Chairman of the Board (1998)

A surfer becomes the head of a major company.

Director:

Alex Zamm

Writers:

Alfredo Septién (story) (as Al Septien), Turi Meyer (story)

Stars:

Scott 'Carrot Top' Thompson, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Larry Miller

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scott 'Carrot Top' Thompson	...	Edison
Courtney Thorne-Smith	...	Natalie Stockwell
Larry Miller	...	Bradford McMillan
Raquel Welch	...	Grace Kosik
Mystro Clark	...	Ty
Jack Plotnick	...	Zak
Jack Warden	...	Armand McMillan
Estelle Harris	...	Ms. Krubavitch
Bill Erwin	...	Landers
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Freemont
Jack McGee	...	Harlan Granger
Glenn Shadix	...	Larry
Fred Stoller	...	Toby, McMillan Gate Guard
Taylor Negron	...	Mr Withermeyer
Patrick J. Clifton	...	Edison's Father

Storyline

A surfer and inventor Edison is chosen by his roommates to raise rent with his outrageous (and absurd) inventions. There's no luck in job interviews until he meets billionaire Armand McMillan, who likes him, and leaves his company after his death to Edison. Edison has a lot of success with his inventions while the company's competitors do all they can to destroy him.

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Plot Keywords:

surfer | inventor | surfing | tycoon | slacker | 

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Taglines:

Work sucks!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sex related humor and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1998 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

Untitled Carrot Top Project

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$181,233, 15 March 1998, Limited Release

Company Credits

Production Co:

101st Street Films, Aurora Productions, Trimark Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jim Carrey was the first choice for the role of Edison. He then dropped out after he read the script, knowing that the movie would have been a failure.

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Goofs

After tennis, Bradford drinks about half of a cup of water and sets it down. When he picks it up again, it's half full, but as the scene changes angles, it alternates between half full and almost brimming.

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Quotes

Ty: And don't forget the handy dandy ketchup helper.
Edison: Over eleven sold.
Ty: And your grandmother bought ten of them.
Edison: I thought you guys liked my inventions.
Ty: We love them, the problem is the rest of the world doesn't.

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Connections

Referenced in I Hate Everything: the Search for the Worst: The Little Panda Fighter (2015)

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Soundtracks

Hawaii Tattoo
Written by Michael Thomas
Performed by Hillbilly Soul Surfers

User Reviews

Funny but also cartoonish formula

Edison is a genius who has a talent for inventing crazy gadgets. He seems to be able to make a living at it, though he lives with two friends on the beach where he can surf.

Eventually, Edison is fired because he doesn't produce enough money for the company. Fortunately, the slightly eccentric Armand McMillan also likes to surf, and he and Edison become friends.

When McMillan dies, he puts Edison in charge of the company. This does not please the more conservative big shots, who plot to get rid of Edison. The results are predictable but also enjoyable.

I was surprised at how much I liked Carrot Top in this movie. I can't stand him normally, but he did a capable job and made his character likable. Jack Warden was also impressive considering the material. Courtney Thorne-Smith was cute. I was thinking she is a respected actress, but I'm not sure, and this movie doesn't prove anything. She wasn't bad here.

Yes, this is a live-action cartoon, but it's a lot of fun. The visual effects and the gadgets are pretty good. I'm not sure I would recommend this to children because of the off-color humor (the movie opens with two girls in bed with Edison--or does it?). This is unfortunate since it has a limited audience if kids can't watch it.

But there are plenty of us who enjoyed Saturday mornings as a kid and still like silly fun even though we're supposedly grown up.