The plot of this film revolves around three white collar executives, Bobby Walker (Ben Afflack), Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper), and Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones). The three men work at a successful corporation, but the company faces a financial crisis during the recession. They are all laid off from work and now have to face the reality of unemployment. These three men struggle with their personal lives, their identities and the search for a new job.
The movie was filmed throughout Boston:
- The bar where Gene finds Phil is Daisy Buchanan’s on 240 Newbury Street in Boston.
- They also filmed some scenes at the Fore River ShipYard in Quincy, Massachusetts.
- Other towns in Massachusetts the movie was filmed in include Framingham and Wellesley.
Some interesting facts about the film include:
- Tommy Lee Jones shot all his scenes in only 18 days.
- All three guys in the cast are Oscar winners.
- John Well incorporated real life sentences and explanations from the CEO’s and their wives in order to gather information for the screenplay.