At the outset, the film's premise is intriguing as we follow a day in the life of a bank executive (Matt Dillon) and his engagement to a woman who is the love of his life (Christina Applegate). Dillon's character David must cope with the sudden and shocking loss of both his job and his fiancée. Dillon has a winsome personality and is effective as the Everyman character. And the talented singer-dancer-actress Applegate seems perfectly cast as the fiancée.
Unfortunately, the film's good idea is not fulfilled due to the gimmicky plotting, raunchy dialogue, and enormous holes in the script. For example, there is one scene outside a nightclub where David is taunted by two men. A fight ensues, and David pummels both of the men into the ground. Were the men killed? Was a police report filed about the incident? Or was this "scene" merely occurring in the imagination of David? The scene could have been deleted without missing a beat in the film.
The screenplay for "Employee of the Month" seemed derivative of the popular TV series "Six Feet Under." In fact, Steve Zahn's character is a coroner just like the Fisher family in "Six Feet Under." He is also a vile character, both in his language and in the despicable acts of stealing watches, rings, and money from the corpses. While the story and dialogue of "Six Feet Under" are thoughtful and engaging, the scenes and language of "Employee of the Month" are distasteful and offensive.
The film seemed almost like a rough draft, as opposed to a final, completed film. Hence the reliance on outtakes rolled through the final screen credits in order to fill in the gaps in the muddied script. The fine performances of Dillon and Applegate were wasted.
Unfortunately, the film's good idea is not fulfilled due to the gimmicky plotting, raunchy dialogue, and enormous holes in the script. For example, there is one scene outside a nightclub where David is taunted by two men. A fight ensues, and David pummels both of the men into the ground. Were the men killed? Was a police report filed about the incident? Or was this "scene" merely occurring in the imagination of David? The scene could have been deleted without missing a beat in the film.
The screenplay for "Employee of the Month" seemed derivative of the popular TV series "Six Feet Under." In fact, Steve Zahn's character is a coroner just like the Fisher family in "Six Feet Under." He is also a vile character, both in his language and in the despicable acts of stealing watches, rings, and money from the corpses. While the story and dialogue of "Six Feet Under" are thoughtful and engaging, the scenes and language of "Employee of the Month" are distasteful and offensive.
The film seemed almost like a rough draft, as opposed to a final, completed film. Hence the reliance on outtakes rolled through the final screen credits in order to fill in the gaps in the muddied script. The fine performances of Dillon and Applegate were wasted.