Career Opportunities (1991)

"Career Opportunities" is not only one of the finest films of the Last Great Golden Age Of American Cinema--the early 1990s, specifically, 1991 ("Another You", "For The Boys", "Highlander 2: The Quickening"--do I have to list more?), it might just one day revered as the "O Lucky Man" of the post-Reagan "grunge" era. A surrealist, even MAGICAL REALIST parable/satire on American Consumerism and our collective enslavement to petty bourgeois dreams of success, with a touch of "La Dolce Vita" tossed in for added subtext, with the lovely OSCAR-NOMINATED Connelly as Anita Ekberg, representing the impossible female ideal that will remain forever out of reach until our hero, Whalley's milquetoast Candide, renounces the evils of capitalism. Connelly's ride atop a coin-operated pony is Hughes' nod to Sylvia's romp through the fountain in Rome, and his oft-misunderstood casting of the Mulroneys are a post-modern riff on Fellini's Virgin Mary thread, although instead, the brothers embody a different Biblical allusion--to that of the parable of Cain and Abel. Sigh--I'll be defending this one until the end of my autumn years.

But oh, that white tank top...

Fmovies: A stupid film written by John Hughes that rehashes many ideas from his best teen comedies from the 1980s. One thing I don't like about this film the Home Aloneish element of the film that doesn't belong here. Career Opportunities(1991) is about a constant liar who is one day stuck during work at night with the most beautiful girl in town. The best scenes are when the two people let out their emotions. Frank Whaley is barely passable as Jim Dodge.

Jennifer Connelly gives a performance as the unhappy rich young woman named Josie McClellan in a film that is unworthy of such a brilliant performance. I really enjoyed the scenes that included John Candy and wish there were more scenes with him. One thing I know is that if I was stuck in a closed place with a woman as gorgeous as Jennifer Connelly I would be ecstatic. For anyone who wants to see Career Opportunities just to see Jennifer Connelly glide and walk around in a tank top than go for it. For anyone else who wants to see the movie itself then don't bother.

Yea, I know this movie was not that good and the formula was well-worn but it was fun to watch for 2 reasons. Jennifer Connelly and the clothes and music. Jennifer was a heart-stopper as usual! I really couldn't see her attraction to Frank Whaley's character because he just seemed to dweebish!(80's term) I could see her more with the dark-haired thieve. But it did give the fantasy of the nerd getting the pretty girl some hope! All in all, it was a movie that was caught between eras! The years 1990-91 were sort of lost years where no one seemed to know what was next. Music was changing from the rock of the big hair style of Poison and GNR to the alternative sound of REM and none of the music in the movie sounded like neither. It was an experimental sound. The clothes seemed like the 80's but were trying to be something different. Of course we know what was on the horizon..Grunge! But this movie was the end of an era. It was released in 1991 but was probably made a year before that. It's one of those movies you will watch if you were a 20 something in the 80's and feel a nostalgic pang. I get it watching movies like Back to the Future and Breakfast Club, St; Elmos Fire..etc. So don't judge this flick to harshly. It's just filler but it does taste good! Especially Jennifer Connelly!

Career Opportunities fmovies. I've noticed many a red blooded lad has made mention of how lovely the ever-so-lovely Jennifer Connelly is in what may be the worlds most amazing white tank top. Some have also mentioned the exestintial bliss of watching her rocking back and forth atop the luckiest dime-store mechanical horse ever constructed. And believe me when I say bravo to you all, all you men (and possibly ladies?) of good taste. For these are great images indeed in what turns out to be a very very funny little flick (to this day I still refer to TARGET as JIMGET).

However, it is the awe inspiring sight of watching the absolutely stunning Miss (sadly Mrs.) Connelly moving with absolute grace and beauty through TARGET's open isles on a pair of classic style roller skates.

I remember having the good fortune of seeing "Career Oppotunities" when it played in the theaters (damn, that tank top looked good on that 50 foot high screen). I already had the world's biggest crush on Connelly since I first saw her in "Labyrinth" back in the Summer of '86. So seeing her "all grown up" in films like "The Hot Spot" and "Rocketeer" was like Heaven. But best of all, I had the good fortune of having a laser disc player back in the early 90's. And on one very lucky B-Day, I was given a widescreen LD copy of "Career Opportunites". I gotta tell ya, as good as the whole movie was, on side two of the album sized discus was a scene that bordered on the very edge of Nirvana itself: Jennifer Connelly on skates. Mmmmm mmmm good. It was my absolute fav moment from when I saw it in the theater. I can imagine getting the rythme and pattern of their choreography was probobly a nightmare for Frank Whaley and Connelly, but honest to God, they look like they are having a total blast. And the more fun it looked for them, the more amazing she looked in a state of perpetual motion that can only be described as stunning. *Mmmmmm, Jennifer Connelly* spoken in Homer Simpson like voice.

It's funny. I haven't watched this film in quite sometime (my old LD player she don't play so well no mo'). And after having read some of these wonderful reviews and typing out this testimonial to the beauty and grace of a young Jennifer Connelly, I may have to track down a nice new copy of it on DVD. It's just too bad the local TARGET doesn't have it in stock. The irony alone would be worth it. Well, that and our lovely Miss Connelly, of course. ;)

Long live JIMGET!!!

Okay, so this one never did (and never will) win any awards. But pound for pound, John Hughes was never better and never will be again, most likely. Yes, I know, I know. "Ferris B." is a more coherent, cohesive film. And "Breakfast Club" has all the lines. And "Pretty in Pink" has all the pathos, plus Ducky. But this one's got Jim Dodge (F. Whaley). Easily one of my favorite film creations ever. You can't not love this guy. Even in the usually dumb montages that plagues MTV-ish films of this nature, he's charming (wearing a veil and cow-boxers and rollerskating, for instance). And then there's Jennifer "Eternally Easy on the Eyes" Connelly who, yes, has her usual charms (both of them), but who manages to bring a degree of wit, grace and sincerity to the "girl next door anyone would die to get with" role that's rarely been matched since. This film's full of terrific lines and memorable moments. Jim's "Jimget" fantasy. John Candy's entire cameo. "Could I get this uniform washed, it...smells a little like Darnell." "You mean you've never heard of sashimi?" "The subsonic tummy bump..." The list is endless. The bad part: yes, the last 15 or so minutes are plagued by a lack of money and a lack of laughs (money as in it looks like they ran out and decided to end the film...now). But the two leads are terrific together and the idea of them hashing out their high school trials and tribs in this particular setting is quite effective, really. Sweet, simple, goofy and funny, this one deserves another look, despite the "run out of steam in the last stretch of the race" factor.

Frank Whaley plays Jim Dodge (Frank Whaley), a thoroughly annoying smart-mouthed wise-ass waste-of-space with a dead end job as a night janitor in a supermarket. Jennifer Connelly plays Josie McClellan (Jennifer Connelly), a poor little rich girl desperate to get away from her millionaire daddy (who beats her). When Josie chickens out of shoplifting at the last minute, she is locked in the shop for the night and meets Jim (as he roller-skates down an aisle in his boxers and a wedding veil!). Together they do a bit of collective soul-searching, swap sob stories and decide to run away together. However, their plans are interrupted somewhat when a couple of gun wielding thieves break into the store...

Despite being written by top teen-movie maker John Hughes and featuring a pretty decent cast (John Candy has a cameo and the two leads are both capable actors), Career Opportunities (AKA One Wild Night), is a rather weak comedy with irritating characters and very few laughs.

I, like most males who have reviewed this movie on IMDb, do agree, however, that it is worth viewing if you are a fan of Jennifer Connelly and her very impressive curves. The delectable JC looks stunning in a tight white vest and standout scenes include her rollerskating through the shop, and rocking slowly back and forth on a supermarket horse ride (a moment guaranteed to raise the blood pressure of all heterosexual men).

But of course, Ms. Connelly looking damn fine doesn't make this a great piece of film-making (just great eye-candy), and ultimately this is a rather desperate 'comedy' that comes nowhere near to the matching the quality of Hughes' 80s output.