Starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, Scarlett Johansson, and Selma Blair. Rated: Rated PG.

In their previous film, About A Boy, the writing-directing brother team of Paul and Chris Weitz examined one man's ascent from debauchery to rectitude somewhat realistically while still conforming to the rules of romantic comedy. Arguably, the success of that film owed as much to the detailed groundwork laid by Nick Hornby's touchingly unsentimental novel as it did the laddish charm of star Hugh Grant.

Perhaps that's why Paul Weitz seems to stumble occasionally during In Good Company, his solo directorial debut. Working from his own screenplay, without his brother or Hornby, Weitz delivers about 70 percent of a great light-comedy feature. The remainder is surprisingly vague and suffers from a tacked-on Hollywood ending that neatly ties up all loose ends to rather jarring effect.

In Good Company sets a midlife crisis/romantic comedy against a backdrop of two distressing contemporary trends: corporate downsizing and the ruthless acquisition of smaller media by faceless global conglomerates.

Dan Foreman, played with lived-in familiarity by Dennis Quaid, is a 51-year-old ad salesman for a leading U.S. sports magazine (think Sports Illustrated). When a multinational firm acquires his magazine, the inevitability of massive layoffs and the fear of his own extinction slap Foreman square in the face. Insult is dealt to injury when he's demoted to the role of "wing man" to his new boss, 26-year-old Carter Duryea, played by That 70's Show's Topher Grace.

On something of a second-career roll, Quaid has improved with age--his rugged good looks betray only the slightest creases--and it's hard to imagine another actor of his generation capturing Foreman's contradictory traits of headstrong tenacity and ego-bruised vulnerability.

The audacity of upstart Grace sharing top billing with Quaid likely helped the young actor bring the requisite chutzpah to his role as Foreman's boss. Duryea wants to swim with the sharks but hasn't let go of his youthful idealism. For all his outward bluster, he secretly knows he's totally unqualified for his new job, and Grace sinks his teeth into playing the young executive who is out to fool everyone, including himself.

Scarlett Johansson brings very few words but miles of depth to her role as Foreman's daughter Alex, who becomes romantically involved with Duryea, stoking Foreman's paternal fears. Her puffy-lipped innocent stare and scratchy slacker voice speak volumes, often saying more than the words in the script.

Although In Good Company is an above-average situation comedy, it never enters the profound realm of similarly themed films like American Beauty or Jerry Maguire, which celebrated the triumph of humanity over greed and provided deep insights without sacrificing entertainment value. In the company of great films like those, In Good Company is just good enough.