The Temp (1993)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Tom Holland

Writers (WGA):

Kevin Falls (story) &
Tom Engelman (story) ...

Release Date:

12 February 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't get mad. Get promoted.

Plot:

A cookie company takeover has employees scrambling to make a case for continued employment. An executive's...

Plot Keywords:

Cookie | Corporate Ladder | Cookie Company | Blood Splatter | Wasp

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Timothy Hutton	...	Peter Derns
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Kris Bolin
Dwight Schultz	...	Roger Jasser
Oliver Platt	...	Jack Hartsell
Steven Weber	...	Brad Montroe
Colleen Flynn	...	Sara Meinhold
Faye Dunaway	...	Charlene Towne
Scott Coffey	...	Lance
Dakin Matthews	...	Dr. Feldman
Maura Tierney	...	Sharon Derns
Lin Shaye	...	Rosemary
Michael Winters	...	Mercer
Daniel C. Swanson	...	Nathan Derns
Demene E. Hall	...	Marla Higgins
Jesse Vint	...	Larry

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Germany:12 | South Korea:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

North Coast, Oregon, USA

Company:

Columbus Circle Films

Trivia:

Reshuffles at the studio resulted in director Tom Holland having a different ending imposed on him, largely at the behest (it was rumored at the time) of Faye Dunaway who didn't want to be seen in a bad light.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Though the movie takes place in Portland, Oregon, one of the characters is listening to a Seattle radio station, which would not transmit in Portland.

Quotes:

Charlene Towne: [gasping] The picture! The picture!

Movie Connections:

Features "The Arsenio Hall Show" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Basketball Glitter

The horror of paper cuts!!

Tame, unoriginal, forgettable, bloodless and boooooooring 90's thriller, set on the management floor of a cookie-factory. The plot is routine thriller material without surprises and the movie still attempts to cash in on the success formula of "Fatal Attraction", which was made half a decade earlier. Peter Derns is an executive and former mental patient (great combination) who receives a beautiful temporary assistant to bridge a stressful period. She – the gorgeous Lara Flynn Boyle – immediately proves herself useful and she even gives good input for the company's newest project. But of course she becomes a little too obsessed with her boss and career, and pretty soon other rival executives start to die in mysterious circumstances. Very convenient if you want to climb up the company-ladder, but nevertheless suspicious. "The Temp" is one of those countless early 90's thrillers that introduce femme fatales as dangerous psychopaths (other examples being "Single White Female", "The Crush" and "The Secretary") but this premise actually is pretty weak and overly predictable. The screenplay features a series of clichés, typically lame office-humor and really ALL the characters are annoying stereotypes. There's nothing even remotely interesting about this film and the downright lousy ending will make you regret sitting through it even more.