Fall and redemption on Wall Street - Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen fight it out

Wall Street ( the film, released 1987) was a seminal production which over time has come to represent all that was bad about the boom years in Wall Street with corporate raiders, mega bonuses and fear & loathing. It wouldn't be until three years later the corporate raider stereotype had a chance of redemption through Richard Gere's Pretty Woman.

The cast is basically

Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko, main culprit and corporate raider

Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox, am ambitious young stock broker who looks up to Michael Douglas as a hero.

Martin Sheen as Bud Fox's father. The old generation with standards and stability.

Daryl Hannah as Darien, Bud's trophy wife.

Bud Fox starts off as trying to find ways to impress Gordon Gecko. Gecko is presented as a sharp operator with smart business wear and all the trappings of success. Anyway Bud soon realises that he is in possession of insider information regarding the company his father works for. He passes this on to Gordon Gecko who then purchases the shares and gains control.

However this isn't quite the fairy tale ending that Bud Fox wanted. Despite all the material wealth which comes his way the young Bud Fox is horrified when he learns that Gordon Gecko is planning to asset strip the firm where his father works. Inevitably this would lead to everyone at the firm losing their jobs.

Wracked by guilt Bud Fox searches for a way out of the problem and manages to persuafe Gordon Gecko to sell his shareholding without realising that he has been double crossed. Furious confrontations follow and Bud and Gordon fall out.

However it doesnt work out quite as planned. Bud is arrested by the police and in turn he wears a wire tap whilst confronting Gordon Gecko in Central Park.

The film is famous for Gordon Gecko's quote that "Greed is good". It also set the stage for the tale of redemption which would come three years later with Pretty Woman.

For film location where else other than New York City.

Michael Douglas won an oscar for best actor in a leading role although Daryl Hannah was said to have been unable to fit into the role which she had to play.