Career Opportunities (1991) - Giddyup! July 24, 2019 08:00

Jennifer Connelly in Career Opportunities

There's a little twinkle of hope for those outcast "night cleanup boys" who spend the lonely nights cleaning large retail store chains around the world. If you're truly lucky you might stumble upon the lovely Jennifer Connelly while goofing off and totally neglecting your responsibilities. Alright...so the chances of that are slim, but it never hurts to dream.

Frank Whaley as Jim Dodge

Career Opportunities is a strange film, highly entertaining, yet very strange. The film is centered around a loud mouth 21 year old guy named Jim Dodge. Jim's life is not entirely based on reality because he spends most of his time weaving false stories around town in an attempt to impress people. Ultimately it leads him to get fired from all his jobs (because he doesn't work) and puts him on the fence with his father who is about ready to send him packing to St. Louis. Then Jim gets a job working at Target as a night janitor, and his life takes a turn for the better.

Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connelly hiding from two robbers

One thing Jim did not expect to find on his first night was the lovely Josie McClellan (Jennifer Connelly), who was locked in the store while contemplating shop lifting. Josie is the daughter of a wealthy real estate owner in the city, but she thinks her father is a complete jerk and has resorted to rebellion and getting herself into trouble as an avenue to embarrass him. The two outcasts seem to hit it off quite well, even though Josie's rich and Jim is poor, they're stuck in similar ruts and sometimes all you need is someone in the same situation to help pull yourself out. Things seem to go relatively well for the two as they waste the night away, until two wanted idiotic thieves spoil their fun.

Jennifer Connelly roller stating

In terms of 90's "romantic comedies", if that's what this would be considered, Career Opportunities is a pretty bizarre one.  The plot is definitely out there and would maybe be considered a little messy but it's definitely unique.  And the film has it's fair share of recognizable actors in minor roles like John Candy, Barry Corbin, William Forsythe and Dermot Mulroney (as one of the greasy robbers), the laughs are quite frequent, and Jennifer Connelly is completely drop dead gorgeous. The film actually moves quite fast, and I was even a little disappointed when it ended as the ending felt a bit rushed. The acting isn't half bad, and if anything the film is worth watching for the scenes consisting of Jennifer skating around the store and riding the mechanical horse.

Jennifer Connelly riding a mechanical horse

In the end, Career Opportunities is a crazy little film most people have likely never heard of. It may not be for everyone but if you're a fan of corny early 90's comedies it's one you should definitely check out. If anything it's a must see for Jennifer Connelly fans and I guarantee after watching this film you'll never look at a mechanical horse the same way again!

8/10


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