As in "keeping up with ... ". Possible spoilers, although anyone with their brain turned on can figure out the whole plot once they learn the premise.
The premise, while a bit of a stretch of plausibility, is that there are fake families set up in upscale neighborhoods who are supposedly earning their pay by selling a lifestyle that causes the whole neighborhood to increase their consumer spending. The Jones family is one such family.
The movie opens to what looks to be a normal nuclear family of Mom, Dad, Sis and Bro driving to their new house in their new mini-SUV, the movers are delivering all their possessions and setting up the house as if it were already lived in. It's actually a pretty cool scene.
Demi Moore plays the mom and "boss" of the family and David Duchovny plays the dad (Steve Jones) and "newbie"; it's his first family. Before being hired for the "role", he was a fairly successful car salesman and golf pro; however he never married or had his own real family.
Steve is the protagonist and we see things from his perspective. Duchovny is perfect for the role. He evokes sympathy and you want to like him and root for him. Initially his numbers are low because he's still trying to sell products like he used to, until Demi Moore's character points out that he's supposed to be selling a lifestyle and using other people to sell products in a sort of word-of-mouth pyramid scheme. After he learns this, of course, his numbers go through the roof and he's offered his own family.
With this premise, you just know there has to be a neighbor who is living way beyond their means and in a horrible bit of miscasting IMO, Gary Cole plays that neighbor. You would think the producer would want the neighbor to build sympathy over their eventual plight, but Cole can't pull it off. I found myself looking forward to his preordained demise.
"The Joneses" will not be a classic by any stretch. However, despite the plot holes and missteps, (Duchovny is re-offered the promotion even after blowing everything to smithereens), it's an entertaining ride, especially if you can watch it with an over-consumer. I bet it would be just as entertaining watching an over-consumer drooling over the gadgets being used in the movie. It's well worth a spot in the old Netflix queue or a dollar rental.
A humorous aside, as they're driving to their house in the first scene, Demi Moore says that the average income in the neighborhood is above $100,000 and everyone seems impressed. I'm wondering if they took that number from the original script written 10 years ago because that was no $100,000 neighborhood.
Movie: "The Joneses"
This movie is great. They did a good job of capturing the essence of consumerism and bringing to life the ads on TV and in magazines
The owner of this sales business tells Duchovny, "If they want you, they want what you have." All of those TV and magazine ads are filled with people you are supposed to want or want to be like, thereby translating into wanting the stuff they are selling. Well done
The owner of this sales business tells Duchovny, "If they want you, they want what you have." All of those TV and magazine ads are filled with people you are supposed to want or want to be like, thereby translating into wanting the stuff they are selling. Well done
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RightClawSouth
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:15 am
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Robert Muir
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:15 pm
@RightClawSouth "I see all that crap and it gives me the creeps - I actively don't want it."
I'm the opposite. I know myself to be *extremely* susceptible to influence from media. Many moons ago, in a barracks room in a far off place, (Iceland), I thought it would be cool to put some adult beverage advertisements on my wall that I clipped from magazines. You know the kind; wild women riding on raging polar bears, etc. Well, it wasn't long that I noticed my thirst for alcoholic drinks increasing substantially. Within a month I had ripped down the ads and learned a very valuable lesson.
You are what you watch.
You are what you read.
You are who you associate with.
Since that time I have been consciously and continuously trying to increase my resistance - not always successfully.
I'm the opposite. I know myself to be *extremely* susceptible to influence from media. Many moons ago, in a barracks room in a far off place, (Iceland), I thought it would be cool to put some adult beverage advertisements on my wall that I clipped from magazines. You know the kind; wild women riding on raging polar bears, etc. Well, it wasn't long that I noticed my thirst for alcoholic drinks increasing substantially. Within a month I had ripped down the ads and learned a very valuable lesson.
You are what you watch.
You are what you read.
You are who you associate with.
Since that time I have been consciously and continuously trying to increase my resistance - not always successfully.
@RightClaw South----"Oh man, think of the depreciation! 
"
People buying new cars make payments AND "depreciation" payments.
Say you buy a 30K ride that is worth 15K in four years. Say your payments on the 30K ride (swollen to 34.5K since your trade was owing) are $850.00 a month. Add the monthly depreciation in and your paying well over a thousand a month without realizing it. Say you get smart and drive the ride till paid off. Now its worth peanuts compared to what you put into it. Factor in fuel, insurance, maintenance, sales tax and other costs and your headed 90 MPH down a dead end street.
The odd thing is that either the general public does not know this, or just flat do not care. They need the latest body style Tahoe or Expedition. These are not worth zip at the 100K mile mark. They have thrown money down a rat hole for status.
If people want to know why they are broke, all they need do is look in their driveway. It's a game--the factory slams the dealer, but then helps the dealer slam the buyers. Funny when they advertise 0% interest ($16.60 a month on each thousand financed) zero percent what? When you beat them at one game they have two more to bring out. My company bought a 2003 Tahoe listing for $37,500 in that year. Today it is worth $8,500.00,but only in excellent condition. I still have it and plan to drive it 200,000 miles. Right now it only has 75,000 on it. And it's worth a particle of the original price. Criminal.
SO------Have a seat and a cup of coffee, let me talk to my manager. We want to put you in one today. How can we earn your business?
" People buying new cars make payments AND "depreciation" payments.
Say you buy a 30K ride that is worth 15K in four years. Say your payments on the 30K ride (swollen to 34.5K since your trade was owing) are $850.00 a month. Add the monthly depreciation in and your paying well over a thousand a month without realizing it. Say you get smart and drive the ride till paid off. Now its worth peanuts compared to what you put into it. Factor in fuel, insurance, maintenance, sales tax and other costs and your headed 90 MPH down a dead end street.
The odd thing is that either the general public does not know this, or just flat do not care. They need the latest body style Tahoe or Expedition. These are not worth zip at the 100K mile mark. They have thrown money down a rat hole for status.
If people want to know why they are broke, all they need do is look in their driveway. It's a game--the factory slams the dealer, but then helps the dealer slam the buyers. Funny when they advertise 0% interest ($16.60 a month on each thousand financed) zero percent what? When you beat them at one game they have two more to bring out. My company bought a 2003 Tahoe listing for $37,500 in that year. Today it is worth $8,500.00,but only in excellent condition. I still have it and plan to drive it 200,000 miles. Right now it only has 75,000 on it. And it's worth a particle of the original price. Criminal.
SO------Have a seat and a cup of coffee, let me talk to my manager. We want to put you in one today. How can we earn your business?
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RightClawSouth
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:15 am