Moral lessons abound in Stone's `Wall Street'
V. Van Buren Giles
Scene Movie Critic
I can remember being very young and hearing that "Wall Street" was going to premiere on network television. Being in a family that did not have cable until 1996, any major motion picture debut on the "basic channels" was always a big deal in our household. I watched for a while, but without bloodshed, or any serious explosions, I soon tuned out and resorted to the immediate enjoyment of my Nintendo gaming system.
It was only a few years ago, after working at a corporate job in mid-town Manhattan, that I watched the film in its entirety. I was in awe of the powerful acting and the intense moral questions the movie raises.
Growing up a "city kid," I was always curious about the day-to-day habits of those men and women from my neighborhood who braved the downtown I.R.T. to the mecca of the business world that was Wall Street.
Oliver Stone's remarkable film transports us to 1986, where we meet Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young executive bored with his tedious job as a trader. He dreams of becoming a heavy hitter in his corporate profession and sets his sights on a famous Wall Street wizard named Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas).
Bud sees his future and dream of fortune in Gordon, the epitome of the '80s stock and real-estate speculator. Always the studious and honest hard worker, Bud soon realizes that in order to make it to the top of the corporate ladder and become a power player among the business world elite, he must lie, cheat and steal.
Bud stops listening to his conscience and soon becomes lured into the illegal but lucrative world of corporate espionage by his new found mentor and hero, Gordon. In no time at all, Bud assumes the "yuppy" (young urban professional) status he has always dreamed of.
With his posh Upper East Side apartment, equipped with state of the art electronics and gourmet food appliances, Bud has established himself in the image of the Reagen era, a time which characterized the celebration of greed.
With the seven-digit bank account and the tall blonde (Daryl Hannah) on his arm, Bud has everything he could possibly want — except the ability to look at himself in the mirror or have a good night's rest.
Bud's moral and ethical choices begin to haunt him, as he is alienated from his coworkers and blue collar father, who already sees the corruption and greed which is common in his son's work.
"Stockwatch," the organization that investigates insider trading,is soon hot on Bud's trail as his monetary empire begins to crumble around him. He has one last chance to save his father's pride and regain his moral character before all his corporate wheeling and dealing land him in the slammer.
The film features a superb cast that consists of strong supporting performances from Sean Young, James Spader, John C. McGinley and Terence Stamp.
But the most entertaining and captivating figure is by far the seductive and satanic Gordon Gekko, a role for which Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for best actor.
The story is based on the real life business tycoon Ivan F. Boesky who told a graduating class at Berkley in 1986 that, "Greed is healthy." Later that Fall, Boesky would plead guilty to charges from the Justice Department concerning massive violations of security laws. Douglas, as Gekko, utters these same words at a stock-holders meeting in the film.
If any pre-professional has not yet seen this film, he or she ought to for a truly sinister and enthralling vision of the American dream gone wrong.
All Scene Stories for Thursday, February 10, 2000
