Wall Street (1987)

Director: Oliver Stone

Story: Oliver Stone, Stanley Weiser

Cast: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah

Music: Stewart Copeland

Time: 126 minutes

Bottom-line: An engaging drama powered by Michael Douglas

Every dream has a price.

Featuring one of the most iconic characters (and antagonists) of the 1980s, Oliver Stone’s Wall Street is a drama film about a young stockbroker and his relationship with a corporate raider. The film not only had a positive impact on critics but also on other Americans who have claimed to be inspired by the film to work on Wall Street. The film stars Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen in the lead roles, with Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah and Terence Stamp in the supporting roles.

Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.

1985, New York: Bud Fox (C. Sheen) is a junior stockbroker for Jackson Steinem & Co. Not entirely happy with his current job, he wants to work with legendary Wall Street player, Gordon Gekko (Douglas). After a long wait, Fox gets his chance for an interview with Gekko. Desperate to impress Gekko, Fox leaks out some inside information on Bluestar Airlines, which he heard from his father, Carl Fox (M. Sheen). Gekko becomes Fox’s client and asks him to spy on a British CEO (Stamp) as his next task. With time, Fox becomes rich, enjoying all the perks offered by Gekko, and even gets a girlfriend though him (Hannah). But when Fox has to choose between family and money, he finds himself in a shaky situation. Would he go against the immensely powerful Gekko? Or does he do what’s morally right?

 

Douglas as Gekko

While Charlie Sheen later became pretty much synonymous with Charlie Harper in Two and a Half Men, his role as Bud Fox is far better. Chosen for the role because of his “stiff acting”, I like the way he portrays the naïve stockbroker willing to go to any length to win the admiration of Gekko, the way he gains confidence and stands on his own two feet, and how he reacts when his world comes crashing down. Michael Douglas went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role – the powerful, cunning and unrelenting raider. His speech to the Teldar Paper panel is the highlight of the movie. While you’re admiring Gekko’s style and panache, you are also shocked by his ruthlessness (I wrecked the company because it was wreck-able, all right?).

Martin Sheen as Carl (left) and Charlie
Sheen as Bud Fox

Now whether you want to follow Gekko’s policy of “greed is good” (Greed, in all of its forms: greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, will save that malfunctioning corporation called the USA) or whether you want to wade through Wall Street as an honest man, the film will certainly pique your interest in this area. From one group of people yelling at the top of their voices to buy or sell stocks, to others in suede suits relaxing in their penthouses, the film gives a glimpse of all such characters. Although you may not understand the technicalities of everything that’s going on, the plot is still entertaining enough.

 

Hannah as Darien, Bud's girlfriend

While finance is a murky area – and the film also shows just that – how much you want to be “inspired” by it is up to you. However, with Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen taking centre-stage, Wall Street will definitely be worth watching for anyone who dreams of finding themselves in the titular location.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 78%