Joe Somebody
Encyclopedia
Joe Somebody is a 2001 American comedy-drama film
written by John Scott Shepherd and directed by John Pasquin
. The film stars Tim Allen
as a man stirred into action by a workplace bully. The film also stars Julie Bowen
, Kelly Lynch
, Greg Germann
, Hayden Panettiere
, Patrick Warburton
and Jim Belushi
.
Screenwriter John Scott Shepherd wrote the script based on his experiences working in advertising
. Though originally offered to Jim Carrey
, the role of Joe Scheffer would eventually be taken by Allen. The film marked Allen and Pasquin's third feature together, after 1994's The Santa Clause
and 1997's Jungle 2 Jungle
. The entire film was shot over a nearly eight-week span in Minnesota
.
The film was released in the U.S. on December 21, 2001, to mixed reviews. Produced on a $38 million budget, the film ended its theatrical run with $24.5 million worldwide, making it a financial failure. The film received one award nomination, which went to young Panettiere's performance as the title character's daughter.
) is a recently divorced single parent, and a talented audio/visual specialist at STARKe Pharmeceuticals, his place of employment. One day Joe pulls into the parking lot at work to find his co-worker Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton
) parking in a spot that has been reserved for those who have worked for the company for 10 years. However, McKinney has only worked there for 7 years. When Joe confronts McKinney about this, McKinney assaults him in front of his young daughter Natalie (Hayden Panettiere
). Joe falls into a state of depression until Meg Harper (Julie Bowen
), the Wellness Coordinator at STARKe, accidentally ignites a fuse in him when, in a fit of frustration, she asks Joe, "What do you want?" Joe is suddenly stirred to action by this question, and decides he wants a rematch to reclaim his dignity and self-respect, which he felt McKinney took from him.
After issuing the challenge to McKinney, Joe begins to find himself becoming very popular around the office for his bravery. Meg and Natalie, however, do not feel fighting McKinney will solve anything, and both attempt to tell Joe as much, to no avail. Joe seeks out the aid of an ex B movie
star-turned-martial arts
instructor named Chuck Scarett (Jim Belushi
) to teach him to defend himself. Things seem to finally be going right for Joe, as he has begun to see Meg and has even been given a promotion at work he had been hoping for. When Meg realizes Jeremy (Greg Germann
), a colleague she works closely with for the company (who also happens to be attracted to her), only gave Joe a non-existing position at the office to prevent him from suing the company, she resigns in fear that she might one day have to demote or even fire Joe. Meg again tries to persuade Joe not to fight McKinney, and finally gives him an ultimatum: if he does not call off the fight with McKinney, their relationship is over.
The day of the fight, Joe makes it all the way to the school where the brawl is to take place. However, he finally realizes it would be immature to fight, and not worth the price he would have to pay. When Joe tells McKinney and his other co-workers the fight is off, McKinney offers him an apology, which Joe accepts. Joe then goes and makes up with Meg for not understanding her reasoning before.
as a film
and video producer
. Shepherd was inspired to write a screenplay about those experiences and the people who have to work behind the scenes in corporate America
. "It occurred to me that we all expect to be special, if not famous," recalled Shepherd. The screenplay caught the attention of Kopelson Entertainment executive Matthew Gross, who first read the script while working on a television pilot
with Shepherd. Gross passed the script on to his bosses, Anne and Arnold Kopelson
, who gave Gross full support with the project.
The role of Joe Scheffer was initially offered to Jim Carrey
, but he decided to join the 2001 film The Majestic instead. The screenplay's balance of comedy and drama intrigued actor Tim Allen
, known for the television series
Home Improvement and such films as Galaxy Quest
(2000) and The Santa Clause
(1994). Allen was searching for a project that was more than just broad comedy, and felt Joe Somebody would allow him to exhibit his comedic and dramatic skills. Of the script, Allen noted, "the story has a lot of heart to it, and an emotion that I really love." Producer Brian Reilly, who partners with Allen on his films, commented that "Tim's previous roles did not have the kind of emotional truth or intimacy on screen called for by Joe Somebody. Tim has now reached a time in his life when it's right for him to do a film with rich and shaded characters." With Allen on board, the studio executives began to search for a director for the film. After reading the script and discussing the details with Allen, Reilly, and numerous studio execs, John Pasquin
, who had worked with Allen on Home Improvement, Jungle 2 Jungle
(1997), and Santa Clause, agreed to direct.
, with a
majority of the shoot divided between the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul
. Screenwriter Shepherd spent many years working in the Twin Cities, becoming very familiar with the area in the process. Gross reflected on the city: "Minneapolis is a major player in this film, which can be seen in the cast, the background players and the locations. It was written for the city." The film was shot in fifty-four days on over thirty locations. Joe Scheffer's workplace was shot at Waterford Towers in Plymouth, Minnesota
. Production designer Jackson De Govia transformed the fourth floor of the New Age office building into a drop ceiling corporate environment, which serves as a community to its employees. The Club 13 scenes were filmed at the Grand Hotel Minneapolis, while the karaoke scenes were shot at Grumpy's Bar & Grill, both in Minneapolis. The scenes of Tim Allen and Patrick Warburton
racing their shopping carts were shot at the Target
store in Plymouth. The scenes taking place at Scarett's gym were filmed in the city of Richfield
. Other scenes were shot in the cities of Crystal
and St. Paul
.
There was originally to be a title sequence of a number office workers getting to know the corporate structure. For timing purposes, the title sequence was instead spread over the film's first two scenes. The young girls in the "Bring Your Daughter To Work Day" video Joe can be seen working on in the beginning of the film were all daughters of various film crew members. The original fight between Joe and Mark was shot over two days in Minneapolis, which made it somewhat difficult to match up the colors in the processing stage of editing during post-production. Half-way through the shooting of the martial arts scenes, Tim Allen's arms became painfully bruised. Due to his injuries, Allen began to wear pads on his arms, which is why he is seen wearing them during training from the middle of the film on. Shooting finished on June 16, 2001.
, My Fair Lady
, Taxi Driver
, and The Ten Commandments
. The film also mentions the 2000 film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
, when Joe talks about what he wants to do in retaliation to McKinney. The animated television series Beavis and Butt-head
is referenced as well.
, grossing a total of $917,266 in box office sales. Joe Somebody went on to gross $22.7 million in the U.S. box office and $1.7 million in foreign countries, totaling $24.5 million in box office sales.
and producer Brian Reilly, a fight choreography featurette, four deleted scene
s with optional commentary, and the film's theatrical trailer.
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 43 based on 22 reviews. From review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
, 19% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 83 reviews.
Scott Foundas at Variety
calls the film "pleasant," and gives much credit to director Pasquin
. Although Foundas refers to the screenplay as "bland," he states that Pasquin has a "deft touch" when working with the material. Foundas also gives high marks to Allen
's work in the picture, calling his presence the "pic's winningest asset." Steve Simels at TV Guide
writes that the film "has genuine wit and pathos," some well drawn characters, "and a couple of sly comic performances." However, Simels did state that "none of these virtues can completely compensate for the film's utterly conventional message of uplift." Simels gave praise to some of the lead performances, crediting Greg Germann
in particular for nearly stealing the film, calling his portrayal "truly a marvel to behold." Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly
called the film a "standard-transmission vehicle;" she gives credit, however, to star Allen's performance, saying that the character he plays in the film "just so happens to be the kind of average-Joe character that continues to make Allen such a tidy, non-Joe bundle."
Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle
believed the film to be "an odd picture, a rumination on depression and self-discovery that's couched as an office comedy." Although Meyer said that the film is "never truly funny or insightful," she did give the picture some credit, stating that "the movie works intermittently by digging a little deeper than you might expect." Meyer also approved of the performances of Allen, Belushi, and Warburton. Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
likened the film to "an afterschool special
, with grownups cast in the kids' roles." Ebert also called the film "crashingly obvious," later remarking that the audience is "faced with the dismal prospect of being denied a climax, which, if it occurred, would be just as predictable as its substitute."
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
written by John Scott Shepherd and directed by John Pasquin
John Pasquin
John Pasquin is a American director of film, television and theatre.-Career:An alum of Beloit College and Carnegie Mellon University, Pasquin began directing Broadway theatre plays in the early 1980s. He moved on to television directing episodes of the series Family Ties, Growing Pains, Alice,...
. The film stars Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
as a man stirred into action by a workplace bully. The film also stars Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
, Kelly Lynch
Kelly Lynch
Kelly Lynch is an American actress. Once a model for the Elite modeling agency, Lynch appeared in the film Drugstore Cowboy which starred Matt Dillon, and the film Road House which starred Patrick Swayze....
, Greg Germann
Greg Germann
Gregory Andrew "Greg" Germann is an American actor. He played the roles of Richard Fish in the television series Ally McBeal, businessman Mattson from Child's Play 2 and the vet Laurence from Quarantine...
, Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
, Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
and Jim Belushi
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
.
Screenwriter John Scott Shepherd wrote the script based on his experiences working in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
. Though originally offered to Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
, the role of Joe Scheffer would eventually be taken by Allen. The film marked Allen and Pasquin's third feature together, after 1994's The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause is a 1994 American fantasy-dramedy film directed by John Pasquin, it is distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. and starring Tim Allen. In the film, Allen plays Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof on Christmas Eve...
and 1997's Jungle 2 Jungle
Jungle 2 Jungle
Jungle 2 Jungle is a 1997 comedy feature film starring Tim Allen, Martin Short and Sam Huntington. It is an American remake of the 1994 French film Un indien dans la ville . Jungle 2 Jungles plot follows the original film fairly closely...
. The entire film was shot over a nearly eight-week span in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
The film was released in the U.S. on December 21, 2001, to mixed reviews. Produced on a $38 million budget, the film ended its theatrical run with $24.5 million worldwide, making it a financial failure. The film received one award nomination, which went to young Panettiere's performance as the title character's daughter.
Plot
Joe Scheffer (Tim AllenTim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
) is a recently divorced single parent, and a talented audio/visual specialist at STARKe Pharmeceuticals, his place of employment. One day Joe pulls into the parking lot at work to find his co-worker Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
) parking in a spot that has been reserved for those who have worked for the company for 10 years. However, McKinney has only worked there for 7 years. When Joe confronts McKinney about this, McKinney assaults him in front of his young daughter Natalie (Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
). Joe falls into a state of depression until Meg Harper (Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
), the Wellness Coordinator at STARKe, accidentally ignites a fuse in him when, in a fit of frustration, she asks Joe, "What do you want?" Joe is suddenly stirred to action by this question, and decides he wants a rematch to reclaim his dignity and self-respect, which he felt McKinney took from him.
After issuing the challenge to McKinney, Joe begins to find himself becoming very popular around the office for his bravery. Meg and Natalie, however, do not feel fighting McKinney will solve anything, and both attempt to tell Joe as much, to no avail. Joe seeks out the aid of an ex B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
star-turned-martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
instructor named Chuck Scarett (Jim Belushi
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
) to teach him to defend himself. Things seem to finally be going right for Joe, as he has begun to see Meg and has even been given a promotion at work he had been hoping for. When Meg realizes Jeremy (Greg Germann
Greg Germann
Gregory Andrew "Greg" Germann is an American actor. He played the roles of Richard Fish in the television series Ally McBeal, businessman Mattson from Child's Play 2 and the vet Laurence from Quarantine...
), a colleague she works closely with for the company (who also happens to be attracted to her), only gave Joe a non-existing position at the office to prevent him from suing the company, she resigns in fear that she might one day have to demote or even fire Joe. Meg again tries to persuade Joe not to fight McKinney, and finally gives him an ultimatum: if he does not call off the fight with McKinney, their relationship is over.
The day of the fight, Joe makes it all the way to the school where the brawl is to take place. However, he finally realizes it would be immature to fight, and not worth the price he would have to pay. When Joe tells McKinney and his other co-workers the fight is off, McKinney offers him an apology, which Joe accepts. Joe then goes and makes up with Meg for not understanding her reasoning before.
Cast
- Tim AllenTim AllenTim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
as Joe Scheffer, Natalie's father and the film's main protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. - Julie BowenJulie BowenJulie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
as Meg Harper, the Wellness Coordinator at STARKe Pharmeceuticals, and Joe's romantic interest. - Kelly LynchKelly LynchKelly Lynch is an American actress. Once a model for the Elite modeling agency, Lynch appeared in the film Drugstore Cowboy which starred Matt Dillon, and the film Road House which starred Patrick Swayze....
as Callie Scheffer, Joe's ex-wife and Natalie's mother. - Greg GermannGreg GermannGregory Andrew "Greg" Germann is an American actor. He played the roles of Richard Fish in the television series Ally McBeal, businessman Mattson from Child's Play 2 and the vet Laurence from Quarantine...
as Jeremy, an executive at STARKe Pharmeceuticals, who is also romantically interested in Meg. - Hayden PanettiereHayden PanettiereHayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
as Natalie Scheffer, Joe and Callie's daughter. - Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
as Mark McKinney, an employee at STARKe Pharmeceuticals and the film's main antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. - Jim BelushiJames BelushiJames Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
as Chuck Scarett, Joe's martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
instructor and personal confidantConfidantThe confidant is a character in a story that the lead character confides in and trusts. Typically, these consist of the best friend, relative, doctor or boss.- Role :...
. - Ken MarinoKen MarinoKenneth Joseph "Ken" Marino is an American actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He was a cast member on MTV's The State and on the Starz comedy Party Down. He currently co-stars on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital.-Early life and career:Marino was born in West Islip, New York to an...
as Rick Raglow, Callie's boyfriend. - Wolfgang BodisonWolfgang BodisonWolfgang Bodison is an American actor, best known for playing Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson in the drama A Few Good Men....
as Cade Raymond, a co-worker who befriends Joe after he decides to take on McKinney. - Cristi ConawayCristi ConawayCristi Conaway is an American actress and fashion designer.Conaway attended Southern Methodist University, where she studied acting. After moving to Los Angeles, California, she made her television debut on the 1990 made-for-TV movie, Children of the Bride, and her movie debut in 1991's Doc...
as Abby Manheim, one of Joe's co-workers at STARKe Pharmeceuticals. - Robert JoyRobert JoyRobert Joy is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. Sid Hammerback in CSI: NY and playing Charlie in Land of the Dead.-Early life:...
as Pat Chilcutt, the head of Joe's department at STARKe Pharmeceuticals. - Tina Lifford as Cassandra Taylor, a counselor at Natalie's school.
Development
John Scott Shepherd, who wrote the film's script, had previous experience in advertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
as a film
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and video producer
Video production
Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
. Shepherd was inspired to write a screenplay about those experiences and the people who have to work behind the scenes in corporate America
Corporate America
Corporate America is an informal phrase describing the world of corporations within the United States not under government ownership....
. "It occurred to me that we all expect to be special, if not famous," recalled Shepherd. The screenplay caught the attention of Kopelson Entertainment executive Matthew Gross, who first read the script while working on a television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
with Shepherd. Gross passed the script on to his bosses, Anne and Arnold Kopelson
Arnold Kopelson
Arnold Kopelson is an American film producer.Among his credits are Platoon, Seven, Outbreak, The Fugitive and The Devil's Advocate.-Biography:...
, who gave Gross full support with the project.
The role of Joe Scheffer was initially offered to Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
, but he decided to join the 2001 film The Majestic instead. The screenplay's balance of comedy and drama intrigued actor Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
, known for the television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Home Improvement and such films as Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest is a 1999 science-fiction comedy parody about a troupe of human actors who defend a group of aliens against an alien warlord. It was directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. Mark Johnson and Charles Newirth produced the film for DreamWorks, and David...
(2000) and The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause is a 1994 American fantasy-dramedy film directed by John Pasquin, it is distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. and starring Tim Allen. In the film, Allen plays Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof on Christmas Eve...
(1994). Allen was searching for a project that was more than just broad comedy, and felt Joe Somebody would allow him to exhibit his comedic and dramatic skills. Of the script, Allen noted, "the story has a lot of heart to it, and an emotion that I really love." Producer Brian Reilly, who partners with Allen on his films, commented that "Tim's previous roles did not have the kind of emotional truth or intimacy on screen called for by Joe Somebody. Tim has now reached a time in his life when it's right for him to do a film with rich and shaded characters." With Allen on board, the studio executives began to search for a director for the film. After reading the script and discussing the details with Allen, Reilly, and numerous studio execs, John Pasquin
John Pasquin
John Pasquin is a American director of film, television and theatre.-Career:An alum of Beloit College and Carnegie Mellon University, Pasquin began directing Broadway theatre plays in the early 1980s. He moved on to television directing episodes of the series Family Ties, Growing Pains, Alice,...
, who had worked with Allen on Home Improvement, Jungle 2 Jungle
Jungle 2 Jungle
Jungle 2 Jungle is a 1997 comedy feature film starring Tim Allen, Martin Short and Sam Huntington. It is an American remake of the 1994 French film Un indien dans la ville . Jungle 2 Jungles plot follows the original film fairly closely...
(1997), and Santa Clause, agreed to direct.
Filming
Filming began on April 9, 2001. The entire film was shot in MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, with a
majority of the shoot divided between the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. Screenwriter Shepherd spent many years working in the Twin Cities, becoming very familiar with the area in the process. Gross reflected on the city: "Minneapolis is a major player in this film, which can be seen in the cast, the background players and the locations. It was written for the city." The film was shot in fifty-four days on over thirty locations. Joe Scheffer's workplace was shot at Waterford Towers in Plymouth, Minnesota
Plymouth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 65,894 people, 24,820 households, and 17,647 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,002.0 persons per square mile . There were 25,258 housing units at an average density of 767.4 per square mile...
. Production designer Jackson De Govia transformed the fourth floor of the New Age office building into a drop ceiling corporate environment, which serves as a community to its employees. The Club 13 scenes were filmed at the Grand Hotel Minneapolis, while the karaoke scenes were shot at Grumpy's Bar & Grill, both in Minneapolis. The scenes of Tim Allen and Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
racing their shopping carts were shot at the Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
store in Plymouth. The scenes taking place at Scarett's gym were filmed in the city of Richfield
Richfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,439 people, 15,073 households, and 8,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,993.9 people per square mile . There were 15,357 housing units at an average density of 2,226.9 per square mile...
. Other scenes were shot in the cities of Crystal
Crystal, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,698 people, 9,389 households, and 6,102 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,929.3 people per square mile . There were 9,481 housing units at an average density of 1,641.3 per square mile...
and St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
.
There was originally to be a title sequence of a number office workers getting to know the corporate structure. For timing purposes, the title sequence was instead spread over the film's first two scenes. The young girls in the "Bring Your Daughter To Work Day" video Joe can be seen working on in the beginning of the film were all daughters of various film crew members. The original fight between Joe and Mark was shot over two days in Minneapolis, which made it somewhat difficult to match up the colors in the processing stage of editing during post-production. Half-way through the shooting of the martial arts scenes, Tim Allen's arms became painfully bruised. Due to his injuries, Allen began to wear pads on his arms, which is why he is seen wearing them during training from the middle of the film on. Shooting finished on June 16, 2001.
Cultural references
The film makes numerous references to other films, including The MatrixThe Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady (film)
My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation , rather than from...
, Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
, and The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
. The film also mentions the 2000 film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen...
, when Joe talks about what he wants to do in retaliation to McKinney. The animated television series Beavis and Butt-head
Beavis and Butt-Head
Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...
is referenced as well.
Box office
Joe Somebody opened on December 21, 2001, ranking number ten at the box office, and earning $3,553,725 in its opening weekend in 2,506 theaters. Outside of the U.S., the film was most successful in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, grossing a total of $917,266 in box office sales. Joe Somebody went on to gross $22.7 million in the U.S. box office and $1.7 million in foreign countries, totaling $24.5 million in box office sales.
Home media
The film was released to home video in the U.S. on August 20, 2002. Features on the DVD release include a commentary track featuring director John PasquinJohn Pasquin
John Pasquin is a American director of film, television and theatre.-Career:An alum of Beloit College and Carnegie Mellon University, Pasquin began directing Broadway theatre plays in the early 1980s. He moved on to television directing episodes of the series Family Ties, Growing Pains, Alice,...
and producer Brian Reilly, a fight choreography featurette, four deleted scene
Deleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
s with optional commentary, and the film's theatrical trailer.
Critical response
The film received a two-and-a-half star rating from the Allmovie film review website. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 43 based on 22 reviews. From review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, 19% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 83 reviews.
Scott Foundas at Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
calls the film "pleasant," and gives much credit to director Pasquin
John Pasquin
John Pasquin is a American director of film, television and theatre.-Career:An alum of Beloit College and Carnegie Mellon University, Pasquin began directing Broadway theatre plays in the early 1980s. He moved on to television directing episodes of the series Family Ties, Growing Pains, Alice,...
. Although Foundas refers to the screenplay as "bland," he states that Pasquin has a "deft touch" when working with the material. Foundas also gives high marks to Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
's work in the picture, calling his presence the "pic's winningest asset." Steve Simels at TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
writes that the film "has genuine wit and pathos," some well drawn characters, "and a couple of sly comic performances." However, Simels did state that "none of these virtues can completely compensate for the film's utterly conventional message of uplift." Simels gave praise to some of the lead performances, crediting Greg Germann
Greg Germann
Gregory Andrew "Greg" Germann is an American actor. He played the roles of Richard Fish in the television series Ally McBeal, businessman Mattson from Child's Play 2 and the vet Laurence from Quarantine...
in particular for nearly stealing the film, calling his portrayal "truly a marvel to behold." Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the film a "standard-transmission vehicle;" she gives credit, however, to star Allen's performance, saying that the character he plays in the film "just so happens to be the kind of average-Joe character that continues to make Allen such a tidy, non-Joe bundle."
Carla Meyer of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
believed the film to be "an odd picture, a rumination on depression and self-discovery that's couched as an office comedy." Although Meyer said that the film is "never truly funny or insightful," she did give the picture some credit, stating that "the movie works intermittently by digging a little deeper than you might expect." Meyer also approved of the performances of Allen, Belushi, and Warburton. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
likened the film to "an afterschool special
After school special
The American Broadcasting Company coined the term after school special in 1972 with a series of made for television movies, usually dealing with controversial or socially relevant issues, that were generally broadcast in the late afternoon and meant to be viewed by school age children, particularly...
, with grownups cast in the kids' roles." Ebert also called the film "crashingly obvious," later remarking that the audience is "faced with the dismal prospect of being denied a climax, which, if it occurred, would be just as predictable as its substitute."
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organization | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... s |
Best Performance in a Feature Film (Leading Young Actress) — Hayden Panettiere Hayden Panettiere Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in... |