Dinner for Schmucks
A career-minded executive recruits an eccentric IRS employee for a cruel corporate dinner, only to have the supposed joke destabilize his ambitions and relationships.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- awkward
- irreverent
- lazy sunday
- casual movie night
What critics said
Critics found the likable leads and occasional comic energy appealing, but viewed the film as an uneven adaptation that fails to match its premise’s potential.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tim’s career depends on participating in his boss’s monthly dinner that publicly mocks selected guests.
Tim seeks advancement by recruiting Barry while knowing the dinner is designed to demean him.
Barry’s earnest taxidermy hobby and socially uncontrolled interventions derail Tim’s carefully managed life.
Barry’s taxidermied-mouse displays are a defining production motif and a source of repeated comic set pieces.
Films like Dinner for Schmucks, and why
The Office
Shared workplace comedy, social satire, escalating embarrassment, and mismatched male friendship.
Along Came Polly
Shared cringe comedy, eccentric supporting characters, romantic complications, and awkward social performance.
The Intern
Shared broad comedy, fish out of water dynamics, workplace pressure, and warm-hearted redemption.
Movie Details
- Director
- Jay Roach
- Release Date
- 2010-07-30
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (1991)
Cast
- Paul Rudd
- Steve Carell
- Stephanie Szostak
- Jemaine Clement
- Zach Galifianakis
- Lucy Punch
- Bruce Greenwood
- David Walliams
- Ron Livingston
- Larry Wilmore
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dinner for Schmucks about?
- A career-minded executive recruits an eccentric IRS employee for a cruel corporate dinner, only to have the supposed joke destabilize his ambitions and relationships.
- What is Dinner for Schmucks like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dinner for Schmucks as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Dinner for Schmucks violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Dinner for Schmucks.
- What did critics think of Dinner for Schmucks?
- Critics found the likable leads and occasional comic energy appealing, but viewed the film as an uneven adaptation that fails to match its premise’s potential.
- Which films are like Dinner for Schmucks?
- Films with a similar feel include The Office, Along Came Polly, and The Intern.
- How long is Dinner for Schmucks?
- Dinner for Schmucks runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dinner for Schmucks?
- In United States, Dinner for Schmucks is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
