Dwight Dekeyser rating: BBB
Dear Friend,
I really liked this movie. It was a fresh and fun parody of a slice of the American way of life – the annual national sales convention. The hero of the story is a thirty-something innocent named Tim Leppe (Ed Helms) an insurance salesman from the mythical town on Brown Valley, Wisconsin. The local agency’s star salesman died suddenly under tawdry circumstances just before the national sales convention in big-city Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It fell upon Leppe’s shoulders to take his first business trip to the convention and give the agency’s pitch for the coveted “Two Diamond Award” that they have won consistently for the past several years at this conservative Christian conference. The pressure is on to restore the company’s chaste reputation as Leppe’s job at the agency is at stake – the only place he’s ever worked.
“Innocent” may not be quite the right word to describe Leppe. Perhaps “inexperienced” would be more appropriate. He was “practically pre-engaged” to his former seventh grade teacher Macy Vanderhei (Sigourney Weaver) whom he ran into one day at the True Value store. Their Mrs. Robinson relationship was consummated once a week at his dreary split level. While Benjamin Braddock may have been The Graduate (1967), Leppe was emotionally the undergraduate – at best. Until this trip, he had never flown in an airplane, rented a car or stayed in a hotel before. A teetotaler, he had his work cut out for him fitting-in at this reunion of hard-drinking sales hacks. While his new friends ordered shots, he was persuaded to change his order from root beer to something hard. His concession was to order a cream sherry. This was the first of may compromises he would make in this latter-day coming of age story that would lead to his corruption and redemption.
There was something terribly familiar about this film. It had a television show immediacy to it, perhaps because two of the main characters have appeared on major shows in similar roles. Ed Helms plays nice guy Andy Bernard in The Office (2005—present), and Kurtwood Smith (Orin Helgesson) played the prickly father Reginald “Red” Forman in That 70’s Show (1998—2006). Helgesson was the intimidating owner of the insurance company who presided over the compulsory prayer breakfast as well as the madcap scavenger hunt and the aforesaid “Two Diamond Award” competition. The company’s traditional “talent show” of usual suspects was left to others to run. It was this peculiar combination of business rituals and rites of spring (drunken debauchery) that made this a uniquely American comedy of corporate culture.
The story was very clever and took some unexpected turns that injected elements of sex and violence into this otherwise insouciant tale, but I will not spoil the story. Let’s just say the bikers and the prostitutes were not in town for the convention. It was a crazy and touching story. Leppe and his roommates (John C. Reilly and Isiah Whitlock, Jr.) were three men who could not have been more different. Together with a frisky redhead from Omaha (Anne Hecke) they bonded to form a confederacy of dunces to become the “wild and crazy guys!” at the convention. (Hope you can withstand a little potty humor.) The foursome made a solid cast of outcasts that compared notes, combined experiences, and triumphed over the hypocritical and corrupt business establishment. It was the classic victory for the little guy that provided such a gratifying and unexpected ending to this manic movie.
Here’s the trailer (spoiler alert): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJqFUWbITug&playnext=1&list=PLDC20F60DF68904EE
From the vault: Breaking Away (1979), Directed by Peter Yates; starring Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, and Paul Dooley. This movie has nothing to do with insurance salesmen or business conventions, but it is an inspiring coming of age story set in the Midwest. Now, who couldn’t use a little inspiration every once in a while? Speaking of prickly fathers: “No, I don't feel lucky to be alive! I feel lucky I'm not dead. There's a difference.” Thanks, Dad!
Best of luck in your movie selections. Your faithful friend,
Dwight Dekeyser
© 2011 Dwight Dekeyser, Esq. All rights reserved.
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