The Company

Year: 2003

Runtime: 112 min

Language: English

Director: Robert Altman

Budget: $15M

DramaRomanceMusic

Loretta "Ry" Ryan strives for excellence as a ballerina within the demanding environment of the Joffrey Ballet. Her aspirations become intertwined with a budding romance, creating a complex interplay of passion, pressure, and personal relationships. Set in Chicago, the film explores the dedication required to pursue artistic perfection and the challenges of maintaining balance in a high-stakes world.

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Timeline & Setting – The Company (2003)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Company (2003). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:25

Main Characters – The Company (2003)

Meet the key characters of The Company (2003), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Loretta 'Ry' Ryan – Neve Campbell

Loretta is a talented, ambitious dancer who quickly captures the artistic director's attention and is given more prominent roles. She balances a second job as a waitress to support herself while pursuing stardom, a choice that strains her personal life and relationships with fellow dancers. The role tests her technical skill, stage presence, and ability to endure setbacks, including a pivotal moment when she performs outside in a thunderstorm to Elvis Costello's My Funny Valentine. Her rise marks her as a rising star capable of performing under intense pressure.

💃 Dancer 🧭 Rising Star 🎯 Ambition

Josh Williams – James Franco

Josh is a young, ambitious chef whose rising position in a restaurant mirrors Ry's ascent in ballet. The couple's relationship forms a hopeful backdrop to the season, sparked after he sees Ry perform to My Funny Valentine. He shares Ry's drive and supports her career, even as both face injuries that threaten to derail their dreams. A kitchen accident leaves him injured as well, paralleling the dancers' vulnerabilities and underscoring the theme of parallel journeys toward success.

🍽 Chef 💑 Romantic Partner 🧭 Driven

Alberto Antonelli – Malcolm McDowell

Alberto is the warm yet demanding artistic director who steers the company through training, injuries, scheduling pressures, and creative tensions between dancers and choreographers. He recognizes Ry's talent and pushes her toward prominent roles, while managing the company's internal conflicts. His leadership is tempered by his insistence on discipline and excellence, and he helps diffuse tension through moments like the Christmas Eve roast night that lighter moments provide. He embodies the balance of mentorship and authority at the heart of the company.

🎭 Director 🧭 Mentor 🔥 Demanding

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:25

Major Themes – The Company (2003)

Explore the central themes of The Company (2003), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:25

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Movies about artistic dedication and sacrifice like The Company

Stories that explore the intense passion and high personal cost of pursuing artistic excellence.If you liked The Company, discover more movies that explore the demanding world of professional artistry. These films are for viewers who enjoy stories about creative passion, the discipline of rehearsal, and the complex interplay between ambition and personal life within a high-stakes artistic setting.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically follow an artist or ensemble as they prepare for a major performance or creative milestone. The central conflict arises from the tension between the pursuit of perfection and the needs of a normal life—relationships strain, injuries occur, and personal desires are often put on hold for the sake of the art. The journey is one of growth, resilience, and ultimately, a nuanced understanding of success.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a core focus on the artist's journey. They capture a specific mood of disciplined passion, portraying the behind-the-scenes reality of creative work. The tone is often hopeful yet grounded, with a steady pacing that mirrors the process of practice and refinement, leading to emotionally resonant, bittersweet conclusions.

Movies about balancing ambition and romance like The Company

Character-driven stories where professional dreams and personal love pull in opposite directions.For fans of The Company's exploration of Ry's career and love life, this collection highlights similar dramas. Find films where a character's professional drive and personal relationships create a compelling, bittersweet conflict, perfect for those who enjoy emotionally medium stories about life's difficult choices.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a driven individual whose life is consumed by their professional goals. A romantic subplot is introduced not as a simple escape, but as a complicating factor that challenges their single-minded focus. The story unfolds through a series of choices and compromises, leading to a conclusion that acknowledges the gains and losses of prioritizing one path over the other, rarely offering a perfectly clean resolution.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a specific character arc and emotional mix. They are united by their focus on the internal conflict between passion for work and passion for a person. The tone is hopeful yet realistic, the pacing is steady to allow for character development, and the emotional weight is medium, dealing with serious life choices without overwhelming despair.

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The Company Summary

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The Company Timeline

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The Company Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About The Company

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Discover movies like The Company that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.