ShareThis"The Promotion" is billed as a comedy, but it really isn't. The similarly themed "Employee of the Month" was a comedy -- a horrendously bad one. "The Promotion" is a light exercise in quirky drama, occasionally provoking chuckles but generally existing to take stock of the absurdity and uncertainty of life.One reason for the confusion may be star Seann William Scott, most noted for his work in such comedies as the "American Pie" films, "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Dude, Where's My Car?" Scott's face seems built for sarcasm, even when he's playing it straight.In "The Promotion," he plays Doug, an assistant manager at a grocery store in Chicago. Doug isn't fond of his job, especially the parts where he has to cover for his MIA boss, Scott (Fred Armisen), but he sticks with it because he believes he has the potential to advance.When he learns that his chain is opening a new store in the city, he immediately applies to be the manager there. Scott insists that Doug will be a shoo-in -- until Richard (John C. Reilly) transfers from a sister store in Canada and decides to throw his hat into the ring as well.Doug resents Richard for upsetting his plans, especially since Doug and wife Jen (Jenna Fischer) want to move out of their thin-walled apartment and away from their gay, banjo-playing neighbors and into a house, where they can have some privacy. He tries not to be friendly to Richard, but it's hard because Richard is so Canadian and, well, nice. Doug doesn't realize that Richard is trying to conquer problems of his own and isn't the rival he imagines him to be.Scott's extensive voiceover narration as Doug defines the mood of the piece. "The Promotion" is much more a meditation on the changing expectations of males in our society than it is a straightforward workplace comedy.Scott is actually very good at playing the unsettled Doug, while the dependable Reilly makes Richard three-dimensional. Fischer and Lili Taylor are underused as the respective spouses, but it helps to have actresses with their presence to shore up the barely-there roles. Gil Bellows is droll as the corporate figurehead.Writer-turned-director Steve Conrad ("The Weather Man") doesn't quite nail down a tone, but he offers interesting situations and sympathetic characters. While he may not have created an all-out comedy, he ends with the film's biggest laugh in a move that underscores the whimsy of "The Promotion."Rated R for language including sexual references, and some drug use.3.5 stars (out of five)(Contact Knoxville News Sentinel film critic Betsy Pickle at pickle(at)knews.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
'The Promotion' a light exercise in quirky drama
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