Synopsis

A timid New York parking attendant enrolls in a confidence course after being humiliated at work and overlooked by the woman he loves. The class teaches manipulation, deception, and aggressive dating tactics, but its ruthless instructor soon becomes a rival for the same woman's affection. As the lessons grow increasingly personal, the student must decide whether becoming a scoundrel is worth losing his decency.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is a loose remake of the 1960 British comedy of the same name, which was inspired by Stephen Potter's satirical books on gamesmanship, one-upmanship, and social manipulation.

• Howard Stern was initially offered the lead role, but declined because he was preparing to leave terrestrial radio for satellite broadcasting.

• Bill Murray was once attached to play Dr. P, with Christopher Masterson also connected to the project. Both ultimately left before filming.

• Ben Stiller's cameo was filmed in California over two days because a scheduling conflict prevented him from traveling to New York.

• Jim Parsons appears briefly as a background extra and has no dialogue.

• The cat-related scenes were made under American Humane's "No Animals Were Harmed" program. Trainers used 12 cats secured with waist ties for one sequence.

• Released in the United States on September 29, 2006, the film earned approximately $23.9 million worldwide against a reported $35 million budget.