David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Chris Williams, Glenne Headly, Lauren Hutton
Derrick Borte
Rated R
96 Mins.
Roadside Attractions
is a surprisingly funny and biting family drama/social commentary/dark satire in which greed, materialism, narcissism and the whole idea of "keeping up with the Joneses" is skewered with vicious delight wrapped neatly by this Abercrombie quartet of fashionably clad self-promoters with a hidden agenda that turns this town upside down before turning the family upside down when one neighbor's efforts to, indeed, keep up with the Jones family ends up in tragedy. is notable for a few basic reasons. First, the film features Demi Moore's best performance in years as a greedy, upwardly mobile yet faintly human whose spa splurges trigger spending urges by nearly anyone unfortunate enough to be in her path. Moore's Kate sort of brings to mind Donna Reed meets Gordon Gekko, a unique fusion of heart versus heartlessness that is completely sold by Moore even when the script, especially in the film's final third, ultimately lets her down. Secondly, proves that David Duchovny can act and does, in fact, have emotions. While this may sound like a subtle jab (it is), it's much more a statement about the actor's seemingly innate ability to choose nondescript, intellectual characters without an iota of an emotional core. In however, Duchovny's Steve has a core of humanity that seems uncomfortably out of place in this fashionably assembled family of choice. Finally, as the neighbor who can't quite keep up with the Joneses, Gary Cole adds to his long career of adding unimagined depth to thinly sketched characters by creating a vivid picture of a man whose seemingly ideal love is anything but ideal and whose inability to simply "be" ultimately sends everything and everyone around him into a downward spiral. Within the first few minutes of you will likely have caught on to this family's not so hidden secrets, but until the film's third act writer/director Derrick Borte manages to keep the film moving along at an entertaining and energetic pace. It is only when the inevitable dynamics of living together as family start to penetrate the facade that the film itself starts to disintegrate as quickly as does this family unit. Ultimately, it seems like just when should be taking its giant leap into dark satire Borte pulls the reins back and allows the film to fold into a neatly piled stack of family drama and dynamics. Despite its not so satisfying resolution, is 2010's first comedy that both stimulates intellectually and elicits laughs. Featuring a refreshingly relaxed and natural performance from Demi Moore, grounded performances from both Duchovny and Cole plus solid supporting turns from Amber Heard and Glenne Headly, keeping up with is both affordable and rewarding. |
23 Apr 2010
Joneses, The
A case study in how a killer idea and on-form cast can come together to not quite work, this long-delayed effort centres on a picture-perfect ‘family’ whose entire lives are a form of guerrilla marketing. By their attractive, high-gloss, perfectly dressed examples they become style leaders in their small town, sending sales of everything they touch skyrocketing — until their own relationships, and the relentless pressure of seeming perfection, sends them faltering.
Both Demi Moore and David Duchovny remind us why they used to be huge, but while the attacks on consumer culture are largely effective, by portraying the ‘family’s’ employers in a cuddly rather than rapacious light the drama is drained of tension and the satire deprived of teeth.
Common Sense Media
Movie & TV reviews for parents
The joneses.
Teen sex, drugs, drinking pop up in satire on materialism.
Parents need to know that this worthy satire pokes fun at materialism while making it look very tantalizing in the process (thanks to a load of product placement throughout the film). One of the teen girl characters is sexually intimate with at least two older men, and we see her breasts briefly and hear sexual sounds…
Where to start? The film is laden with labels, everything from Van Cleef and Arp
Social drinking; teens imbibe alcohol at a party and drive while loaded; teen po
Some strong language, including "bitch," "s--t," "ass" and "f--k." Also, one "Go
A teenager is seen quickly getting into the bed of an older man naked, though th
A teenager punches another guy who makes a pass at him and yells out a homophobi
It's simple, really: Things won't make you happy. They can even make you downrig
The Joneses are seen as role models in the movie, and yet clearly they're flawed
Where to start? The film is laden with labels, everything from Van Cleef and Arpels, Audi, MBT sneakers, Dell, YSL, Style.com, and even a toilet named Toto. Many logos are visible, many products name-checked. The movie is practically the Home Shopping Network. But all this is intended to poke fun at our cultural obsessions with products like these.
Social drinking; teens imbibe alcohol at a party and drive while loaded; teen pot-smoking and diet pill overuse.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
Some strong language, including "bitch," "s--t," "ass" and "f--k." Also, one "Goddamn."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
A teenager is seen quickly getting into the bed of an older man naked, though the audience doesn't get a glimpse of anything else but her breasts (and only briefly at that). She is also shown under covers with her shoulders bared, making out with another, also older, man. They're also heard moaning off-camera. A couple kisses passionately a few times. Some sexual innuendos.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
A teenager punches another guy who makes a pass at him and yells out a homophobic slur. A couple argues loudly. A character commits suicide by drowning himself.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
It's simple, really: Things won't make you happy. They can even make you downright miserable. Still, there's a reason why spending to get them is so alluring. But there's a bigger price to pay than what's on the receipt; and behind every product is a salesperson who cares not a whit about what happens to you if you buy more than you can afford.
The Joneses are seen as role models in the movie, and yet clearly they're flawed and, more important, happily so. (They sure do make the pursuit of products look so good.) Others covet what they have and make spending decisions accordingly. Teenagers drink and drive drunk, and hold in high regard those who have the latest and greatest (just like their parents). Many of them suffer the consequences, and the downsides of their seemingly perfect lifestyles are unmasked.
Parents need to know that this worthy satire pokes fun at materialism while making it look very tantalizing in the process (thanks to a load of product placement throughout the film). One of the teen girl characters is sexually intimate with at least two older men, and we see her breasts briefly and hear sexual sounds, though no activity appears onscreen. A teen boy kisses another boy before being rebuffed. Teens drink alcohol and drive drunk. There's some pot-smoking and diet pill-popping, along with a good amount of swearing ("f--k" and "bitch"). Yet the movie has the potential to start some meaningful discussions about materialism and how products are sold to consumers. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .
Videos and photos.
Based on 1 parent review
They've just moved in, and yet it's already hard to keep up with the Joneses. First, they're gorgeous. Steve ( David Duchovny ) is witty and wired with all the latest gadgets, and has a mean golf swing. Kate ( Demi Moore ) looks half her age, hosts a mean dinner party, and keeps a beautiful home filled with covetable things. Their kids ( Amber Heard and Ben Hollingsworth) are stylish and instantly popular at the high school. It's no surprise then that their next-door neighbors, Larry ( Gary Cole ) and Summer (Glenne Headly), want to be them. Little do they know, however, that the Joneses are picture-perfect for a reason, and that reason strikes at the heart of every American consumer. They have products to sell, and their role is to make their neighbors buy them.
How wonderful it is to fall in love with David Duchovny once more; THE JONESES gives him another chance to dazzle with his dry wit and observational stance. As Steve, he leads the audience in this satirical journey into the heart and soul(lessness) of abject consumerism. (Moore is a revelation, too. Finally, she has a part that doesn't just trade on her looks, even though appearances matter much here.) It's mostly successful; first-time director Derrick Borte handles the enterprise assuredly, and the supporting cast, especially Cole, adds layers to what could have been a superficial indictment of materialism and advertising. We are living in a material world, indeed.
Nevertheless, a shift in tone near the end, though adding gravity to the proceedings, diminishes the cheeky glee that earlier gives the film such lift. (Think Ocean's 11 .) The Joneses has a message, we understand that, but in making sure it gets delivered, it loses its verve. Must a movie become self-serious in order to make its very true, and very important, point?
Families can talk about the marketing tactic that the Joneses employ: Is it believable? Is it, in fact, happening now to a certain extent?
What is marketing , and how does it work in everyday life? What makes consumers want to buy what they do?
What are the consequences of overspending? What is its allure considering how destructive it can be?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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Imagine an advertising firm wanted to pay you to use a particular kind of phone and all you have to do is tell your friends about how great it is, does that sound ethical to you? What if you were paid to move into a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife, cute kids and all the cool stuff you could imagine and all you have to do is tell people that, that is your life and encourage them to want what you had, would that be ethical? Would you consider that lying? Those are exactly the questions posed by the new fascinating and extremely entertaining black comedy, " The Joneses ." David Duchovny and Demi Moore star in the film, in two terrific performances, as the married couple who are actually strangers pretending to have the perfect life together. Equally excellent in the film is the great Gary Cole, who seems to steal every scene in every movie he's in, and veteran actress Glenne Headly as the envious next door neighbors desperate to have the life that they see advertised next door.
The film, in tone, reminds me of Duchovney's other great black comedy, '2006s "The TV Set" and the actor is just as good, if not better here. Of course, Duchovney is best known for playing Agent Fox Mulder on "The X-Files" TV series and in the films, as well as his current hit show "Californication," but the actor does have a reputation for picking unusual yet intriguing film projects and quite often gives a bold and daring performance. That is no different in this movie as the actor has an opportunity to show all of his wide range of emotions in the film. Demi Moore was for some time one of the most popular actresses in the world. She's since semi-retired to raise her daughters but now that most of them are grown, in fact Rumor is an accomplished actress in her own right now, she is back in front of the camera and if her performance here is any example of the work she is capable of doing then the actress still has some of the best work of her career left ahead for audiences to enjoy. Her performance her is both sophisticated and vulnerable, while she is completely believable in every scene she's in. Moore's icy cool demeanor is perfect for the role.
The film begins by introducing us to the Joneses, a new family moving into an upper-class suburban neighborhood. Steve (Duchovny) and Kate (Moore) seem to have the perfect lives. They have two beautiful children, Jenn (Amber Heard) and Mick (Ben Hollingsworth), they live in a gorgeous house, they have great cars and all the latest cool stuff. They are instantly liked and envied by everyone in the neighbor hood by the Joneses are harboring dark secret ... it's not real! You see Steve, Kate, Jenn and Mick are not a real family. They don't even really known each other. They are essentially actors, paid by a marketing firm to display the perfect life and make all their friends and neighbors want the same state-of-the-art stuff that they have. Steve is new at this but catching on quick while Kate is an old pro who hopes to earn a corporate position soon. The Joneses are a hit in the neighborhood right away, however their perfect lives could begin to unravel.
Jenn is a sex addict and begins to seduce several married men in the neighborhood while Mick quickly finds a popular girlfriend, but he has a secret as well ... he's gay. Things get more complicated as Steve begins to have feelings for Kate. As the team continues to sell with great success the Joneses befriend the next-door neighbors, Larry and Summer, brilliantly played by Gary Cole and Glenne Headly, respectively. Larry and Summer try desperately to "keep up" with the Joneses but that just begins to create financial problems for the couple. As the Joneses lies become bigger and bigger, their perfect life becomes threatened by local tragedy and Steve, a former golf-pro and used car salesman comes face to face with morals and ethics that he didn't even know he had. In the end, while it may be a fake family, it's the only family he has and he will stop at nothing to keep them together as he realizes that he truly loves Kate. Now Kate must choose between the posh life that she thought she wanted and the real love that she has found with Steve.
Also giving a fine performance in the film is Lauren Hutton, who plays the wise yet cold corporate handler for the family. Both Heard and Hollingsworth are adequate in their performances as well. But it is the work of Duchovny, Moore, Cole and Headly that is really excellent here. All four actors display a depth and understanding for the material that comes out in every moment of their performances. While Duchovny and Moore definitely center the movie and carry most of the weight on their own, it's Cole's breakout performance as the decent yet tragic neighbor that will have people talking. Cole has been giving great performances for years and while he is still best known for his role in the cult classic "Office Space," hopefully this movie will go along way to showing the true range of the actor. First time writer/director Derrick Borte certainly did not pull any punches with his first feature, as it is a powerful, thought provoking and darkly funny film. In the end, The Joneses will make you think about the importance that we put on consumer products in this country and how it affects our lives while making you laugh and entertaining you at the same time with the film's brilliant performances.
Published April 16, 2010 Reviews By Robert Levin Disclaimer When you purchase through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a commission.
The descriptor “high concept” is so often bandied about by critics that it’s become a cliché, but there’s no better way to frame The Joneses , from writer-director Derrick Borte. Fortunately, the concept the picture employs is a pungent one, aptly applied to a consumerist world. It’s out there but plausible, a logical extension of the steadfast drive toward invasive targeted marketing that’s a hallmark of an age in which everything and everyone has a price.
The immaculately attired, catalogue-caliber handsome Jones family, newly arrived to a resplendent mansion in a tony suburb, seems too perfect to be true. And, as we learn when “daughter” Jenn (Amber Heard) strips and fondles “dad” Steve ( David Duchovny ), they are. Professional salespeople, recruited to form a faux clan, their job is to fan out among their neighbors and push as many goods, high and low end, as possible.
Steve sets his sights on the big spenders at the golf course. With her luxury furnishings and designer wardrobe, “mom” Kate (Demi Moore) goes after the housewives. Jenn and her “brother” Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) show up at the local high school and within minutes of screen time amass the large followings of icons.
Borte gets ample mileage out of the premise without heightening things to an absurd degree. Working in an observational mode, with actors and without a single talking head or statistic, he aptly expresses the subtle ways this mass, all-encompassing commodifying is destroying our collective sense of self.
It’s a wearisome burden, looking to products for self-validation, measuring one’s worth by the size of your bank account and proliferation of playthings. The film smartly strips the fun and the sexiness out of buying a sleek new car, or fancy tableware. In the second thoughts that begin to percolate within Steve, a newbie at this sort of operation, and the emasculation of next door neighbor Larry ( Gary Cole ) – who can’t keep up with the Joneses – the film adeptly draws out the sinister nature of such a superficially lavish lifestyle. The American Dream of 2010 is reformatted into a weighty albatross.
The picture does a less credible job of inspiring investment in the Joneses themselves, save for Steve, who Duchovny plays with enough regular guy charm to be an effective conduit for the audience’s sympathies. Yet the other family members are so painstakingly picturesque the movie might not work as well were they to reveal an otherwise hidden third dimension, suddenly spouting off about literature and politics. These are people who must live in and love a soulless world driven by consumption, with home and work, the personal and the professional combined in an unwieldy mess. They are the characters they play.
Visually, the movie further expands on that essential notion. Operating with a straightforward, glossy exterior, presenting a glamorous milieu shot with an advertiser’s fetishizing lens, the movie looks like the cinematic version of one of the Joneses’ products. A sly, smart satire, however, is buried therein. The Joneses frames us as prisoners of our desires, trapped in a world of our own making.
The Upside: The movie is centered on a clever premise that effectively comments our society’s obsession with products.
The Downside: It’s hard to care too much about the plight of the Joneses.
On the Side: The Joneses is Derrick Borte’s feature filmmaking debut.
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Details: 2009, USA, Cert 15, 95 mins
Direction: Derrick Borte
Genre: Drama
Summary: A seemingly perfect couple and their two teenage children are the envy of their gated community - but the neighbours are blissfully unaware of their dirty secret
With: Amber Heard , Ben Hollingsworth , David Duchovny , Demi Moore , Gary Cole , Glenne Headly and Lauren Hutton
Philip french, peter bradshaw, user reviews, related articles, consumerism triumphs in the joneses, the joneses: 'a bright and glossy satire of our bright and glossy culture'.
Xan Brooks recommends that you buy into Derrick Borte's sharply played look at consumerism, with David Duchovny and Demi Moore as a fake family subliminally flogging luxury goods to their neighbours
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This take on "stealth marketing" is original - but doesn't quite convince
The Joneses
Cert: 15, 96 mins
Starring: Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Ben Hollingsworth
The Joneses sounds like a great film, until you have to watch it. That’s when it becomes a distinctly average one. David Duchovny is married to Demi Moore , and together they are The Joneses , who’ve recently moved to a new neighbourhood with their oh-so-perfect kids ( Ben Hollingsworth and Amber Heard ).
Only, they’re not The Joneses at all – they’re a family unit of “stealth marketers”, employed to stroll around town wearing the latest clothes, using the latest gadgets, drinking the latest drinks, and therefore getting all their new friends to do the same. As the tagline could have said: Stealth marketing, scary huh?
And it would be, if any of it made sense. Certainly, there’s a good 20 minutes when this seems an incredibly clever idea for a film – you get to explore the nature of marketing, the inherent dishonesty of advertising in human form, the way that we all, in some ways, become what we do for a living – but pretty soon you realise that, barring the odd scene thrown in the direction of these ideas, this is essentially the cartoon version of what a good film could have been.
Example: Duchovny and Moore invite their neighbours in for a drink, and give one of them (played by Gary Cole ) a beer. It’s a Stella , a product The Joneses are marketing. “You’re right!” exclaims Cole as if he’s discovered how to turn metal to gold, “that’s a really good beer!”. It’s a Stella . A Stella! Have you not had a beer of any kind before, Gary ? Or any variety of chilled beverage? Because, really, that’s the only explanation for his reaction. And so it goes with every product they flog – from mobile phones to golf clubs to cars to skate boards to – in one inexplicable instance – a particular combo of scarf and lipstick. “What?” you feel like screaming. “You people never knew these things existed before? It’s just a scarf and lipstick, so what if Amber Heard is wearing it?”
I kid you not, most of this is done in montage, and at the end, virtually every girl in the high-school is wearing this same scarf and lipstick due to Amber’s “stealth marketing” campaign (ie wearing it and looking hot). I’m sorry, that’s not stealth marketing, that’s mass hysteria, and trust me, if the advertising companies could bottle that, they would.
And so, the rest of the film – with, predictably, some of the people biting off more than they can chew in buying these products – loses any foothold it had on reality.
It’s all the more frustrating because, just beneath the surface, there’s a very good film here just waiting to get out. You can see it in the moments of mournful regret of Duchovny’s character, a washed-up golf pro who doesn’t know what he’s doing with his life. Or the “son”, and how he’s playing a role in more ways than one. Sadly, the script needed a few more drafts and a more delicate directorial hand to dig them out. As far as products go, The Joneses is just shy of the real deal.
Stuart McGurk
5 out of 10
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"We waste our money so you don't have to."
"We waste our money, so you don't have to."
The joneses.
US Release Date: 04-16-2010
Directed by: Derrick Borte
Ben Hollingsworth, Amber Heard, Demi Moore and David Duchovny play the
The Joneses (as in "Keeping up with...") never really works on any level. It wants to make a statement about our culture of mass consumption, but its message is muddled and aimed at the wrong target. It also wants to be funny, but it never elicits more than a chuckle. For this movie to work it should really have gone surreal and out there or took a stance and stood by it, but it never does.
Duchovny and Moore play Steve and Kate Jones, a seemingly rich, happy, good looking and all around perfect couple who are the parents of Jenn and Mick Jones, the seemingly perfect teenage son and daughter. I say seemingly (and if you saw the previews, you already know this) because in reality they're not a family at all, but marketers who pose as a family, move into an affluent neighborhood and try to start fashion and shopping trends in the area by becoming popular and showing off all their possessions so that soon everyone will want to be like them. Things don't go that smoothly though when the "daughter", who isn't really a teenager, starts having an affair with a much older man. The son, who's supposed to be a ladies man, turns out to be gay and makes a pass at his "girlfriend's" brother. Things get further complicated when Steve starts to really fall for Kate.
The message of the movie is definitely muddled. It shows through the neighbor, played by Gary Cole, what the cost of trying to keep up with the Joneses can be, but who's it blaming? Is it blaming the neighbor who foolishly tries to live beyond his means? Or is it trying to misplace the blame onto society as represented by the Joneses? Or is it just reporting things and letting the audience sort it out? Whatever the case, it's not saying anything original or meaningful.
I found it ironic that a movie that seemed to condemning consumerism features several instances of blatant product placement. Dell computer and Audi both feature heavily in the film. Is it this commercialism that holds the script back since they can't anger the people putting up the money for it?
At least the cast is good. Moore and Duchovny are believable in their parts, even if you never really learn that much about them. Likewise Heard and Hollingsworth do a decent enough job as the daughter and son. They're just not given enough to work with.
With the recent recession and consumer spending dropping and a backlash against commercialism happening, you'd think this movie could find plenty to say, but instead it plays it very safe and rather dull.
I would buy what their selling.
The message of the movie is not at all muddled. It is definitely condemning consumerism and our free market as represented by the Joneses. This is exemplified by Steve's speech at the end when he announces that he has lied to everyone. He reveals it as if it means anything. We are surrounded by ads, commercials, televisions and movies that try to sell us lies to separate us from our paycheck. What the Joneses do in this movie is nothing that has not been going on for years, other than they are organized as a business in the film.
The Joneses are not bad people, or at all evil, but the movie treats them as criminals. Look how they scurry away like rats exposed to the sun, as Steve spills the beans on their actual "family" dynamics. It is not a crime to move into a neighborhood and flaunt your possessions, or lie about the relationship of the person living with you. Their one crime may be that the "son" and "daughter" are actually adults pretending to be high schoolers.
Speaking of the "son" and "daughter', they are horribly unprofessional business salesmen. Jenn jumps into bed with Steve and a middle aged neighbor. Mick tries to kiss a guy who has made no indication that he would reciprocate. Who hired them? Kate comes across as a hard ass, goal oriented professional, but then gets all motherly when the trampy Jenn gets dumped by her married lover.
This movie starts out all about business and capitalism but then dissolves into a liberal message about how feelings and emotions are more important than making money. This could have worked if the family in question was a real family that had gotten side tracked by their own greed, and needed to be reminded of some simple family values.
As it is I never bought any of the characters. Steve was a stud who falls in love with Kate out of what, convenience? Kate is focused on her career until Steve kisses her passionately? Really? Jenn was hired to pose as a high schooler to sell other girls products but she puts her efforts into an affair outside of school. Mick has no personality other than he is gay.
The Joneses states the obvious, that we all want a better life and some of us are willing to go into debt for it. It proceeds to treat the purveyors of merchandise as villains who meet in dark windowed limosines and behind closed doors. They treat them as if they are forcing people to buy things. Forcing someone to purchase a particular item is criminal in the likes of mobsters shaking down a business for protection money. No one can force you to buy anything, except our government, with such things as healthcare and LED light bulbs.
Photos © Copyright Roadside Attractions (2010)
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Learn With Me
Is it worth it keeping up with the Joneses?
That’s a question the 2009 Comedy “The Joneses” constantly asks the audience.
When I saw the film starring Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth for the first time in theaters over a decade ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even now, it stuck with me.
It’s a poignant take on consumerism and that drive to fit in by having all of the right stuff. But, of course, what’s impressive about this movie is that it came out before the wide adoption of social media sites like Instagram, where having the right stuff is essential.
The movie calls their form of marketing ’self-marketing,’ which is close to the social concept of influencers but way more secretive. The writers got the influence of the influencers right but couldn’t predict that influencers would be so shameless in their push of products that they would be open about it. That’s not a shot at influencers. They are modern salespeople disguised as lifestyle bloggers or ‘brands’. In fact almost everyone is an influencer in some way. I’ve even written plenty of sponsored articles in my time. No shade here.
Okay, the idea is both wild and genius. Perfect for a modern comedy.
The movie follows the perfect white family, the Joneses, that moves into a new wealthy American suburb and quickly becomes the most popular family in town. The twist is that the family is fake. They are all actors/ marketers who get paid a lot of money to infiltrate new neighborhoods with high buying power so they can increase sales of luxury products such as Audi automobiles and jewelry from Van Cleef & Arpels. The movie’s tagline is: “They’re not just living the American Dream. They’re selling it.”
How are they able to do this? Well, the movie makes it seem pretty simple. First, an organization puts together the perfect family; a classic 4 unit of husband, wife, son, and daughter who are incredibly good-looking and charismatic. The fake family then establishes themselves in their respective domains, such as the high school, country club, or hair salon, to gain the trust of their neighbors and peers, who are completely oblivious that they’re being sold.
They recommend products to them as any friend would do. For example, when at the golf range, Steve Jones, played by the charismatic David Duchovney, recommends his clubs to his new buddies because they added 40 yards to his drive.
After gaining the trust, they can recommend all of the newest and coolest things in every category, from beverages to vacations, and they do a fantastic job at it. Until, of course, there are unfortunate events that cause the whole thing to unravel. You can watch the trailer here .
The Joneses is a well-made film. It’s a slick, quick outing (96 min) that’s well shot, written, and acted. I would say it’s hilarious in the first half, and then it gets darker in the second.
The Joneses is one of those movies that makes you think about your spending habits and your desire to want all of the “right stuff.”. Is it believable? No, not in 2022, but companies are so quickly able to infiltrate our lives that it’s not hard to imagine this type of guerilla marketing in the near, dystopian-esque future, especially with customer acquisition costs going up so much .
I’ve always been someone who notices brands, like what shoes a person is wearing or the logo of the car someone’s driving. Not that I’m one to make a judgment. Maybe I do judge subconsciously, but it’s just silly in some cases. Should you care if someone is wearing Nike sneakers at the gym versus Under Armor ones? But of course, Nike and Under Armor spend millions in marketing campaigns to make you think that people will. No one ever wants to wear undesirable sneakers or drive an undesirable car. Of course, the root of the desire is always a tricky one.
It makes one ask the question, why do we want the material things we want? Is it because someone is good at marketing to our communities or us? Will it make us feel better once I have it, or will we appreciate it less? Do Nike’s really make you run faster or jump higher?
Buying necessary things can be great, right? When your laptop breaks, it’s nice to buy the latest model because you believe it will be the best for your needs. When you search for a car, you usually want the best you can afford. Marketing and branding are ways for companies to show you which items are best suited to solve your problems or ignite your desires. We do often ask friends and family for recommendations about things to buy. In these instances, we do not assume that our friends will make money from their advice, as an influencer might, making the transaction feel more genuine.
That’s one of the reasons the concept is so clever. In addition, the characters are so convincing and seemingly genuine that the people of the town have no clue that they are selling them a lifestyle, making the strategy that much stronger.
One of the main issues with the movie is how little intelligence it gives to the other characters. Sure the Joneses family are attractive, and it makes sense that others would want to buy the same things to keep up with them, but it goes to extremes to make a point. I like that the family sometimes grapples with what they’re doing, but I wish the film covered it in more detail. Again it’s a short comedy, but I think the concept is so strong that they could have gone a bit further into the mindset of The Joneses.
The Joneses movie makes you think about your desires in a new way. Why do I want that expensive item? Is it because my friend has it, or someone cool is wearing it? Admittedly, when I see a celebrity I admire wearing something, it does make me want one more, so I can feel more like them. Sponsored marketing works, but it’s in your face, whereas this form of marketing is deceptive, making it clever and concerning. It’s rare to see a comedy that makes you think so much about yourself and your place in the modern American consumerist culture. While the movie isn’t perfect, it’s wickedly entertaining, which in my opinion, is more important for a comedy.
The Joneses is written and directed by Derrick Stacey Borte in a fantastic directorial debut. You can check it out on Amazon Prime Video and Peacock.
Steve Jones (David Duchovny), his beautiful wife Kate ( Demi Moore ), and their teenaged kids Mick (Ben Hollingsworth) and Jenn ( Amber Heard ), have just moved into a nameless suburban area, and before long everyone in town wants what they have, unaware that that is precisely their purpose – they’re stealth marketers disguised as a family unit, each member tasked with selling a particular line of products. House leader Kate has the best sales figures, but Steve, the newest member of this family, is a fast learner, and soon has neighbor Larry (Gary Cole) wanting everything he owns. However, like real families, the Joneses are severely dysfunctional, and their personal indiscretions threaten to blow the lid off of their cover.
It’s a hell of a premise, to be sure, and never mind that there isn’t a corporation on the planet with the power to fake school transcripts, get employees enrolled into universities, etc. That’s easy enough to forgive. What isn’t so easy to forgive is the glaring character flaws that have been assigned to Mick, Jenn and Larry in order for the story to wag its finger at the evils of advertising and the pursuit of the so-called American Dream. Mick’s mistake is the most forgivable, since he merely showed poor judgment in a moment of weakness (though he still should have known better), but the script makes it clear that corporate is aware of Jenn’s issues, yet they allow her to continue to undermine their efforts. As for Larry, if he was really the kind of person who would do what he ultimately does, he would have done it long before the Joneses came to town. It’s all too easy, not to mention contemptuous.
Thank goodness, then, for Duchovny, whose affable nature actually makes you want the Joneses to succeed, even when they’re pushing alcoholic beverages on underage kids. That his character is blessed with the only common sense of the bunch is a plus, though Demi Moore is also strangely likable as the all-business den mother. Heard and Hollingsworth do fine with what they’re given, but that isn’t much, while Cole is wasted in the role of the covetous neighbor. Lauren Hutton’s appearance as the Joneses’ supervisor is just stunt casting.
There is a great movie to be made with this subject matter, but “The Joneses” takes the easy way out in favor of exploring the complexities of the co-workers-as-family dynamic, and it barely touches on the moral obligations that come with selling people things they don’t need. It’s so clear what side the filmmakers are on that it’s difficult to get emotionally involved. Movies should love their characters, even the flawed ones. “The Joneses” loves Duchovny, and tolerates everyone else.
2.5 / 5 Stars Starring: Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Ben Hollingsworth, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Glenne Headly, Lauren Hutton Director: Derrick Borte
“The Joneses” limps onto Blu-ray with a pair of deleted scenes (an extended version of Steve’s job interview and an alternate ending) that aren’t particularly interesting. It’s better than nothing, but when the bonus material is this thin, it’s not worth the effort.
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COMMENTS
96 minutes ‧ R ‧ 2010. Roger Ebert. April 14, 2010. 4 min read. Ben Hollingsworth, Amber Heard, Demi Moore and David Duchovny in "The Joneses." Everyone wants to keep up with the Joneses. They're good-looking, friendly, popular, affluent, and they always seem ahead of the curve when it comes to what they drive, wear, play and consume.
As far as products go, The Joneses is just shy of the real deal. 2010's first comedy that both stimulates intellectually and elicits laughs. Page 1 of 4, 7 total items. The stakes are low and the ...
The family's subtle sales pitches are expertly tuned and may feel unsettlingly familiar. "The Joneses" is a list of grievances nailed to the door of the Church of Materialism, but the hammer ...
The Joneses is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Derrick Borte, in his directorial debut.It stars Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth. [2] It premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2009. [3] Roadside Attractions later purchased the United States theatrical distribution rights. [4]
Directed by Derrick Borte. Drama. R. 1h 36m. By A.O. Scott. April 15, 2010. As glossy and golden-tinged as a magazine advertisement spread, "The Joneses" proposes itself, at least at first, as ...
Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | May 19, 2021. 2010's first comedy that both stimulates intellectually and elicits laughs. Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/4.0 | Sep 13, 2020. The Joneses ...
The Joneses: Directed by Derrick Borte. With David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Amber Heard, Benjamin Hollingsworth. A seemingly perfect family moves into a suburban neighborhood, but when it comes to the truth as to why they're living there, they don't exactly come clean with their neighbors.
The Joneses are rich, beautiful and seem to be the perfect family. There's only one slight problem. ... Mixed or Average Based on 30 Critic Reviews. 55. 40% Positive 12 Reviews. 57% Mixed 17 Reviews. 3% Negative 1 Review. All Reviews; ... It's one of Demi Moore's best movies. Don't miss it. Read More Report. 8. DaniMet Nov 26, 2022
The Joneses is a lot of things: a drama, a comedy, a skewering satirical take on our culture's addiction to consumerism. But more than those things, The Joneses is a postmodern fable that addresses the question of how we can find happiness in a world in which there's always something new to want. Like all good fables, this one dispenses a ...
The Joneses — Film Review. In the hands of first-time writer-director Derrick Borte, what could have been a biting black comedy taking product placement to the logical extreme instead is so ...
The Joneses is notable for a few basic reasons. First, the film features Demi Moore's best performance in years as a greedy, upwardly mobile yet faintly human whose spa splurges trigger spending urges by nearly anyone unfortunate enough to be in her path. Moore's Kate sort of brings to mind Donna Reed meets Gordon Gekko, a unique fusion of ...
The Joneses are a perfect family who move to town and live seemingly idyllic lives - but all is not as it seems. Both parents and their two teenage kids are living examples of product placement ...
Our review: Parents say ( 1 ): Kids say ( 3 ): How wonderful it is to fall in love with David Duchovny once more; THE JONESES gives him another chance to dazzle with his dry wit and observational stance. As Steve, he leads the audience in this satirical journey into the heart and soul (lessness) of abject consumerism.
The Joneses Review The Joneses (2010) By Jami Philbrick. Published Apr 16, 2010. ... Equally excellent in the film is the great Gary Cole, who seems to steal every scene in every movie he's in ...
The Joneses frames us as prisoners of our desires, trapped in a world of our own making. The Upside: The movie is centered on a clever premise that effectively comments our society's obsession ...
The Joneses. Details: 2009, USA, Cert 15, 95 mins. Direction: Derrick Borte. ... Our reviews. Philip French An all-American satire about consumerism fails to bite, writes Philip French;
The Joneses Cert: 15, 96 mins Starring: Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, Gary Cole, Ben Hollingsworth The Joneses sounds like a great film, until you have to watch it. That's when it ...
The cast in the movie was phenomenal. David Duchovny, playing Steve Jones, and Demi Moore, playing Kate Jones, were really great opposite one another, and they had really good screen chemistry. Amber Heard, playing Jenn Jones, and Ben Hollingsworth in the role of Mich Jones, also put on good performances.
Perfect couple Steve and Kate Jones, and their gorgeous teen-aged children Jenn and Mick, are the envy of their posh, suburban neighborhood filled with McMansions and all the trappings of the upper middle class. Kate is the ultimate trend setter - beautiful, sexy, dressed head-to-toe in designer labels.
Movie Review The Joneses They're not just living the American dream, they're selling it. US Release Date: 04-16-2010. Directed by: Derrick Borte. Starring ▸ ▾ ... The Joneses states the obvious, that we all want a better life and some of us are willing to go into debt for it. It proceeds to treat the purveyors of merchandise as ...
The movie follows the perfect white family, the Joneses, that moves into a new wealthy American suburb and quickly becomes the most popular family in town. The twist is that the family is fake. They are all actors/ marketers who get paid a lot of money to infiltrate new neighborhoods with high buying power so they can increase sales of luxury ...
The Joneses 2010, R, 96 min. Directed by Derrick Borte. Starring David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Amber Heard, Ben Hollingsworth, Gary Cole, Glenne Headly, Lauren Hutton ...
Movie Review: "The Joneses" 0. By Bob Westal on April 16, 2010 Movies. ... Single-Disc Blu-Ray Review: "The Joneses" limps onto Blu-ray with a pair of deleted scenes (an extended version of Steve's job interview and an alternate ending) that aren't particularly interesting. It's better than nothing, but when the bonus material is ...