Wall Street (1987)

A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless and greedy corporate raider who takes the youth under his wing.

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers:

Stanley Weiser, Oliver Stone

Stars:

Charlie Sheen, Tamara Tunie, Franklin Cover

Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlie Sheen	...	Bud Fox
Tamara Tunie	...	Carolyn
Franklin Cover	...	Dan
Chuck Pfeiffer	...	Chuckie (as Chuck Pfeifer)
John C. McGinley	...	Marvin
Hal Holbrook	...	Lou Mannheim
James Karen	...	Lynch
Leslie Lyles	...	Natalie
Michael Douglas	...	Gordon Gekko
Faith Geer	...	Natalie's Assistant
Frank Adonis	...	Charlie
John Capodice	...	Dominick
Martin Sheen	...	Carl Fox
Suzen Murakoshi	...	Girl in Bed
Dani Klein	...	Receptionist

Storyline

Bud Fox is a Wall Street stockbroker in early 1980's New York with a strong desire to get to the top. Working for his firm during the day, he spends his spare time working an on angle with the high-powered, extremely successful (but ruthless and greedy) broker Gordon Gekko. Fox finally meets with Gekko, who takes the youth under his wing and explains his philosophy that "Greed is Good". Taking the advice and working closely with Gekko, Fox soon finds himself swept into a world of "yuppies", shady business deals, the "good life", fast money, and fast women; something which is at odds with his family including his estranged father and the blue-collared way Fox was brought up.

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Plot Keywords:

greed | stock | 1980s | money | business | 

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Taglines:

Every dream has a price.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Borsa

Filming Locations:

The St. James's tower, 415 East 54th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$43,848,100 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, American Entertainment Partners L.P., Amercent Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anacott Steel is the name of one of the companies that are in play. It is also the name of one of the semi-pro football teams referred to in The Longest Yard. Besides being a fictional company, the name may also be an obscure reference to Anaconda Copper, a company invested heavily in by Groucho Marx (among other entertainers) that busted in the stock market crash of 1929.

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Goofs

Carl's glasses are back on after he takes them off.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Businesswoman #1: [a crowd of businessmen stampede into an elevator] Excuse me.
Businessman #1: Easy!
Businesswoman #2: Excuse me!
Businessman #2: Thank you.
Businesswomen #3: Sorry!
Businessman #3: Easy!
Businessman #4: Easy!

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Connections

Referenced in High Chaparall: Episode #3.3 (2004)

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Soundtracks

"MIDNIGHT MOTION"
Written by Kenny G
Performed by Kenny G
Courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Taut, sharply written thriller

I mainly purchased the DVD, because of two reasons: Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. I'm quite an admirer of both actors. I have virtually no knowledge about the stock market, or about stocks themselves. Those who are in the market or have vast knowledge about stocks will probably enjoy the film much more. However, I still enjoyed the film. When a movie's really good, it doesn't matter whether or not the audience member is interested in the topic. Besides, the film boils down to basic universal themes, like selling your soul to the devil and money being the root of all evil.

The characters are interesting and richly developed, with the exception of Darryl Hannah's underwritten character. I can see why she didn't like playing that role. Douglas is always a joy to watch, and makes a suave yet slimy villain. I wouldn't necessarily say he deserved an Oscar, but he did a fine job nonetheless. So did Charlie Sheen, who is actually the star of the film despite the fact that most people remember "Wall Street" for Douglas as Gordon Gecko. Sheen gives a fine multi-dimensional performance. I love the scenes between him and his father Martin Sheen, who plays his father in the film. Oliver Stone made a great choice casting the father-and-son team, since the tension in their scenes feels very authentic.

There are some predictable plot turns and character arcs, but altogether Stone keeps the excitement going. I like how the climactic scene between Douglas and Sheen is shot without cuts, with the camera moving from person to person, keeping the tension going. If I knew at least an inkling about the stock market, I wouldn't be completely lost during certain scenes, but what can you do? I still think it's a fine film with solid performances.

My score: 7 (out of 10)