Dinner For Schmucks

Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) is a mid-level financial executive, who acquires a negotiation over special novelty lamps with wealthy Swiss businessman Martin Mueller (David Walliams). Impressed by Tim's ingenuity, his boss Lance Fender (Bruce Greenwood) invites him to a "dinner for winners" in which he must find and bring an eccentric person with a special talent; the winner earns a trophy and the executive that brought him or her gets glory.

He soon learns it is more of a "dinner for idiots," and the guests will be mocked mercilessly. Meanwhile, Tim's girlfriend Julie lands a curator deal for eccentric artist Kieran Vollard (Jemaine Clement), and Tim unsuccessfully proposes to her, as he has done several times before. After learning of the cruel nature of the dinner, Julie forces him not to attend.
The next day, Tim accidentally hits IRS employee Barry Speck (Steve Carell) with his car when Barry tries to retrieve a dead mouse in the road. Witnessing Barry's bizarre behavior (he taxidermies mice and arranges them into elaborate dioramas), Tim realizes he is the perfect loser for the dinner. That night, Barry shows up at Tim's apartment unannounced and accidentally invites over Darla, who had a one-night stand with Tim years ago and has been stalking him. Barry attempts to send Darla away but mistakes Julie for Tim's stalker, giving Julie the mistaken impression that Tim is cheating on her. Afterward, Barry opens the door to find Darla waiting outside.

While Tim hides in his bedroom, Darla and Barry get into a bar-styled fight, scaring Darla away. While in his bedroom, Tim thinks that Julie might be having sex with Vollard. They break into his apartment to realize that she's leaving for his ranch. Tim and Barry chase her down to Vollard's ranch, where Tim accidentally offends Barry (which further hurts his and Julie's relationship), but he makes amends and they go to the dinner with Mueller, despite an extremely disastrous lunch that afternoon.

Barry is a hit with the group and is a shoo-in for the trophy, but unexpectedly his boss and rival Therman Murch (Zach Galifianakis) (who stole Barry's wife) arrives and displays his "mind control" power over Barry. After that, Tim tells Barry everything and, after some encouragement, gets Barry to win, before causing his boss and fellow executives to reveal the truth.

A guest reacts badly to the news and inadvertently causes chaos in the process, with Mueller losing his finger. A fire breaks out, prompting the fire department to show up. Tim is fired, as is Julie after Barry makes Vollard realize it would be a problem to have her.

In the end, Tim marries Julie; Barry gets in a relationship with Darla, does some artwork with Vollard, and hosts a monthly "breakfast for champions" for all of the losers. Therman writes a new book in the mental hospital; Tim gets a new museum started in Switzerland for Mueller.



Cast


Steve Carell as Barry Speck

Paul Rudd as Tim Conrad

Zach Galifianakis as Therman Murch

Jemaine Clement as Kieran Vollard

Bruce Greenwood as Lance Fender

Ron Livingston as Caldwell

Andrea Savage as Robin

Lucy Punch as Darla

David Walliams as Mueller

Stephanie Szostak as Julie

Rick Overton as The Beard Champion

P. J. Byrne as Davenport

Octavia Spencer as Madame Nora

Alex Parlar as Santiago Pérez

Jeff Dunham as Lewis / Debbie

Chris O'Dowd as Marco (credited as "Christopher O'Dowd")

Kristen Schaal as Susana

Patrick Fischler as Vincenzo

Randall Park as Henderson

Larry Wilmore as Williams
 
Releasing Date: 7th October 2010, Thursday