Anyone have some change? Jim and Josie are back!
I am not sure if it is the whole Generation X side of me, but Career Opportunities - which is essentially The Breakfast Club set inside Home Alone - was my jam back in high school. There’s a part of me that still basks in ALL of its slacker glory. Revealing in its angst and its compassion, the movie STILL works to create a great sense of teenage transitions as two outcasts plan their escape with the help from two bumbling crooks.
Little seen and hardly mentioned among some of my friends (other than the random “Jennifer Connelly is smokin’ hot!” comments), this coming-of-age comedy - in which Jennifer Connelly, at 19, finds herself locked in a Target overnight with actor/director Frank Whaley and two dumb criminals - was endlessly appealing and worthy of constant quoting. But that wasn’t enough. For some of my friends, it was the soundtrack which sealed the deal as Jellyfish, Mano Negra, Tones on Tails, and Caron Wheeler was first brought to their attention.
And now the movie turns 30.
Yes, Career Opportunities and its AWESOME soundtrack turns 30 this year. To celebrate that, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has issued the movie on blu-ray for the first time ever. And that means that you can upgrade your copy and watch Connelly in her revealing tank top riding a horse in Target in HIGH-DEFINITION.
Watching the movie again after so many years, I can see its flaws, but none of that detracts from the overall experience of seeing Whaley and Connelly glide through the aisles on roller skates or watching Whaley, who is locked in the store until 7am, lose his mind in the store when he, supposedly hired to clean it while its closed, entertains himself with the products, the clothes, and the stages found therein. 
I mean, Career Opportunities is still relatable and - believe it or not - Target has not changed that much, so it is indeed familiar when it comes to its location. And the comedy? Shifting from witty to straight-up slapstick throughout its quick 83-minute running time, the comedy is still downright effortless and entertaining as this self-described “people person” meets his match in the frustration of Josie McClellan (Connelly), who knows how to use her sexuality to survive.
Directed by Bryan Gordon and filmed in Decatur, Georgia, Career Opportunities pits these two strangers with bizarrely different backgrounds against two dimwitted criminals, Dermot Mulroney as Nestor Pyle and Kieran Mulroney as Gil Kinney, as they share their frustrations, find some similarities, and fall in love - all while being locked in Target overnight and then, much later, at gunpoint.
And just like that, the dancing and flirting stops suddenly when the guns are drawn. Everything comes to a screeching halt - except for the wheels on their skates AND Jim's gift of gab. Suddenly, these two have to figure out more than just what to do with their lives. They’ve got to survive the night! So, settle in and listen as Jim throws in a couple of corn dogs and weasels his and Josie’s way out of this mess.
With a cameo from John Candy and several smokin’ hot hyper-sexualized moments with Connelly, Career Opportunities returns with a new transfer and a solid audio commentary from Producer Eric Childress.
Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray - June 22, 2021
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Written by John Hughes, the legendary screenwriter of National Lampoon’s Vacation, Mr. Mom, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Home Alone, comes this hilarious film with maximum comedy at minimum wage! The town con (Frank Whaley, The Doors) and the town beauty (Jennifer Connelly, The Hot Spot) team up to outwit a half-wit pair of would-be burglars, real-life brothers Durmot Mulroney (Young Guns) and Kieran Mulroney (Nowhere to Run). Whaley stars as Jim Dodge, a smooth-talking small-town guy with a knack for putting up a front—but no talent for holding down a job. But Jim’s life suddenly takes a turn for the fantastic when he finds himself locked inside the local department store one night with Josie McClellan (Connelly), the daughter of the town’s wealthiest citizen, and two bumbling criminals. Directed by television veteran Bryan Gordon (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and co-starring Barry Corbin (My Science Project), William Forsythe (Raising Arizona) and comedy legend John Candy (Spaceballs) in an unbilled cameo.
Video:
With an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, Career Opportunities looks remarkably FRESH and full of curves thanks to Connelly’s presence. Details are great. Black levels are solid and there are noticeable fine details to be found in the store and in the outside town in the scenes before the lock-down in Target. The AVC MPEG-4 1080p offering is pretty solid. Colors pop off the screen in crisp arrays from start to finish. Blacks are a constant presence and are rich and inky, and perhaps a little crush seeps in, robbing some detail but it isn’t to a detrimental level. Skin tones can’t be referred to as natural, but they are detailed, holding their own in HD.
Audio:
Sound is presented in a decent DTS-HD Master Audio mix. Dialogue is crisp, centered and perfectly blended amongst sound chaos that will kick at times, but that soundtrack is still a highlight, so turn it up!!!
Supplements:
Commentary:
- Feature commentary audio track with director Chris Addison
Special Features:
There is NEW one from Chicago Critics Film Festival Producer Erik Childress
Special Features:
It’s not much of a part, but the commentary and this trailer helps.
- NEW Audio Commentary by Chicago Critics Film Festival Producer Erik Childress
- Theatrical Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 83 mins
Director: Bryan Gordon
Writer: John Hughes
Cast: Frank Whaley, Jennifer Connelly, Dermot Mulroney
Genre: Comedy | Romance
Tagline: Maximum comedy at minimum wage!
Memorable Movie Quote: "Well, you have the collective wealth of the entire town, and you're trying to get yourself arrested, now that makes me sad."
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date: March 29, 1991
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: June 22, 2021.
Synopsis: When night-shift custodian Jim (Frank Whaley) is accidentally locked up alone in the store he cleans, he realizes he has access to the entire building and decides to indulge in the abundance of free food and merchandise at his fingertips. Surprisingly, he bumps into local rich girl Josie (Jennifer Connelly), who is also imprisoned in the store for the night, and they quickly bond. But, just as romantic sparks fly, Josie and Jim are interrupted by two small-time robbers.
