Cheap Career Opportunities (DVD) (Frank Whaley, Jennifer Connelly, Dermot Mulroney) (Bryan Gordon) Price

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Customer Reviews of Career Opportunities

The plot is simple: a 21-year-old guy, who happes to be the town liar, can't seem to find a job anywhere. He lives at home with his parents, who have just about had it with their son's laziness and innability to keep a steady income for more than three weeks. So, in a desperate move, his dad gets him a position at. . . . . . none other than. . . . Target! But there's just one problem: he's the night shift pick-up boy. So, locked in at 7:00, he tends to his chores, and then begins to do some hysterical time-passers. Little does he know it, however, that he was also locked in accidentally with the town beauty (the gorgeous Jennifer Connely). The two slowly become friends as the night passes; until two "Home Alone"-esque thieves attempt to rob the store.

The ending is somehow disappointing, but hey, it was never that great of a movie to begin with. Now, don't get me wrong, it has its funny attributes to it (heck, at times it's downright side-splitting). But one can easily tell who its main audience was meant to be (teenage boys). Jennifer Connely is constantly showing off her glamour and good looks; the overlong close-ups of her face, and the dancing & rollerskating scenes give it all away. But, Jennifer Connelly was (and still is) hot-as-hell, and her showing off of her body gives the movie many of its high points, especially when she's distrating the thieves (just watch the scene with her riding the nickle-ride horse to see what I mean).

Now, some may call it slow and boring. But I think that's part of what makes John Hughes such a great filmmaker: he's not afraid to move at a steady pace, like far too many films these days are. In short, it serves as a more-than-worthy time passer, and should especially please any Jennifer Connelly and/or John Hughes fan.

A movie for all of us who were "outcasts" in High School!!!
I loved this movie!!!! Frank Whaley is an underated actor who gives a very energetic perfomance, and Jennifer Connoly, well...'nuff said. I guess I'm a little biased in this review because I was one of those labeled in high school "Outcast", and I identify with the main character. It's about damn time one of us got the most girl popular girl in high school!!! Sorry that's the pain from High School talking. And which one of wouldn't imitate Jim Dodge's antic's if we were locked in Target for one night!?!?!?!?!

I like it for what it could have been.....
I absolutely love this film- it's strangely endearing. and the best part is, it is most endearing for what it COULD have been. i think that's why i like watching it so much. the film was made during john hughes' fall from grace (his deal with the devil had to run out sometime) and the early 90's weren't as kind or interested in his fantastic dissections of 80's class conflicts and teenagers know best philosophy. career ops does run a tad thin but there was a great deal of potential. i think whaley's performance was really underrated. if the film had kept some of the scenes shown in the teaser trailer in 1991, he would have been even more likable. the problem is, hughes wants whaley to be a cross between Duckie in 'pretty in pink', ferris bueller and even the anthony michael hall char. in 'weird science'. this amalgamation doesn't do Whaley justice in what was probably a sincere attempt to create an original character of his own. His Jim Dodge is actually really interesting- a cool guy that doesn't trust his own coolness, a lower middle class son who doesn't know how to do well in his parent's eyes and an imaginative, articulate guy who can't quite escape midwest america. if the film would have been less about slapstick (please please please shoot whoever decided bringing in the mulroney brothers for their unecessary subplot that just ruins the film) and more about the dynamic between whaley and connelly, it could have been fantastic. connelly, meanwhile, is also let down by someone- the editor. she is fantastic- beautiful, articulate, classy, and graceful, but appears to be acting in a totally different movie than whaley. the scenes both about and with her father border on the uneasy. i have a feeling that in the original script she was really abused by the bullying dad, perhaps both physically and sexually. i could see it as a possibility with that character. we get a hint of this but then the movie shies away from it completely and we never quite get if its a joke or not (although the scene of connelly in profile with the father outside her door always made me nervous.) i really do like she and whaley together but both hughes and the editors don't seem to know what kind of movie they wanted to make- a slapdash comedy in a newly popular chain store, or a character study of a 'much cooler than his town gives him credit for' guy and the genuinely kind and rich girl who befriends him under strange circumstances. for this matter, we also (b/c of the editing) are never quite sure where connelly's afections lie- in liking jim dodge, or in getting the hell out of town. i just have a soft spot for this film and what it could have been if everyone involved in the production had agreed on what they wanted to make. the ending is atrocious and corny but the rest has promise. this is a great film for aspring filmakers and especially WRITERS to watch both for its good points but mostly for its wrong turns. A great deal can be learned from it.