Wall Street

Wall Street Movie Poster

“Greed is good.”  Wall Street, an Oliver Stone film released in 1987, starred Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko, Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox, Daryl Hannah as Darien Taylor, and Martin Sheen as Carl Fox.  The film was well received by most critics, with heavy hitters like Roger Ebert passing on his endorsement.  Douglas received the Academy Award for Best Actor.  The film was a huge financial success, and in 2009, a sequel was released, with Douglas reprising his role as a “reformed” Gordon Gekko.

In this movie, small time stock broker Bud Fox (Sheen) weasels his way into the big players circle, landing a job under the ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko (Douglas) by providing Gekko with insider information on the airline his dad worked for.  With the money Gekko made of the insider deal, he offers Bud a job as his insider spy.  Soon, Bud finds himself in the ruthless world of insider trading and shady deals, yet getting rich in the process.

One too many questionable deals attracts the attention of the SEC.  Bud pitches one last deal to Gekko, whereby the two would take over the airline.  When Bud realizes that Gekko plans to dissolve the airline, which would put his father out of work with no pension, Bud decides to turn the tables by orchestrating a stock manipulation plan that ultimately squeezes Gekko out, but lands Bud in jail.  After getting busted, Bud decides to do all he can to bring Gordon down before heading to jail, by turning states evidence (wearing a wire) during a meeting with Gekko.  In the end, knowing that he is likely headed to prison, Bud heads up the steps of the court house with a clear conscience.