Career Opportunities

"He took the job that no one wanted... and got the girl that everyone did."

1991 1h 23m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 781

RomanceComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After falling asleep in a Target dressing room, an unhappy heiress wakes up locked inside the store overnight with a local slacker and notorious liar, leading the two unlikely companions to bond over their shared desire to escape their lives.

“He took the job that no one wanted... and got the girl that everyone did.”

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Cast

Frank Whaley
Jim Dodge
Jennifer Connelly
Josie McClellan
Dermot Mulroney
Nestor Pyle
Kieran Mulroney
Gil Kinney
John M. Jackson
Bud Dodge
Jenny O'Hara
Dotty Dodge
Noble Willingham
Roger Roy McClellan
Nada Despotovich
Penny Dodge

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bryan Gordon
Writers: John Hughes
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

35 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bryan Gordon, shot by Donald McAlpine. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peck Prior shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connelly and Dermot Mulroney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He took the job that no one wanted... and got the girl that everyone did.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0101545 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bryan Gordon directs. Donald McAlpine behind the camera. Thomas Newman scores. Peck Prior cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
235 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Bryan Gordon, shot by Donald McAlpine. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Peck Prior shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connelly and Dermot Mulroney carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "He took the job that no one wanted... and got the girl that everyone did.".
8IMDB entry: tt0101545 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "night shift", "department store", "roller-skating", "liar".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Donald McAlpine
Original score: Thomas Newman
Editing: Peck Prior
Production design: Paul Sylbert
Costume design: Betsy Cox
Makeup / hair: E. Thomas Case
Stunt coordinator: Scott Dale
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $6,000,000
Box office: $11,336,986
Return: 189% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Career Opportunities (1991)

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Bryan Gordon

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Community reviews

What people are saying

s6kx2025-05-28
★ 7/10
Career Opportunities falls short in several key areas. First, the film never explores Jim and Josie’s school days, leaving their relationship superficial and motivations unclear. Second, it fails to reveal how Jim connected Nestor and Gil to the Salzburg murder, creating a narrative gap. Third, the story relies on implausible coincidences: Jim’s overnight shift stretches endlessly as he cleans shelves, watches TV, roller skates, and tries on clothes; the robbers enter and exit freely through an unlocked back door despite Jim being locked inside; and Jim conveniently discovers the safe key in an unremarkable desk drawer with no prior hint. These conveniences strain credibility and weaken the overall impact.
JPV8522025-09-07
★ 5/10
I've heard about this movie thanks to that one meme. But decided to finally watch this John Hughes written rom-com-crime and thought none of it really worked. I didn't buy either Frank Whaley or Jennifer Connelly in their roles nor their time together. I did manage to laugh a couple of times but otherwise this is a pretty bland and forgettable film other than Connelly riding that mechanical horse. If not for Home Alone 3, this might be John Hughes worst written film. 2.5/5