Der Job seines Lebens (2003)

The long-term unemployed Erwin Strunz goes on a camping holiday on the Baltic Sea with his wife, Erika. During a stopover, Erika persuades Erwin to drive into the city center not only to buy bread rolls but also to get a shave. When Erwin Strunz comes out of the barbershop, it becomes clear that he is the spitting image of the incumbent state premier, Uwe Achimsen, whose office is in the city. Two outraged men berate Erwin in the street, and his entourage immediately takes him to his workplace. Everyone is surprised to see the state premier, who was supposed to be on holiday with his wife, Heide, but they accept his presence, since the government is already in crisis over the impending closure of the Spielmann works. Erwin is initially overwhelmed and at a loss, but the cleaning lady asks him to save the Spielmann works because her husband is employed there. He tells Erika that he has received a job offer and therefore wants to stay in the city for a few more days. He starts studying the files on the Spielmann works and realizes that funding is available, but is being blocked by a veto from Brussels. Before long, Erwin can no longer keep his work secret from Erika. She is thrilled at the prospect of her husband being “state premier.” The two move into the minister’s villa and, at Erika’s insistence, start appearing in public together as well. Soon the gossip magazines are reporting on Uwe Achimsen’s affair. He is in Carinthia with his wife, but, much to Heide’s dismay, he cannot relax and wants to make phone calls constantly. One day he is even away on official business when Heide gets a call from their daughter, who says she has seen “Uwe” with another woman. When Heide calls the villa, Erika answers, so Heide returns home immediately. Meanwhile, Erwin has convened a cabinet meeting and realized that the political factions only talk at cross purposes, while none of them seems interested in the Spielmann works or the workers’ fate. He goes straight to the plant and promises to fight to keep it open and to release the funds. Shortly afterward, he releases the funds without Brussels’ approval. Heide appears in the state premier’s office and immediately realizes that the man at the desk is not Uwe. However, she is impressed by Erwin’s approach and first restores her public image: she goes with Erwin to their regular pub and has herself photographed with him. Seeing that Erwin’s manner appeals to people, she lets him carry on and prepares him for the next harmless engagement on the Baltic Sea. Then she leaves and guides Uwe to Erwin’s allotment garden, where she fills him in on the situation. Uwe is annoyed that apparently no one has noticed that he is not the one sitting behind the desk. At Heide’s request, he goes to the employment office in Erwin’s place, but fails because of his arrogant manner. Meanwhile, Erwin has to step in unexpectedly for the Federal President and receive the British Queen, whom he delights with his austerity program, combining parlor music and pea soup. Erwin and Erika end their holiday as planned and go to their allotment garden, where they meet Uwe and Heide. They talk things over. Because of Uwe’s behavior, Erwin’s unemployment benefits are cut off, so Uwe hires him as his temporary stand-in. Erwin now has to deal with all the recent problems facing companies, since everyone is pinning their hopes on him. He barely has any time for his friends because of all the work and curses it again and again.