Dinner for Schmucks

Tim Conrad is a rising executive whose boss holds a monthly dinner where employees compete to bring the most eccentric guest, with the winner gaining favor and career advantages. Tim intends to skip the event until he meets Barry, a tax office employee who constructs dioramas using stuffed mice. Barry's well-meaning clumsiness disrupts Tim's life, endangering a major business deal and his engagement to Julie.

The film is a US remake of the 1998 French comedy by Francis Veber, directed by Jay Roach. It is the eighth of fourteen films he has directed in chronological order, following Recount and preceding The Campaign. The screenplay is by David Guion, Michael Handelman and Jon Vitti, and the producers are Walter F. Parkes, Jay Roach and Laurie MacDonald. Paul Rudd plays Tim, Steve Carell plays Barry, and Stephanie Szostak, Jemaine Clement, Zach Galifianakis and Lucy Punch appear in supporting roles. The credited cast numbers 27 and the crew 91.

Released on 30 July 2010, the film runs 114 minutes. Made on a budget of 69 million US dollars, it earned 86 million worldwide, a modest return against its cost. Audience ratings are mixed: 5.9 out of 10 on IMDb from 116,000 votes, and 5.7 out of 10 on TMDB from 1,984 votes. A critics' rating of 5.4 out of 10 from 185 reviews places it slightly below both audience scores.