'The Promotion' (R)(out of four)

"The Promotion" is your typical slice-of-life comedy, and there really isn't anything wrong with that. Steve Conrad, who was the writer behind "The Weather Man" and "The Pursuit of Happyness," goes behind the camera this time as director, too.

Conrad's favorite subjects are regular schmoes who are soul searching and trying to find meaning in their every day lives. "The Promotion" is no exception.

Doug (Seann William Scott) is an assistant manager at an inner city Chicago supermarket chain named Donaldson's. When a new, bigger grocery store run by the same company is set to open not too far from Doug's stomping grounds, he decides to pursue his dreams of becoming a store manager.

His boss, played by a very serious Eugene Levy, says he's a shoo-in for the job, and proceeds to tell him the origin of the phrase shoo-in. Doug takes it all to heart; the fact that his boss believes he's a shoo-in, and the historical significance of the phrase shoo-in. (In case you're wondering, shoo-in was originally a racetrack term and referrer to a horse expected to easily win a race.)

The surprise at the bottom of the cereal box in Scott's quest for supermarket job gold is unexpected competition from Richard, superbly played by John C. Reilly. Richard blows down from Canada with his Scottish wife in tow (Lili Taylor sporting a very cute accent).

Richard is a recovering drug addict and alcoholic who, at one point, rode with a motorcycle gang. He's patchworked his life together by listening to self-help tapes, and by aspiring to be the perfect Donaldson's manager. The new store could be the break he's also been searching for. But for Doug, Richard's appearance means that he's most likely not a shoo-in for the manager's job.

It's exactly how "The Promotion" unfolds, with everyone thumb sucking and naval gazing in their small corner of the world.

Both men experience equal angst. As Doug works to get his overly supportive wife (Jenna Fischer) and him out of their small Chicago apartment where they can hear the gay banjo player next door, Richard works to stay on the wagon and be accepted in the world.

Their missteps in trying to climb the corporate ladder are the source of belly laughs in this quirky comedy that will most likely garner a cult following. It follows the same pace as the popular comedy "Juno" in its quest for answers by sharing the main characters cerebral musings in voiceovers .

Scott, of the "American Pie" movies, and veteran actor Reilly, of "Boogie Nights" and "Chicago" fame, are the perfect co-stars, and with an entertaining supportive cast including the multi-talented Bobby Cannavale ("The Station Agent") as a toothy doctor, there are plenty of subtle nuances to make this film about regular guys chasing the American dream a summer sleeper.