Notes on Pop Culture: 'The Company Men' as a Horror Flick & 'Big Love's' Margene Drops Bombshell

Yes, I’m still here. I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth or become trapped under 47 feet of snow in my front yard as we in the Northeast cope with with a never-ending-depressing-as-hell snow apocalypse. Truth is, I’ve been under the weather, but I seem to be slowly on the mend and have a pair of pop culture quick hits for you:

The Company Men as a Horror Flick

Before falling ill, The Spouse and I finally saw The Company Men. And it scared the hell out of me as I identified a bit too much with the Ben Affleck/Rosemarie DeWitt suburban dwelling parents. (When I saw DeWitt's character driving a black Volvo, drinking iced coffee, carrying reusable grocery bags and wearing clothes that look a lot like what I wear, suffice is to say it was unsettling.) Their life was idyllic . . . until Affleck’s initially arrogant character got laid off and he became humbled by the fact that he couldn’t find work for many months. His wife's nurse’s paycheck wasn’t enough to finance their lifestyle, forcing them to sell their home, move in with his parents. He wound up taking a job with his brother-in-law on a construction job.

I wrote a column about how The Company Men made me question what has happened to the good, old fashioned American dream which told us that if people from financially modest circumstances went to college, got a degree or even two (extra points for an MBA), worked hard (as in never seeing your family) and aggressively climbed the corporate ladder, you could reap monetary rewards, like Affleck's character did. In this new, frightening economic climate where millions of jobs have been shed, that doesn't seem to be the case any more regardless of what academic degrees are hanging on your wall or how well you do your job.

Big Love's Margene Drops a Bombshell

Ep. 46: Scene Clip - The Ice Capades

I also got a chance to review the third installment of Big Love in which a massive bombshell was dropped upon the Henrickson family. (Don’t read any further if you haven’t yet seen the episode . . . )

Margene admitted that she was only 16 when she married Bill when the age of consent in Utah is 18, seemingly leaving Bill open to potential statutory rape charges should this information become public. Like he needs any more bad PR. (I'm supposing this would make Barb -- who has now started drinking to the point of inebriation -- and Nicki accessories of some kind?)

Between that little tidbit, the horrifically awkward four-across ice skating and Adaleen’s odd Alby-embracing decision (remember when Alby tried to blow her up?), the episode was quite gripping.

Tempting Trailers: 'Morning Glory,' 'Love and Other Drugs,' 'Company Men'

When it comes to DVD movie rentals from Netflix, I’ve been having a spot of bad luck lately chosing good films. I’ve not been fond of the last several movies I watched including Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, Greenberg and State of Play, during which I fell asleep. (It surprised me that I disliked State of Play given that it’s a journalism movie and I started out in print journalism.)

That being said, I’ve seen a few trailers recently for movies which look promising -- other than the new Harry Potter movie, of course -- but who can tell if they’ll actually be any good? Oftentimes I’m intrigued by the trailer then wind up hating the film. But still . . . I’m a sucker for these promos.

Though reviewers are saying that the TV morning show-centric rom-com Morning Glory -- out today -- is exceedingly fluffy, they also seem to be in agreement that Rachel McAdams is very good in it. The New York Times said the film -- which also stars Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton – is “a passably amusing romantic comedy,” and that McAdams is “effortlessly likable,” calling her a “young actress on the verge of the big time.” The Boston Globe likened McAdams’ morning TV news show producer character to Mary Tyler Moore. You know, the one who’s gonna make it after all. I’m desperately in need of a feel good movie right about now, if anything, it’ll offset the darkness of the In Treatment episodes I’ve been watching.



Another trailer that has caught my attention is the one for the new Anne Hathaway/Jake Gyllenhaal slightly darker rom-com Love and Other Drugs which is slated to be released on Nov. 24 I hope this one isn’t a letdown or just labeled "passable."


Love And Other Drugs Trailer

One film that’s not at all lighthearted romantic fare but, nonetheless I’m anxious to see was shot around Massachusetts, The Company Men, about the affect of downsizing on an up-and-coming professional with a young family, on two older execs, one with a kid in college, and on the folks left behind. It stars Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper, Craig T. Nelson and Tommy Lee Jones and opens on Dec. 10.



Any films you’re looking forward to seeing in November and December?