Frank Whaley romantic comedies you probably forgot about
Career Opportunities (1991)
Save for Cold Dog Soup, Career Opportunities is one of Whaley’s earliest romantic comedies in which he had a leading role. Though the film was directed by Bryan Gordon, the script was created by the famous John Hughes, writer of The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. And just like those two films, Career Opportunities is also about teens having fun by doing anything except what is expected of them.
Whaley stars as Jim Dodge, a young, charming, compulsive liar who wants nothing more than to make his signature mark on the world and become a famous, well-respected business man. Though he is constantly putting on a rich and ambitious persona, Jim’s life really has no direction and he has no desire to work in any field that required elbow greasing. Eventually, he’s forced to choose between being kicked out of the house by his father, Bud, or take a job at the local Target.
During his first shift as the night-time cleanup boy, Jim is locked into the store by a slightly deranged and malicious janitor, only to discover he’s joined by the beautiful, popular and rich Josie McClellan (Jennifer Connelly), who hid in the Target until closing in an effort to escape her abusive family for just one night.
Jim and Josie spend the next nine hours rollerblading through the isles, snacking on candy, watching old movies and fighting against armed robbers, all the while falling (reluctantly) for each other.