Career Opportunities

"Career Opportunities" starts off promising enough, but after an hour it slips into "Home Alone" territory and becomes silly. The cast are very good in their parts, especially Frank Whaley, who's a very funny and charismatic lead and the gorgeous Jennifer Connelly. It also has a slick directing job by Bryan Gordon and a fun cameo by John Candy. I enjoyed the film's first half, which is really funny and clever. It's the films last half, which is a bummer. When the two robbers come in, the film loses mosts of its laughs and becomes pointless and silly. It seems as if John Hughes just ran out of ideas and ripped off his "Home Alone" concept, like all of his '90's family movies. Overall, its a failed, but entertaining and sometimes funny attempt for Hughes to make a comeback at teen movies.

Jim Dodge (Frank Whaley) is a dreamer, a fibber, constantly getting fired, and highly unlikely to leave home anytime soon. His father is eager to kick him out and forces him to take a job at Target. He's the night clean up boy who is locked in overnight by himself. Josie McClellan (Jennifer Connelly) is the town's rich girl who is looking to escape her corrupt businessman father. She chickens out of shoplifting but ends up falling asleep in the dressing room. The unlikely couple is joined by petty criminals Nestor Pyle (Dermot Mulroney) and Gil Kinney (Kieran Mulroney). It's every boy's dream to be locked in a Target overnight with Jennifer Connelly. She is lovely and Frank Whaley's talkative character grows on me. This is not a critical success but nobody can deny Jennifer in her white tank top. It's fun to rollerskate through the store.

A very well done, humorous teenage love story that every "not so popular" guy who was passed over in high school can appreciate. Funny, awkward, and lighthearted, this movie has something for everyone. This was the first movie I saw Jennifer Connelly in and just like the main character, immediately fell in love with her. What an outstanding actress, although this is perhaps not her best performance. All together this is a great "Order in on Saturday night and have a few laughs with the wife/girlfriend" kind of feel good romantic romp.

Oh John Hughes, my favorite writer. Trying here to return to teen territory with this tale of a night clean up boy at a Target. The guy stumbles into a girl hiding inside and the two have some harmless fun till a couple of robbers show up (sound familiar). There are maybe 2 or 3 laughs in this movie, but many of the 81 minutes majorly suck. Hughes great insights from the 80s are absent here, and Whaley just comes across dull. Conellys gorgeous yes, which is the only thing to keep male viewers going with all that cleavage, but others will doze off. Thought Id never say it, but Hughes has delivered his worst here. Ick.

A very underrated John Hughes comedy about two teens stuck in a store overnight. Personally I thought this was great, good clean fun that hasn't dated, unlike some of the other works in the John Hughes canon (hi Sixteen Candles). Yes, it seems that the directors job was to make Jennifer Connelly look as attractive as possible (the scene on the mechanical bull anyone??), but in all seriousness there's some lovely moments here. The dialogue is sparkling, and the plot just about hold up. Connelly and Whaley have good chemistry, it's romantic and funny - what more could you want. We've all seen some of the 'classic' Hughes films - why not give this one a go too?

Very enjoyable early 90's film written by the late John Hughes, R.I.P.! Frank Whaley was a delight to watch goof around at his job. Also William Forsythe was good as the menacing serious previous custodian. I met him once, I kinda wish I got his autograph. Lovely chill movie, yet again like other movies, I don't understand the complaints.