Synopsis

For workers at the cavernous 'Super Club' store, the most coveted honor is the "Employee of the Month" award, and having one's photo immortalized on the wall of fame in the staff lounge. Zack and Vince are two Super Club workers whose ten years of employment have resulted in drastically different career paths. Vince is the winner of 17 consecutive "Employee of the Month" awards. Zack's attitude has made him popular with his colleagues, but kept him stuck in the lowly ranks of the store's box boys. The duo’s longtime rivalry comes to a bitter head when Amy a beautiful new cashier with a reputation of only dating "Employee of the Month" winners, transfers to the store. Amy immediately becomes the object of their affection and gamesmanship. While Vince instantly impresses Amy with his flamboyant style behind his register, Zack’s feeble attempts to charm his new co-worker quickly backfire against him. Zack quickly realizes his only chance rests in winning the store’s next "Employee of the Month" award.

What The Critics Say

"The latest in a long line of lowbrow slacker comedies of the Clerks persuasion, Employee Of The Month is funnier and smarter than most of its contemporaries." Paul Arendt BBC "The wry, character-driven humor picks up enough momentum to carry it through to the checkout desk." Michael Rechtshaffen HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Attention, comedy shoppers: The marked-down movie Employee of the Month has more laughs than most of the name-brand products." Kyle Smith NEW YORK POST "There are funny moments, and a droll contribution from deadpan Efren Ramirez, playing stolid shelf-stacker Jorge." Peter Bradshaw UK GUARDIAN "There's enough clever satire in here to keep us alert, including lots of gags about the jumbo quantities you have to buy in these warehouse superstores, and even a blink-and-miss-it jab at American gun culture. The internal politics are played to the hilt, like a pathetically simplistic episode of The Office. But it's astute enough to keep us happy." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL

"Some of the humor here is rather silly, but at other times it's clever and sophisticated (two brothers, for example, are named Glen Gary and Glen Ross -- get it?). But I do know that I laughed a lot, that I enjoyed the oddball characters, and that there's humor out there among the shopping carts." Linda Cook QUAD CITY TIMES "Most of the hijinks are one step above dumb, but become much easier to take in the hands of Cook, who in particular would seem to have a bright future as a Jim Carrey-style leading man. In fact, Cook nicely underplays moments lesser comics would have hit with a sledgehammer approach." Pete Hammond MAXIM "Dane Cook, as a slacker who sets his sights on the titular award, and Dax Shepard, as the suck-up who routinely wins it, are both inventive comic actors. But "Employee" is funny because they have many talented people to bounce off of. "Employee of the Month" is basically a high school comedy, with the cool kids tyrannizing the geeks, but the sharp script and visual ideas — like having Cook glide around the store on sneaker skates." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER EXPRESS "I liked the movie thanks largely to Dane Cook and Dax Shepard. These are funny guys who really know how to (no pun intended) sell the material. And I bought it." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT

The Inside Story When buxom blonde Amy transfers to their Super Club store, Zach and Vince are soon in a toe to toe, no hold barred, fight to win her over. Trouble is Zach has spent the last ten years of his store life as a no ambition slacker while Vince on the other hand, has now been "Employee Of The Month" seventeen months in succession. So why then are the guys in a testosterone charged battle for the well endourded, blonde bombshell Amy? "The word on the street is that Amy only goes for the Employee of the Month," explains writer, director Greg Coolidge. "When these two guys meet her, they both fall for her immediately, and the race is on. Whoever can become 'Employee of the Month' will get the girl." This leads to a game of one-upsmanship, a battle to the bitter end as both guys compete for that coveted title of 'Employee of the Month'. "The world that "Employee Of The Month" explores is loads of fun, and we’ve never seen it in a movie before," says producer Andrew Panay of Tapestry Films. "Greg is a fantastic writer. The script itself was very dry and very funny with a host of quirky characters. It was exactly the kind of movie we like to make." When it came to casting the film Coolidge had someone already in mind for the role of Zach, his good friend of six years, Dane Cook. The two met in Los Angeles where they were screening short films they had directed. Cook remembers that L.A. party and a particular part of their conversation. "I said to him, 'We're going to work together someday.' It just made sense. We both have this absurd sense of humor and we just got along really well." Cook, a successful standup comedian for the last sixteen years jumped at the opportunity to star in the film. "I think I called Greg twenty-four pages into the script, he says. I was laughing out loud. Greg had it all on the page, and I could see what he was going to allow me to do beyond that. I knew it would be right in my wheelhouse of comedy. A complete no-brainer." "The role of Zack really fits Dane’s persona," says Coolidge. "He’s incredibly charming and he wins you over with his low-key manner. He’s the perfect guy to play Zack." "Wedding Crashers" producer Andrew Panay notes, "Dane is not only incredibly funny, but he's a great actor and extremely charming. He already has such a huge fan base, and his career is about to explode. I'm looking forward to seeing the domino effect after this movie is released." Producer Peter Abrams ("Serendipity" and "Pay It Forward") believes Cook will make a real impression on audiences. "I think people are going to be surprised and impressed at how well Dane can act," he said. "He's mature and focused. And he's the heart of the movie." Zach's protagonist in the battle for employee of the month is Vince, played by Dax Shepard. "I play the bad guy in this, which I've never been asked to do," says Shepard. "I get to come in and be the guy who falls down a lot and acts like an idiot. It was really fun." Shepherd injected a lot of self improvisation into the role, often veering away from the script. "His improv is incredible," says Panay. "You can just roll camera and he just goes. And God only knows what you're going to get out of him. We got gem after gem after gem from him on a daily basis." Efren Ramirez who played Pedro San in the smash hit "Napoleon Dynamite" recalls, "I never knew what he would come up with next. He knows how to play comedy so well, and he'’s so good at improvising. It made everything much more challenging. I was put on the spot all the time." "I can't even say his name without giggling," says leading lady Jessica Simpson. "He's a doll. He’s smart. He can make an entire room fall on the floor laughing. He's the perfect Vince." Shepherd revealed their was another reason for his improvisation. "Improvising is really a defense mechanism for not learning your lines." Jessica Simpson, who was last since in her debut role as Daisy Duke in "The Dukes Of Hazard" says she too was impressed with the script. Simpson, who plays the well endowed blonde Amy Renfro admits "I knew that after playing Daisy Duke, the second film I did was going to be crucial. People had already made their mind up about me as an actress, and I wanted to prove I had more to offer. I was a little bit nervous going into it, hoping that there would be some sort of chemistry and that I could make it believable for the audience. But Dane made it easy. He made me comfortable, kept me laughing and kept my smile genuine. I really couldn't ask for a better co-star." "Jessica’s just amazing," declares Cook. "She's grounded and sweet and her smile lights up a room. She’s incredibly real, and she has a natural vulnerability that comes through on screen." Director Coolidge agress observing, "I think Jessica is going to be a surprise in this. She takes direction better than a lot of actors. She has great chemistry with the guys. And there are some things she threw at me that really impressed me. She was great." Producer Joe Simpson (Jessica's manager and father) adds, "This role lets Jessica stretch her wings a bit and show that she's an intelligent actress who knows what she's doing. Amy is the opposite of a Daisy Duke. She’s not trying to be sexy. She’s just a regular girl who's fun and lovable, and who has a couple of surprises up her sleeve." Producer Andrew Panay notes "Greg is incredibly talented. His whole goal is to make sure he gets very grounded performances, and he does that by making the actors comfortable and encouraging them to play. He really creates a positive energy on set." And his thoughts on the cast? "This ensemble cast has been incredibly exciting to work with. We have a group of very different comedians and personalities and to see how they all meld together is thrilling," he says. "Normally when you have a lot of comedians on set you're worried about the competition and if it’s going to be too much," says "Undiscovered" producer Simpson. "But all of these guys really respected each other and helped each other. It allowed everybody to practice their craft and be the best they could be." The result is a film with plenty of zany moments, a lot of laughs and characters that we can all relate to in one way or another. "There's a sweetness to the film," Panay explained. "There’s also a bit of romance. And if you want to just see some crazy fun, we've got that too." So what does leading man Dane Cook think the film will offer cinemagoers? He assured me. "This is going to be in your face comedy. But you're also going to get a movie with heart. People are definitely going to be rooting for these characters. And they’re going to have a great time doing it." I certainly hope so. Jessica Simpson Jessica Simpson has taken the music, fashion, beauty and entertainment industries by storm. A talented artist with universal appeal, she has become an international star and shows no signs of slowing down with a new album "A Public Affair" hitting August 29th and of course, this new film. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Jessica began her performing career by sharing the stage with famous gospel acts such as Kirk Franklin, God's Property, and Ce Ce Winans. With her unmistakable voice and unique pop sound, Jessica caught the eye of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and after joining a tour in support of the boy-band 98 Degrees, she quickly burst onto the music scene in 1999 with her debut release Sweet Kisses. Her RIAA-certified double platinum debut featured Jessica's massive breakthrough hit, "I Wanna Love You Forever," which hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The title track to "Irresistible", her 2001 follow-up, was a crossover smash, charting on the Hot 100 (#15), the Rhythmic Top 40 (#12), Top 40 Mainstream (#3) and Top 40 Tracks (#5). But it was the success of her 4 times platinum album, "In This Skin", which marked Jessica's debut as a songwriter and further refined her ever-evolving voice as an artist. "Sweetest Sin," the album's first single to hit the Top 40, is a marked change from the giddy teen pop that launched her career. Having made her mark in the music industry, it wasn’t long before Hollywood was knocking on her door. In addition to a recurring role on "That 70's Show", Jessica’s MTV reality show "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica" launched in 2003, and was a huge hit, making her a household name. An enthusiastic philanthropist, Jessica serves as Operation Smile’s International Youth Ambassador. She most recently joined the Operation Smile international medical mission in Nakuru, Kenya where she assisted the volunteer team with the medical evaluations of the more than 280 children who visited the remote region with the hopes of receiving life-changing corrective surgery for their facial deformities. The Verdict "Look it's all a bit silly but it's sweet and silly as Zach and Vince compete, not only for the opportunity to become "Employee Of The Month" but also as guys tend to do, may absolute fools of themselves trying to impress gorgeous, buxom blonde new-girl, Amy. Men behaving badly? You better believe. It's a no holds barred battle and may the best man win. Plenty of laughs and a smaltzy ending makes for a pleasant outing. There's enough here to ensure most will get their monies worth in this romantic comedy that makes a mockery out of real life employees who probably do a pretty good job at their local Wal-Mart type store. If you feel a sudden urge for a few laughs and don't mind something lightweight, then "Employee Of The Month" is worth a look at. 3 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH" stars .......
Dane Cook ["Mystery Men", "L.A.X.", "Stuck On You" and "Torque"]; Jessica Simpson ["The Dukes of Hazzard"]; Brian George ["Roxanne", "Martians Go Home" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights"]; Andy Dick ["Reality Bites", "The Cable Guy", "Advice from a Caterpillar" and "Danny Roane: First Time Director"]; Danny Woodburn ["Jingle All the Way", "Lost & Found" and "Death to Smoochy"]; Tim Bagley ["Happy, Texas", "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Knocked Up"] and Dax Shepard ["Cheaper By The Dozen", "Without a Paddle" and "Zathura: A Space Adventure"] as Vince.
"EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH" was .......
directed by Greg Coolidge [appeared in "Possums", "Queen For A Day", "In God We Trust", "Sorority Boys" and directed "Queen For A Day]; from a story by Don Calame ["Employee of the Month"] and Chris Conroy ["Employee of the Month"]; production design by Gary Steele ["Employee of the Month" and cinematographer on "Umbrellas" and "Amato: A Love Affair with Opera"] and Jon Gary Steele ["Cruel Intentions", "One Night at McCool's", "The Sweetest Thing" and "The Dukes of Hazzard"]; cinematography by Anthony B Richmond ["Candyman", "Tales from the Hood", "Legally Blonde" and "John Tucker Must Die"]; original music by ["The Least Likely Candidate", "Napoleon Dynamite", "One Last Dance" and "Bye Bye Benjamin"]; costume design by Denise Wingrave ["The Last Time I Committed Suicide", "Cruel Intentions", "The Sweetest Thing" and "Wedding Crashers"] and edited by Tom Lewis ["The Wedding Singer", "The Water Boy", "The Whole Nine Yards" and "Rat Race"]. Run Time 103 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Hoyts Distribution - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2007 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved