Taglines: Watch your assets.
In the year 1975, a five-year-old girl is dropped off at an orphanage by the family that adopted her. The nun in charge tells her there will be another family that will connect with her. Flash forward to 1980. A now ten-year-old girl (played by Melissa McCarthy’s oldest daughter) is dropped off by her recent adopted family; she asks why nobody wants her. The nun still inspires hope. Now, in 1985, the young girl is now a teenager. She is dropped off by her adopted family and tells them “Fuck you”, flipping them off as they drive away. The nun tries to give encouragement but the teenaged girl tells her she doesn’t need anybody in her life; she is fine being alone.
It is now present day. An amphitheater is filled to the brim with fans of Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy), all grown up. She is lowered from the stage on a mechanical phoenix and begins to do a (rather impressive) hip-hop dance number with T-Pain and shirtless male dancers. She then talks to the audience, referencing her many self-help books on how to get rich and tells the crowd that if they have family in their life, they should just push them away because they just hold you back. She also points out that she is 47th richest woman in the world despite not having a family.
Michelle goes up to the rooftop of the building with her assistant, Claire (Kristen Bell), to board a helicopter from a helipad. A man is waiting with an envelope. Inside is a cell phone; it rings, revealing a photo of a samurai. She knows its her rival, Renault (Peter Dinklage) who likes to think of himself as a samurai; Michelle notes that when she first met him, he was Reynold. He is standing on a nearby rooftop with his goons. He taunts Michelle and then asks how she was able to make such a good stock deal. She tells him its insider trading and he needs to get in on it. Claire gives Michelle some last minute notes about her week and then Michelle flies off, flipping off Renault from inside the helicopter.
Michelle gets back to her estate in Chicago and goes into her gigantic office with her security guard, Tito, and Claire. Its time for her teeth whitening so she puts the cheek and lip retractor in her mouth and has a long conversation while wearing it. Claire points out that exactly one year ago that day, Michelle told her she would give her a raise; she even reads the quote out loud as she had written it down.
Michelle teases Claire, with Tito siding with her, before Claire says that if she doesn’t get a raise after being such a good assistant on call 24 hours despite being a single mother, she will quit. Michelle pretends to be astonished that she has a kid but ultimately says she is teasing and that she will give Claire a raise. She wanted to see some aggressiveness in Claire and is impressed. She gives her a pair of earrings that cost her $62,000 in 2001; she said that will count as her raise. Claire accepts.
The Boss is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Ben Falcone and written by Falcone, Melissa McCarthy and Steve Mallory. The film stars McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Ella Anderson, Tyler Labine, Kathy Bates, Annie Mumolo, Timothy Simons and Peter Dinklage, and follows a millionaire who, after being arrested and losing her money, uses her assistant’s daughter’s Girl Scout Cookies sales to return to the top. The film was released on April 8, 2016, by Universal Pictures, received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed $78 million worldwide.
The Boss
Directed by: Ben Falcone
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Kristen Schaal, Tyler Labine, Cecily Strong, Kathy Bates, Margo Martindale, Ella Anderson, Annie Mumolo, Sharon Conley, Janell Islas
Screenplay by: Ben Falcone, Steve Mallory
Production Design by: Rusty Smith
Cinematography by: Julio Macat
Film Editing by: Craig Alpert
Costume Design by: Wendy Chuck
Set Decoration by: Amy McGary
Music by: Christopher Lennertz
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, language and brief drug use.
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: April 8, 2016
Visits: 40
