Episode #9: Other People's Money
Listen to Episode 9 of the Podcast here while you enjoy the show notes.
SUMMARY - In Other People’s Money, Danny DeVito plays a Wall Street magnate named Lawrence Garfield who has made his fortune through hostile takeovers. His latest target is New England Wire and Cable, a manufacturer that employs almost an entire town in Rhode Island. The company isn’t going to go down without a fight, because the owner’s daughter is a very determined lawyer.
Screenplay by Alvin Sargent; Directed by Norman Jewison and released on October 18, 1991.
FILM DISCUSSION
It wasn't easy to get screenshots of this one, so it's hard to tell that he's playing with a slinky in this opening monologue where he's talking directly to the camera. There is only one or two other places where he directly addresses the home audience and it's all pointless.
We appreciated the realistic computers being used, like "Carmen"
There is a lot of business talk in the movie and it expects you to know some basics of mergers & acquisitions.
We didn't connect with the sense of humor that this movie was going for. Most of it was gross misogyny and blatant sexual harassment that doesn't stand the test of time.
Including a disgusting proposition scene. You can see how bored and tired Penelope Ann Miller looks in this scene and the performance reflects that.
It's a terrible psuedo-love story that falls completely flat.
Complicated by a totally unwarranted kiss.
The movie has a great cast, but they are totally wasted.
The dialogue and scenes got to be extremely repetitive where Gregory Peck's character refuses to back down and people offering different compromises.
Relationships in this movie are very unclear and unresolved. We know Peck is Miller's step-father and there's bad blood in their history, but nothing's explained.
In the "climactic" scene where both Peck and DeVito give speeches, at least the movie does a good job presenting legitimate pros and cons to both sides of the argument. But it sure isn't comedy.
To cover those bases, they have tons of donut talk. It's a running gag that wasn't funny the first time.
There were no awards to talk about this time around once again, and that makes sense.
TRUE CRIME & POP CULTURE
This week, there was no notable true crime we tied to the movie, so it's on to pop culture.
First, Nikki talked a bit more about the original stage production (written by Jerry Sterner) and its cast
The Top Songs of the Week were:
Bryan Adams with "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." - Of course...it seems like it will be for half of our episodes, but we also have a new entry:
Mariah Carey "Emotions"
Nice to have some variety!
The TGIF lineup was again discussed, but it was mostly the same stuff - http://www.tvtango.com/listings/1991/10/18
We also return to the world of video games and talk about our experiences with 1991 releases Lemmings, Duke Nukem, and Banishing Racer (a Game Boy game which was not released in the US and possibly should be called Vanishing Racer).
RANKINGS & RATINGS
Nikki 1-5 star scale - 1 out of 5
Jon 0-4 star scale - 1 out of 4
Would you watch it again? - Neither of us have any interest in watching it again, but if we could find a copy of the stage play with the original cast, that could be interesting.
If you want to watch Other People's Money, as of this recording in April 2021, it’s available on Cinemax, Digital Rental, VHS, DVD. Check your local listings
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