Horrible Bosses
Short description
Nick, Kurt and Dale are three friends stuck in jobs they cannot afford to leave. Nick works long hours for a boss who takes credit for his efforts, Dale is harassed by the dentist he assists, and Kurt gets along well with his employer until a death in the owner's family puts the man's unpleasant son in charge. Over drinks one evening, the three men talk themselves into a solution: kill their respective employers. With advice from a former convict they meet at a bar, they settle on a plan they believe cannot fail, though carrying it out proves harder than they expect.
Seth Gordon directed the film, the fourth feature in his directing career according to the facts and his first after Four Christmases, Freakonomics and DiDi Hollywood. John Francis Daley, Michael Markowitz and Jonathan Goldstein wrote the screenplay, with Brett Ratner and Jay Stern producing. Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis lead the cast as the three friends, while Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell play their bosses.
Made for a budget of 35 million dollars, the film took about 210 million dollars worldwide, a strong return. On IMDb it holds 6.9 out of 10 from roughly 487,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.6 out of 10 from nearly 7,000 votes, suggesting a broadly favourable audience response. Critics were more measured, with a 6.3 out of 10 average across 220 reviews, below the audience scores on IMDb.
What's left behind the scenes
- Naomi Watts and Sarah Jessica Parker were considered for the role of Julia.
- The film Dale Arbus watches during surveillance is "The Notebook" (2004).
- The role played by Jason Bateman was written by the screenwriters specifically for him.
- The character Charlie Day (Dale Arbus) often recalls the series "Law & Order," and Charlie himself appeared in one episode of the show.
- In reality, Bobby's "cocaine" was lactose powder. To stay in character, Colin Farrell sniffed it even during breaks between takes.
- The glasses worn by Jennifer Aniston’s character were custom-made for her in a single copy.
- The characters are offered to film Kevin Spacey’s character confessing to murder. This episode is a reference to another film starring Kevin Spacey – "The Life of David Gale" (2003).
- Colin Farrell devised the image of his character (he played Bobby) himself – everything, including the hairstyle and prosthetic belly. He came up with his character's fondness for Chinese dragons and also proposed some ideas regarding the appearance of his character's dwelling.
- As part of the film's promotional campaign, Warner Brothers Pictures Canada installed a voodoo doll over 3.5 meters tall in downtown Montreal, depicting a boss. Passersby were able to vent their anger at their superiors on the doll. They were also offered the opportunity to share a story about their own boss, with tickets to a film preview awarded for the best and worst stories.
- Jennifer Aniston filmed in a dark wig because the director felt her usual look was "too light" for the role of the ruthless boss. Unlike most other actors in the film, Aniston does not improvise in her role, but plays it exactly according to the script.
- In the scene where Dave Harkin gathers all his employees and delivers a motivational speech, a microphone reflection can be seen in the glass wall of the office.
- The characters are offered to fire Professor Xavier, who uses a wheelchair. This is a reference to Professor Xavier from the movie "X-Men" (2000).
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