Well all story doesn't have a happy ending but neither do have a sad ending too, this saying goes perfectly well for this movie. I happened to have seen it after seeing it in IMDb. I didn't expect much from this movie as its very poster was not so impressive. Even after watching it, I wont say to have been much impressed but its a nice try to watch it in a Sunday evening where you have no where to go. The story begins with Dan (Dennis Quad) office being taken over by Globecomm CEO Teddy K. The newly appointed chief is Carter (Topher Grace) who will now head the office with Dan being his "wingman". But life changes for young,vibrant,dynamic Carter after his wife left him few days prior to their anniversary and Carter happened to have meet Dan's elder daughter (Scarlet Johansson). After a short stint at their house, they gradually falls for each other. What follows next forms the climax of the story. A nicely shot movie with good performances by the lead characters. A tight screenplay will make you watch this 110 minutes movie. Background score is not so impressive and doesn't leave any mark. I would not say recommended but if you are running short of movies, you can give it a shot.

I wasn't able to sit through the entire film, so these comments are qualified.The story is that the corporation in which Dennis Quaid, at the age of 51, is head of the magazine advertising department. The company is undergoing some downsizing and employees all have the jitters about being fired or reduced in rank -- "Let go," as the expression has it. Quaid is dismayed when he's told that he'll be demoted to assistant chief executive deputy of magazine advertising. "You're not LETTING me go!," he exclaims. "I don't WANT to go; you're firing me!" An amusing rhetorical point.When he meets the new chief of magazine advertising, Topher Grace, his jaw drops. "How old are you?" "Twenty-six," replies Grace. "I'm 51 and you're going to be my boss." It's a humiliating experience. I was 49 with four college degrees behind me when I applied for a job as a pizza delivery boy, one of those kids who wears a colorful Edwardian outfit and shouts, "Look out -- hot stuff!" My boss would have been 21, but I didn't get the job after I replied to his query, "Got any delivery experience, sir?" Poor Dennis Quaid.The movie has some virtues aside from these incongruous juxtapositions. The teen-aged Scarlett Johansson is one of them. Topher Grace understandably is smitten by her.But Topher Grace's character is not one of the virtues. He's an innocent-looking guy, kind of appealing, but his character as written is a mess. He's supposed to be a whiz kid, but the examples of his genius that we see don't elevate him in my esteem. Most cell phones are bought by kids, so let's manufacture them in the shape of dinosaurs and instead of ringing, they'll roar.It's hard to know what they were getting at when the part was written. He constantly confesses to being nervous, and yet he's adamantine at work. It's as if we were learning that Idi Amin was nervous. I suppose his confession is designed to make us feel empathic towards him, the poor kid. He's 26, making a million dollars a year and is bursting with social status and power, and we feel sorry because he's nervous.I have a feeling that I know what the tale was getting at -- all these status discrepancies -- but the way they're treated resembles the failed pilot of a TV situation comedy. It was a disappointment because, well, comedy NOW -- more than ever! And there have been some good ones -- "The In Laws," "Analyze This!", and "The Freshman." But I wouldn't include "In Good Company" on that list.

Honest. Unpredictable... not neat and tidy like many romantic comedies. Outside of one Steely Dan song, the soundtrack makes the movie feel a bit slow-- however... the one liners make up for it. Carter (Grace) has one line to Alex (Johannson) while in her dorm room that is just awesome... think As Good as it Gets awesome... will purchase this one... It had a Good Will Hunting (one of my faves) feel to it... those are rare. Great date movie as well. It is more than a renter. See this one in the theater. Simply put, a great flick. It is so often that one (me anyway) sits in a theater able to predict the next line, action, etc. It is refreshing to walk away satisfied with an ending one could not have guessed.

"Dan Foreman (Dennis Quaid) is a loving husband, caring father, and star ad executive. But now, life is putting him through the ultimate test. Carter Duryea (Topher Grace), a young hotshot half his age, has just become his boss. And to complicate matters, Dan discovers Carter is dating his daughter (Scarlett Johansson). It's filled with genuine laughs and you're in good company when you watch this entertaining comedy that 'Rolling Stone' calls 'hilarious'," according to the DVD sleeve."Rolling Stone" is wrong; the humor in this film not "hilarious". Although he tries, Mr. Quaid can't make lines like "Only my wife is allowed to touch me there!" funny, and Mr. Grace's borderline kid/adult talk is just embarrassing. The dorm poster advertising: "Marijuana (Because Your Friends Just Aren't Very Funny)" may be good advice, concerning the comedy part of this comedy/drama.Writer/director Paul Weitz and his cast do much better with the dramatic portions, which take over by the third act. Although, by then, it's too little, too late. When Quaid and Grace hug, you wonder where the good story went. It should have ended with Quaid receiving the son he wanted, but in an unexpected way… ***** In Good Company (12/6/04) Paul Weitz ~ Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson