!).