MovieChat Forums > In the Company of Men (1997) Discussion > I HATE this movie and I'm a guy!

I HATE this movie and I'm a guy!


I HATE this movie, "In the Company of Men", because I HATE backstabbers. The plot hid a subplot that is difficult to discern. It was actually about Chad's secret revenge against Howard. Christine was the bait. Please read the post, "Second time viewing different perspective" for a better understanding of Chad's motives.

SPOILERS ***** SPOILERS ***** SPOILERS


Chad set out not only to *beep* over an innocent, pretty deaf woman, but secretly to "beep" over his so-called buddy, Howard, as well. Only, Howard didn't know that he was being set-up also.

At the end, a baffled Howard learns from false-friend Chad that his only reason for backstabbing Howard was just so he could do it for the thrill.

Chad was diabolitical cunning. HE KNEW THAT CHRISTINE LIKE ANY NORMAL WOMAN, WOULD ALMOST AUTOMATICALLY PICK THE MOST HANDSOME MAN of the both of them. It would have been a much different scenario if Howard was tall and handsome like Chad, but he was just a middle-aged, frumpy, average-height white professional male. Whereas, Chad was the 6 foot-tall plus, studly, GQ-looking man. There was NO competition there.

As expected, Christine fell for Chad, while Howard fell in love with Christine.

In the end, Christine and Howard are both screwed while Chad walks away all too-pleased with the evil he has committed and since he did nothing illegal, he's walking away all the more proud of his manipulative skills.

I give actor AARON ECKHART kudos for such good acting because I HATED his character with a passion. I can't stand liars, cheats, manipulators, and backstabbers.


"SMILING FACES...TELL LIES. BEWARE OF THE PAT ON THE BACK...IT MIGHT JUST STAB YOU BACK." ( Smiling Faces - song by The Four Tops, circa 1972)

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Chad's revenge against Howard was not a subplot, it was the main point of the film. Also, at the end when Howard tells everything to Christine, Chad is trying to fix the situation by talking it out, but ultimately fails, kind of makes it clear that he wasn't trying to really hurt Christine.

Still, I don't understand why you hated the movie? Did you also hate Jaws because you hate sharks, or The Dark Knight because you hate bats?

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--Still, I don't understand why you hated the movie? Did you also hate Jaws because you hate sharks, or The Dark Knight because you hate bats?--

That's not a very good analogy. I can understand why he hated it - not because it's a bad film, but because its a powerful and effective one. I believe he even gave kudos to Aaron Eckhart for his brilliant acting. If the shark had been the protagonist in Jaws, instead of Roy whatever his last name is, then it might be a good analogy... well, maybe not a good one.

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jmlamerson's point is well taken:


2. Christine didn't just choose Chad because he was good looking. It was also because he was more confident, more interesting, and nicer (on the outside, obviously). Howard, on the other hand, was meek, dull, and needy. Also, Howard clearly had issues with women. Remember the beginning? Howard claimed to have been hit just because he asked a woman for the time. That almost certainly wasn't the whole story.


Guys could learn a lot from Chad. His motivations are evil, of course, but the image he projects is worth note, even worth imitating (when he's not being disgusting).

It's actually funny listening to the commentary; it sounds like Matt Malloy (Howard) is more of the "alpha male" behind the scenes, while Aaron Eckhart comes off as soft-spoken and even deferential. It's clear, though, that all three enjoy (and therefore likely appreciate) Chad's smarminess and cockiness (they go nuts over Chad's fake laugh at Christine's mother's joke).

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I can't say that your opinion is wrong but still you hated the movie because you hated the characters and not because they were ridiculous or poorly thought out but because they were evil. So I instead of hating the movie you should appreciate it since it is so powerful. Don't you think the movie wanted you to hate characters in it. Another example is Dogville I literally wanted to kill most of the characters in the film, but it was a very powerful movie about the origins of the evil.

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I get what you're saying, but this film certainly isn't directed at a male audience, so one liking or disliking it has nothing to do with one's gender.
I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean.

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[deleted]

I HATE this movie

I HATED his character


So you hated the movie or the character? I guess the OP can't really differentiate between these two possibilities. Like so many people.

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OP I think was just fishing for a gold star or something for being a guy and distancing himself from the male characters in the film. Kudos brah! You're the good one!

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I'm a guy, and while I don't hate the movie per se, I do hate the title which seems to presume that these corporate scumbags really represent "men". I would personally have nothing to do with cretins like this. They don't represent anything but clinging turds on the unwiped ass of humanity.

"Let be be finale of seem/ The only emperor is the Emperor of Ice Cream"

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Show me your balls. And get me a cup of coffee.

Irony is like goldy or bronzy, but it's made of iron.

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