Keeping Up with the Joneses (film)

Last updated

Keeping Up with the Joneses
Keeping Up with the Joneses (film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Greg Mottola
Written byMichael LeSieur
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Andrew Dunn
Edited by David Rennie
Music by Jake Monaco
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • October 8, 2016 (2016-10-08)(Los Angeles)
  • October 21, 2016 (2016-10-21)(United States)
Running time
105 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million [2] [3]
Box office$29.9 million [3]

Keeping Up with the Joneses is a 2016 American action comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was written by Michael LeSieur. Its story follows a suburban couple (Zach Galifianakis and Isla Fisher) who begin to suspect their new neighbors (Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot) are secret agents.

Contents

Production began in the United States in 2015 [4] and was released on October 21, 2016. It received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $5,461,475 during its opening week and $29.9 million worldwide, against a $40 million budget, making it a box office bomb. [3]

Plot

Jeff Gaffney works as a human resources professional at MBI, a defense contractor company based in Atlanta. He and his wife Karen live in a nice cul-de-sac with their two children, who are away at summer camp. They make the acquaintance of their new neighbors, Tim and Natalie Jones. Tim is a travel writer whose hobbies include glassblowing, and Natalie is a social media consultant, cooking blogger, and philanthropist. They are both impossibly good-looking, accomplished, and stylish, yet overly friendly with the Gaffneys.

Karen starts having suspicions about the Joneses when she catches Tim poking around Jeff's den during a neighborhood block party, then witnesses Natalie doing what looks like a dead drop in a café. Karen follows Natalie to the mall, but Natalie confronts her in a dressing room, defusing the situation with some female bonding. Meanwhile, Tim invites Jeff to an underground Chinese restaurant, where Jeff drinks snake wine and is bitten by a severed snake head, forcing Tim to save his life. In exchange, Jeff takes Tim to indoor skydiving, a passion of his that none of his friends share. All the way through, Tim tries to have Jeff talk about his coworkers at the office. One night, with the help of Natalie, Tim sneaks into the MBI building and looks over Jeff's emails.

Back at their house, Jeff accidentally breaks the glass sculpture made by Tim that was given to them, revealing a bug among the shards. Realizing the Joneses are spies, Karen decides to sneak into their house to find more evidence. They discover files on Jeff and the other MBI employees and Jeff accidentally stuns Karen with a pen gun. They narrowly escape as the Joneses arrive. Natalie is worried Tim might be getting too close to Jeff, but they reveal they are in love with each other, which is also against the rules. Natalie notices the used pen gun on the floor, and they realize the Gaffneys had broken into their house.

The Gaffneys arrange a private meeting with MBI's head of security, Carl Pronger to expose the Joneses, but before Carl can disclose classified details, he is killed by a sniper who also attacks the Gaffneys. They are rescued by the Joneses, ensuing a high-speed chase and shootout. The Gaffneys learn that the Joneses are actually trying to discover whether there is treason within MBI. Back in the cul-de-sac, Jeff gives Tim and Natalie some relationship advice, and the two couples bond. After they return to their houses, the Joneses trigger a bomb that blows up their house alone.

Later, after lying to the police about the Joneses, the Gaffneys are frantically preparing to go on the run when the Joneses reappear alive and well in their basement. They kidnapped Jeff's colleague Dan Craverston and his wife Meg, who are revealed to be trying to sell MBI's experimental microchips to an international arms dealer called "The Scorpion". When the Scorpion calls on Dan's phone, Jeff answers posing as Dan and arranges a meeting to deliver the microchips.

Jeff and Karen go to the hotel where the meeting takes place, while the Joneses back them up from the roof. The Scorpion turns out to be a former MBI employee named Bruce Springstine who recognizes Jeff. With their cover blown, Tim radios for backup, but the operation is aborted and the Gaffneys are declared collateral damage. The Joneses disobey orders and surrender to the Scorpion, but before the latter gets around to killing them, Karen is able to pass a knife to Natalie, giving the Joneses the opportunity to eliminate half of the Scorpion's henchmen. They escape by jumping out the window into a pool, just before the briefcase containing the chips is detonated by Natalie, and a bomb kills the Scorpion and his remaining henchmen. Proud of their new friends, the Joneses say goodbye and go back to their life of espionage.

The next summer, the Gaffneys visit the café in Marrakesh where the Joneses used to date and happen upon the Joneses who are in the middle of a new mission, accidentally blowing their cover and triggering yet another gunfight.

Cast

Production

In March 2014, it was announced that Greg Mottola would direct the film, from a screenplay by Michael LeSieur, with Fox 2000 Pictures having their eyes set on Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis to star, Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald producing under their Parkes + MacDonald Image Nation banner, and Marc Resteghini serving as an executive producer. [5] In October 2014, Isla Fisher joined the cast of the film, and the casting of Hamm and Galifianakis was confirmed. [6] In February 2015, Gal Gadot was in negotiations to star in the film. [7] In April 2015, Maribeth Monroe and Matt Walsh also joined the cast. [8]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on April 20, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. [9]

Release

The film was originally scheduled to be released on April 1, 2016, [10] but was pushed back to October 21, 2016. [11]

Reception

Box office

Keeping Up with the Joneses grossed $14.9 million in North America and $15 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $29.9 million, against a budget of $40 million. [3]

The film was expected to gross $7–9 million from about 3,022 theaters in its opening weekend. [12] However, it only grossed $2 million on its first day and $5.6 million in its opening weekend, finishing 7th at the box office, and making $1 million less than Galifianakis' Masterminds , which debuted to $6.6 million the month before. [13]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 19% based on 124 reviews and an average rating of 4.40/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Keeping Up with the Joneses squanders a decent premise – and a talented cast full of funny people – on a witless and largely laugh-free suburban spy adventure." [14] On Metacritic, the film has a score 34 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [15] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale. [16] [17]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave Keeping Up with the Joneses a mixed review calling it "An amiable time-killer of an espionage comedy." [18] Jon Frosch of The Hollywood Reporter called it "Stale as week-old bread and every bit as bland". Frosch was positive about the cast but critical of the script. [19] Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times wrote, "The absence of laughs can’t be blamed on a lack of talent" and expressed surprise that Mottola did not succeed based on his past films. [20]

Accolades

This film resulted in three nominations at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards. Zach Galifianakis was nominated as Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor – Comedy, and Gal Gadot was nominated as Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy. The film itself was nominated as Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie – Comedy. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Galifianakis</span> American comedian and actor (born 1969)

Zachary Knight Galifianakis is an American comedian and actor. He is known for his role as Alan in The Hangover trilogy (2009–2013). On television, he starred in the FX series Baskets (2016–2019), which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2017. He also hosted the Funny or Die talk show Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (2008–2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gal Gadot</span> Israeli actress and model (born 1985)

Gal Gadot is an Israeli actress and model. She portrayed Gisele Yashar in Fast & Furious (2009), a part she reprised in five sequels. Gadot achieved global stardom for her portrayal of Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe films (2016–2023), including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Wonder Woman, Justice League, and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). She has since starred in the Netflix action-comedy film Red Notice (2021) and the mystery film Death on the Nile (2022). Gadot was included on the list of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2018, and has placed twice in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Hamm</span> American actor (born 1971)

Jonathan Daniel Hamm is an American actor best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama series Mad Men (2007–2015), for which he won numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funny or Die</span> Comedy website/film/TV production company

Funny or Die, Inc. is a comedy video website and production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a regular staff of in-house writers, producers and directors, and occasionally from a number of famous contributors including Judd Apatow, James Franco and Norm Macdonald. The associated production company continues to make TV shows including truTV's Billy on the Street, Comedy Central's @midnight and Zach Galifianakis' web series Between Two Ferns.

<i>Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis</i> American comedy talk show

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis is an American talk show hosted by comedian Zach Galifianakis which features celebrity guests. Episodes last several minutes, in which the interviewer (Galifianakis) and guests trade barbs and insults. In addition to the online series, there is a Comedy Central television special, and a Netflix original movie Between Two Ferns: The Movie.

<i>Masterminds</i> (2016 film) 2016 US crime comedy film by Jared Hess

Masterminds is a 2016 crime comedy film based on the October 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery in North Carolina. Directed by Jared Hess and written by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey, it stars Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Jason Sudeikis.

<i>Criminal</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Ariel Vromexx

Criminal is a 2016 American action thriller film directed by Ariel Vromen and written by Douglas Cook and David Weisberg. The film is about a convict who is implanted with a dead CIA agent's memories to finish an assignment. The film stars Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, and Tommy Lee Jones, in the second collaboration among all three following the 1991 film JFK. The film also features Alice Eve and Gal Gadot, with the death of Ryan Reynolds's character, early in the film, setting the plot in motion.

<i>Ouija: Origin of Evil</i> 2016 film by Mike Flanagan

Ouija: Origin of Evil is a 2016 American supernatural horror film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan and written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard. The film is a prequel to the 2014 film Ouija and stars Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso, and Henry Thomas. A widow and her family introduce a Ouija board into their phony seance business, thereby inviting a spirit that possesses the youngest daughter.

<i>Wonder Woman</i> (2017 film) Superhero film directed by Patty Jenkins

Wonder Woman is a 2017 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Cruel and Unusual Films, and distributed by Warner Brothers. It is the fourth installment of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), and a prequel/spin-off to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). The film was directed by Patty Jenkins and written by Allan Heinberg, based on a story conceived by Heinberg, Zack Snyder, and Jason Fuchs. The film stars Gal Gadot in the title role, alongside Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, and Elena Anaya. It is the second live action theatrical film featuring Wonder Woman following her debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In Wonder Woman, the Amazon princess Diana sets out to stop World War I, believing the conflict was started by the longtime enemy of the Amazons, Ares, after American pilot and spy Steve Trevor crash-lands on their island Themyscira and informs her about it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kian Lawley</span> American YouTuber and actor

Kian Robert Lawley is an American YouTuber, influencer and actor.

<i>Boo! A Madea Halloween</i> 2016 American film

Boo! A Madea Halloween is a 2016 American comedy horror film directed, written, starring and co-produced by Tyler Perry. The idea for the film originated from a fictitious Madea Halloween movie that was mentioned in Chris Rock's 2014 film Top Five. It is the eighth film in the Madea series and the second to not be adapted from a stage play as it tells the story of Madea being enlisted by her nephew Brian to watch over his daughter Tiffany as she deals with different horrors and a frat party around the corner. The film was released by Lionsgate on October 21, 2016, and grossed $74.8 million.

<i>Tag</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Jeff Tomsic

Tag is a 2018 American comedy film directed by Jeff Tomsic and written by Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen. The film is based on a true story that was published in The Wall Street Journal about a group of men, played by Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jon Hamm, and Jeremy Renner, who had spent one month each year playing the same game of tag since their childhood. Annabelle Wallis, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, and Leslie Bibb also star.

<i>Wonder Woman 1984</i> 2020 superhero film produced by DC Films

Wonder Woman 1984 is a 2020 American superhero film based on the DC character Wonder Woman. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, Atlas Entertainment, and The Stone Quarry, and distributed by Warner Bros., it is a standalone sequel to the 2017 film Wonder Woman and the ninth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was directed by Patty Jenkins from a screenplay she co-wrote with Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham, based on a story by Jenkins and Johns. It stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, alongside Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen. Set in 1984 during the Cold War, the film follows Diana and her past love Steve Trevor as they face off against Maxwell Lord and Cheetah.

<i>Red Notice</i> (film) 2021 action comedy film by Rawson Marshall Thurber

Red Notice is a 2021 American action comedy film written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber starring Dwayne Johnson alongside Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot and Ritu Arya. It marks the third collaboration between Thurber and Johnson, following Central Intelligence (2016) and Skyscraper (2018). In the film, an FBI agent reluctantly teams up with a renowned art thief in order to catch an even more notorious thief.

<i>Between Two Ferns: The Movie</i> American comedy film

Between Two Ferns: The Movie is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Scott Aukerman and starring Zach Galifianakis that acts as a spin-off of the web series of the same name. The film was released on September 20, 2019, on Netflix.

<i>Snow White</i> (2025 film) Upcoming American musical fantasy film by Marc Webb

Disney's Snow White is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Marc Platt Productions, it is a live-action remake of Disney's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which itself is based on the 1812 fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm. The film stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diana Prince (DC Extended Universe)</span> DC Extended Universe character

Diana of Themyscira, also known by her civilian name Diana Prince or her superhero title Wonder Woman, is a fictional character in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter. First appearing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, she is portrayed by Gal Gadot and later plays a major role in the films Wonder Woman,Justice League, and Wonder Woman 1984, along with cameo appearances in Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash. She has become one of the central characters in the DCEU. Gadot's performance as Wonder Woman, the first of the character in live-action cinema, has received critical praise.

<i>Heart of Stone</i> (2023 film) American film by Tom Harper

Heart of Stone is a 2023 American spy action thriller film directed by Tom Harper from a screenplay by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder and a story by Rucka. The film stars Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, Sophie Okonedo, and Matthias Schweighöfer. It follows Rachel, a global intelligence operative embarking on a dangerous mission to protect a mysterious AI system known as "The Heart". She is tasked by the peacekeeping operation known as Charter to keep the object safe from falling into enemy hands.

<i>Confess, Fletch</i> 2022 film by Greg Mottola

Confess, Fletch is a 2022 American crime comedy film directed by Greg Mottola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Zev Borow. Based on Gregory Mcdonald's 1976 novel of the same name, it stars Jon Hamm, Roy Wood Jr., Annie Mumolo, Ayden Mayeri, Lorenza Izzo, Kyle MacLachlan, and Marcia Gay Harden. It is the third installment in the Fletch series, following Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989), and the first not to star Chevy Chase.

Winner is a 2024 black comedy drama film directed by Susanna Fogel and written by Kerry Howley. The film stars Emilia Jones as Reality Winner.

References

  1. "Keeping Up with the Joneses (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  2. McNary, Dave (October 21, 2016). "Box Office: 'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' Dominates 'Ouija 2,' 'Madea Halloween' on Thursday Night". Variety . Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  4. Christine (April 20, 2015). "Extras needed for 'Keeping Up With The Joneses', starring Jon Hamm and Zach Galifianakis". On Location Vacations. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  5. Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 14, 2014). "Fox 2000 Sets Greg Mottola To Helm 'Keeping Up With The Joneses' With Cast Circling". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  6. Ge, Linda (October 29, 2014). "Isla Fisher Joins Jon Hamm, Zach Galifianakis in 'Keeping Up With the Joneses'". TheWrap . Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  7. Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 20, 2015). "'Wonder Woman' Gal Gadot Circling 'Keeping Up With The Joneses'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  8. Ford, Rebecca (April 7, 2015). "'Workaholics,' 'Veep' Actors Join 'Keeping Up With the Joneses' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  9. SSN Insider Staff (April 20, 2015). "On the Set for 4/20/15: Michael Bay Starts TMNT Sequel, Gal Gadot Begins Keeping Up With the Joneses, Natalie Dormer Wraps Shooting on Patient Zero". SSN Insider. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  10. Penderson, Erik (March 13, 2015). "'Eddie The Eagle' Has Landed At Fox; Biopic Starring Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman Set For 2016". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  11. Lincoln, Ross A. (May 27, 2016). "'Maze Runner: The Death Cure' Release Moved To 2018 As Dylan O'Brien Recovers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  12. Faughnder, Ryan (October 18, 2016). "'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' to battle 'Ouija' sequel and 'Boo! A Madea Halloween' at box office". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  13. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 23, 2016). "'Madea' To Push Well Past $27M As 'Jack Reacher' Takes $22M to $23M; 'Joneses' Can't Keep Up – Sun. AM Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  14. "Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  15. "Keeping Up with the Joneses Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  16. "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  17. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 22, 2016). "What Happened To 'The Joneses' At The Box Office?". Deadline Hollywood. According to CinemaScore that's who showed up with 54% women, 46% guys, and 74% over 25. Joneses received the same grade as Masterminds: a listless B−.
  18. Gleiberman, Owen (October 18, 2016). "Film Review: 'Keeping Up With the Joneses'". Variety.
  19. Jon Frosch (October 18, 2016). "'Keeping Up With the Joneses': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  20. Kenigsberg, Ben (October 20, 2016). "Review: 'Keeping Up With the Joneses' Might Not Be Worth It". The New York Times .
  21. Rubin, Rebecca (August 13, 2017). "Teen Choice Awards 2017: 'Riverdale,' Fifth Harmony Shut Out Competition". Variety. Retrieved October 25, 2017.