“Get A Job” begins with the main character, Will, receiving money and praise from his parents and girlfriend, while discussing the idea that he has never really achieved anything in his life. He sets the tone for a movie that wants to have the message that todays generation is soft and stupid, and once thrown into they workplace they will either sink, or learn to swim.
The movie switches to a comedy that has a group of stoner friends making their way through life one bump in the road at a time. Will’s friends are a comical and strange group that smoke pot, use technology non-stop, and have little in the way of traditional or real world success.
Again, though, Will’s perfect world comes crashing down on his head.
Will arrives at work to find that the spot he had interned for two years to get has been cut, and his boss did not even remember to tell him. The characteristically whiny and self-pitying monologue that follows sets the tone for what would become an at times hilarious, but mostly cringe-worthy story with an unclear message and poor writing.
Not sure at this point whether we are watching a serious movie or a stoner comedy? Me either. This has already begun to feel like a rip off of Seth Macfarlane’s “Ted” but without the excellent writing and transitions. And it gets stranger from there.
Will’s roomates and girlfriend Jillian (Anna Kendrick, Pitch Perfect) encapsulate some of the strangest stereotypes of the new generation, whether it be his creepy but technologically savvy friend Ethan, or total stoner bum Charlie, the combination of friends is by far the best part of the film. Even through the poorly written lines and corny jokes, the quality of actors shines through enough to make this group seem both real and highly entertaining. While the best part of the movie is clearly the depiction of Will’s post-college lifestyle, the focus is really on his job search and how it compares to the one his father is on as well.
Will’s father comes across at first as the model professional. Set in the “correct” and professional way of doing things, he often sees Will as childish and immature, but quickly becomes irrational and enraged at his inability to navigate the now foreign to him jobs marketplace. His interactions come mostly with a female employee at a local coffee shop, where the viewer cannot really tell if the father is going to end up having some sort of affair, or whether it is just the writers finding another way to add in a pretty face to the lineup already on display.
He never ends up doing anything of note in the coffee shop, besides one strange and stress induced argument with his son, but the duel storyline of Will’s father serves well to contrast with Will’s own experiences. Will’s father is really a non-vital character that seems shoehorned into the movie to add a familiar element for anyone of an older generation who may have stumbled into this film by accident. It is the only portion that gives the sense that there is a serious undercurrent to the film, but the corny jokes and random irrationality make this character redundant, strange and almost boring to watch while we wait for Will to return back to his house for more shenanigans.
The same goes for the wild ups and downs experienced by Will’s girlfriend, Jillian. She always seems to have success when Will fails, and fails at the exact time Will finds any sort of success. Mostly shown to be a killjoy, she does make a hilarious transition into a lazy stoner for a short bit, but then randomly reverts back to her old self at the end of the movie. Her ever strong faith in Will and total inability to navigate the real world seem almost cliché, but also provide a good insight for anyone taking the more serious message from this movie.
Jillian experiences the classic “AHA!” moment when she gets fired and then finds herself again, and in the end uses that to steer Will away from the job he worked so hard to earn, into one where he is likely to fail and have to start over again. It is a strange switch of mindset, and runs counter to the most coherent idea behind the field, which is that the real world is full of stresses and issues that must be dealt with.
Claiming that adapting to the real world is the most coherent idea within this movie is, however, a severe overstatement. There is no consistent message, with Will’s friends being one plotline, his girlfriend a second, his father a third, and of course Will having his own fourth plotline, there is so much to follow but only one that we see from start to finish. It leaves the viewer with the sense that this was almost two scripts combined into one, with a preference for strong acting over strong writing every step of the way. The film almost seems to fight itself, with a complete disconnect and no discernable target audience set, “Get A Job” tried to appeal to everyone but only went far enough to kind of appeal to some people.
The idea that a terribly done Youtube video going viral is the savior to young Will’s career is as unlikely as it is random. There is no catalyst for the explosion of this video, and very little explanation of what this actually enables Will to do in terms of starting his own company. His drug induced adventures make for great entertainment, but contrast sharply with what Will does with the rest of his life.
The blu-ray version of this film boasts a relatively small special features section. The only two things on there are video resume outtakes and an introduction to the cast, by the cast. Both are quite short, but do provide some insight into what the writers were trying to accomplish. Although not technically a special feature, the blu-ray version of this film also comes with a digital code that gives the owner access to both streaming and downloads of the movie for free. This is quite a nice feature, but not really all that helpful unless you decide this movie is one of the all-time greats, and deserves to be carried around with you at all times.
Half relatable comedy, and half drama, Lionsgate’s “Get A Job” is a mish-mash of genres and emotions that could baffle even the most enthusiastic viewer. Whether it is Miles Teller’s (Project X) over the top portrayal as Will, the epitome of todays young and spoiled generation, or Bryan Cranston’s (Breaking Bad) version of the over stressed adult generation trying to come to terms with the new technology age of todays marketplace, this movie feels like it went part of the way down several routes, but not fully down any one path.
Hilarious and relatable moments occur almost exclusively in the presence of Will’s roomates and friends, while the other sections go from heartbreak to achievement in the blink of an eye. This gives the movie an almost choppy feel, with the impression that the all-star cast was played to make up for mediocre writing and a poorly executed story line.
The constant use of technology was impressive, and the way in which the young generations of today were portrayed were spot on, but even this was not enough to make up for the many glaring pitfalls of this film. Will’s father proves to be a divisive figure, but proves in the end that everything is likely to turn out right in the end.
