Tenure (2009)

34% of users liked it
(727 ratings)

An English professor at a small private college finds his shot at tenure threatened by the sudden arrival of a pretty Yale PhD. onto the staff in this collegiate comedy form the producers of Rushmore. Charlie Thurber (Luke Wilson) isn't interested in school politics, and as a result his career is… More An English professor at a small private college finds his shot at tenure threatened by the sudden arrival of a pretty Yale PhD. onto the staff in this collegiate comedy form the producers of Rushmore. Charlie Thurber (Luke Wilson) isn't interested in school politics, and as a result his career is stalling out. But Charlie's a hit with the students, so when his chance for tenure comes up he's confident he'll get a fair evaluation. That confidence is shaken, however, when Elaine Grasso (Gretchen Mol) is hired on to the English staff. A published writer from a prestigious pedigree, Elaine has accomplished the things that Charlie's only dreamt about. Even Charlie's aging father, a celebrated professor, seems disappointed that his son hasn't accomplished more. Enter Jay Hadley (David Koechner); Jay is an anthropology teacher at the college who also happens to be Charlie's best friend. Jay isn't willing to sit idly by while Elaine takes Charlie's job, and is soon channeling all of his energy to sabotaging the well-intending newcomer's career. But despite being envious of Elaine's accomplishments, Charlie just can't bring himself to hate her; on the contrary, his attraction to her is growing by the day. As the time comes to make some decisions that will most certainly affect the course of his career, Charlie realizes that the only path worth walking is the one that you carve out for yourself. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Mike Million
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 5, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Apr 13, 2010

Critic Reviews

Adam Lippe, Examiner.com
A tonally unfocused dead zone of a movie. It's as if director Mike Million only settled on the title of Tenure because he was afraid that "A bunch of scenes that don't go anywhere: The Movie!" wouldn't fit on a marquee.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jeffrey M

Familiar, ultimately forgettable, and only sporadically funny, Tenure is still entirely watchable because of the great charm and personality Luke Wilson brings to the table, carrying the film through itsâ(TM) more meandering moments.
Sol C

The film was ok but could have been much better. The film reminded me of movies like Rushmore, Charlie Bartlett, and World's Greatest Dad. However, those films were much better than this one. This one lacked the style that those films had. I think if Wes Anderson or even the Coen… More
The film was ok but could have been much better. The film reminded me of movies like Rushmore, Charlie Bartlett, and World's Greatest Dad. However, those films were much better than this one. This one lacked the style that those films had. I think if Wes Anderson or even the Coen Brothers would have directed the film, then it would have been much better. Actingwise, Luke Wilson shines in the lead role. Gretchen Mol also does a great job here too. Zach Galifianakis would have been much better in the role of Jay than David Koechner. The film is worth checking out cause of Luke Wilson's performance.
Deb S

The story of a smart, but insecure guy Charlie Thurber (Luke Wilson) seeking to renew his tenure in a small time College in the United States. He feels threatened when the Dean hires Yale's English Professor Elaine Grasso who's as beautiful as she is brilliant. Together with… More
The story of a smart, but insecure guy Charlie Thurber (Luke Wilson) seeking to renew his tenure in a small time College in the United States. He feels threatened when the Dean hires Yale's English Professor Elaine Grasso who's as beautiful as she is brilliant. Together with his best friend, they declare Elaine as their enemy and try to sabotage her in school. A sub-plot revolves Luke's aging father who's been placed in a retirement home. Luke Wilson is a decent actor but I just didn't find it funny. <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=29vnivo" target="_blank"><img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/29vnivo.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=19029u" target="_blank"><img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/19029u.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2ah6uef" target="_blank"><img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2ah6uef.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
Philip P

For a film that never made it to theaters it was much better than I expected. I am definitely a fan of Luke and wish he was in more films that made it to the big screen, but this little piece of college professor life is entertaining if not a little slow paced. The man who really… More
For a film that never made it to theaters it was much better than I expected. I am definitely a fan of Luke and wish he was in more films that made it to the big screen, but this little piece of college professor life is entertaining if not a little slow paced. The man who really steals the show here though is Koechner. With his tangeants and bigfoot escapades he is hilarious and random. This probably would have never made much money at the box office, but it certainly is a nice flick to watch on the night in when its raining. It has a sly sense of humor and doesn't fall into a certain formula, a nice break from the formulaic comedy. If you get the chance, 'Tenure' is definitely an off-beat comedy worth checking out.
Doctor S

As sterile a feel-good movie as you're likely to see. It's like Keith Richards trying to get high by eating Tic Tacs.
t h o m !

A potentially good film that fails to capitalize on possibilities for it's characters and plot. The film boasts a great cast that just amounts to a more or less mediocre end product. I'm pressing hard for a 3 and not a 2 1/2. I love you Luke Wilson, but I'd like to see… More
A potentially good film that fails to capitalize on possibilities for it's characters and plot. The film boasts a great cast that just amounts to a more or less mediocre end product. I'm pressing hard for a 3 and not a 2 1/2. I love you Luke Wilson, but I'd like to see you star as a successful supporting character rather than a bumbling main star that you always gravitate towards. Personal desires and conflictions aside, Tenure has a few good beats and successions that keep it from being too typical yet it lacks a certain edge that prevents the film as a whole from advancing to anything that memorable aside from an okay movie to watch while having lunch.