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There’s nothing
overly spectacular about The Promotion, and yet it has an odd way
of succeeding at every little joke it makes. Peculiarly satisfying,
the film showcases key hilarious scenes interspersed with occasionally
mediocre, but generally entertaining, bits of gross-out humor and
creative cursing. A combination of the best elements of Waiting
and Office Space applied to the grocery business, The Promotion
uses dry, bitingly dark humor and abrasive sarcasm to muster up
many quality laughs.
Doug Stauber (Seann William Scott) works as an Assistant Manager
for Donaldson’s, a generic grocery store that demonstrates
the basic horrors of any retail store. While he tolerates the
many nuisances and hazards of grocery store life, he envisions
a more luxurious life when a new Donaldson’s is set to open
up nearby. Considered the “shoe-in” for the position
of Manager, Doug finally decides to buy a house with his wife
Jennifer (Jenna Fischer), counting on the huge increase in pay.
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But just as Doug rejoices
at the position he believes is his, Richard Welhner (John C. Reilly)
transfers to the store from Canada. Richard is secretly recovering
from a drug and alcohol problem, but he has an outstanding service
record that presents Doug with some serious competition for the
new Manager spot. With the pressure of trying to outperform his
rival, Doug ends up sinking further and further into stress-filled
delirium – as does Richard, who must break all the rules to
compete for the big promotion.
It is the exploitation of extremely pathetic characters and situations (perhaps both familiar and average for some) that makes The Promotion so funny. Nearly everyone can relate to the depressingly helpless customer service situations that Doug and Richard must contend with, as well as the stresses of performing for a boss or standing up to troublesome shoppers. The nightmarish episodes at Donaldson’s are relative to almost every job, and they are all handled with cynical accuracy. Not every joke is extraordinary, but never does the film miss a beat, even with the briefer moments of humor. From painfully long moments of silence under the scrutiny of an executive or battling unruly gangs in a perilous parking lot, every shenanigan is oddly satisfying. With a few random flashback moments similar to a live action version of Family Guy, and the steady deterioration of the lead characters under pounds of stress, The Promotion revels in political incorrectness and the mockery of professionalism. Imaginative cursing, tragic misunderstandings and the hilarious self-help tapes Welhner depends on, all tumble together to create a film that dryly parodies every mishap that can happen in retail. The humor occasionally falls back on extreme immaturity or mawkish verbal vulgarities, but remains downright funny at all the right moments. The Promotion is an immensely enjoyable film for anyone who’s ever had a retail job… or any job for that matter. - Mike Massie |
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