Management (film)

Management
Promotional film poster
Directed by	Stephen Belber
Produced by	Sidney Kimmel David Hoberman Ryan Kavanaugh Wyck Godfrey Todd Lieberman Eric Fellner Shawn Levy Marty Bowen Tim Bevan
Written by	Stephen Belber Don Macpherson Mark Waters Michael Caton-Jones
Starring	Jennifer Aniston Steve Zahn Woody Harrelson Fred Ward Patrick Wilson Helen Hunt Matthew Goode Emily Mortimer Seth Rogen Henry Winkler Seann William Scott Elizabeth Banks Jackie Earle Haley Mark Ruffalo
Music by	Mychael Danna Rob Simonsen
Cinematography	Eric Edwards
Editing by	Kate Sanford Chris Lebenzon John Ottman
Studio	Relativity Media Image Entertainment 21 Laps United Artists Mandeville Films SKE Working Title Films StudioCanal Temple Hill Entertainment
Distributed by	Samuel Goldwyn Films Columbia Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Universal Pictures Walt Disney Pictures Hollywood Pictures 20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	May 15, 2009 (limited)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$2,401,743 [1] $3,825,748(US DVD Sales)[2]

Management is a 2009 romantic comedy-drama directed by Stephen Belber and starring Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn. It premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival^[3] and received a limited theatrical release on May 15, 2009.

Plot

First Act and Introduction of Characters

The two stars of the film (Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn) at its TIFF premiere.

Mike Flux (Steve Zahn) works at his parents' motel as the night manager. One day he sees Sue (Jennifer Aniston), who is staying at the motel for the weekend. He develops a crush on her and surprises her at her door with a bottle of wine. She's initially flabbergasted by his advances, and rushes to get him out of her room. He returns the next day, trying the same trick with champagne, and this time she allows him to touch her butt momentarily. As she heads back home the next day she decides to go back and have sex with Mike in the laundry room.

Second Act

Mike realizes his feelings for Sue and flies to her home in Baltimore. She's shocked to see him there, but out of courtesy allows him to stay with her until morning when he can go back home. After spending some time together they get to know each other better as friends, and soon after Mike returns home, Sue stays at the motel again. They decide to go out and have fun. Mike's mother (Margo Martindale) is very sick, and the two stop by her home to see her. She approves of Sue, and tells Mike that he needs to find happiness in his life. Soon after Sue leaves, Mike's mother passes away. Mike decides to make a change in his life and go after Sue once again.

Mike learns that Sue has gotten back together with her old boyfriend, Jango (Woody Harrelson), a former punk rocker turned successful businessman in Aberdeen, WA. Mike settles into the new town by taking a job at a Chinese restaurant. The son of the owners, Al (James Hiroyuki Liao), befriends him and allows Mike to stay in the restaurant's basement. Mike skydives into Sue and Jango's pool to surprise her, but Jango responds by attacking him with an airsoft gun. Feeling bad about what he did, Jango invites Mike and Al over for dinner. Jango knows Mike has feelings towards Sue and threatens him. Regardless of the threat, Mike, with help from Al, sings a song for Sue outside her window later that night. Sue meets up with Mike the next day, informing him, that she and Jango are getting married. Sue is pregnant, and she wants to be with someone that's in control of his life. In anger, Mike tells Sue to leave.

Third Act and Ending

After spending four months in a Buddhist monastery, Mike returns to the motel, now being run solely by his father (Fred Ward). After talking about moving on with their lives, Mike's father hands him the deed to the motel. Mike decides to turn the motel into a homeless shelter, something Sue had mentioned always wanting to do. Mike calls her at home to tell her, but Jango answers the phone. He reveals that Sue has left him and is living with her mother. Mike makes his way to Sue's home to ask her for help with the shelter. She's happy to see him and tells him that she had messed up their relationship. Mike tells her he loves her and only wants to take care of her and her baby. The story ends as they embrace.

Cast

• Jennifer Aniston as Sue Claussen^[4]
• Steve Zahn as Mike Flux^[4]
• Woody Harrelson as Jango
• Matthew Goode as Peter Claussen
• Emily Mortimer as Amelia Flux
• Mark Ruffalo as Geoffrey Cromwell
• Seann William Scott as Michael Claussen
• Elizabeth Banks as Brooke Cromwell
• Jackie Earle Haley as Oliver Cromwell
• Patrick Wilson as Stuart Claussen
• Helen Hunt as Kim Flux
• Henry Winkler as Gilbert Claussen
• Seth Rogen as Theodore
• Fred Ward as Jerry Flux
• Margo Martindale as Trish Flux
• James Hiroyuki Liao as Al
• Josh Lucas as Barry

Reception

Management received mixed reviews from critics, garnering only 46% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes^[5], which summarized critics' conclusion that "[c]lever and often beguiling performances by Steve Zahn and Jennifer Aniston can't revive this sweetly misguided stalker romance." The film earned a 50/100 "metascore" on Metacritic.^[6]

Home media

The DVD was released on September 29, 2009. It has grossed 3,753,546 in US DVD sales. ^[7]

References

1. ^ "Management (2009)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=management.htm. Retrieved November 30, 2009. 
2. ^ Management - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information. The Numbers. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
3. ^ Toronto Film Festival lineup 2008
4. ^ ^{a b} Fleming, Michael (August 2, 2007). "Aniston to star in 'Management'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5lfg6clYo. Retrieved November 30, 2009. 
5. ^ Rotten Tomatoes: Management (2008)
6. ^ Metacritic: Management (2009)
7. ^ Management - Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information. The Numbers. Retrieved 2010-11-24.

External links

• Official website
• Management at the Internet Movie Database