Thirty years after the devastating American stock market event known as "Black Monday", Oliver Stone's Wall Street returns to theaters. This September Gordon Gekko once again pronounces "Greed is Good", a phrase that deftly described the excess of the '80s in three just words. Now, as the nation heads toward the 30th anniversary of one of the most shocking financial collapses in history, the Oscar®-winning film is coming back to theaters for two days only on September 24 & 27. See on the big screen just what the fuss was all about.
Fathom Events and Twentieth Century Fox will present the era-defining Wall Street in nearly 600 theaters nationwide, accompanied by Greed is Good, a newly produced featurette about the making and continued influence of the seminal 1987 movie. Tickets are available now on the Fathom Events website or at participating theater box offices. Regardless of your location, Wall Street will play at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (local time) on both days.
As the late Roger Ebert wrote in his 1987 review, "the movie's real target isn't Wall Street criminals who break the law. Stone's target is the value system that places profits and wealth and the "Deal" above any other consideration." It is in that way that Wall Street remains as relevant today as it was three decades ago, when its release was met with both critical acclaim and box-office success and led to the Best Actor Oscar for Michael Douglas as the financial tycoon, Gordon Gekko.
The film originally debuted less than two months after "Black Monday" -- October 19, 1987 -- when global markets plunged and the U.S. stock market lost more than 22 percent of its value in a single day. Which means the film was written and in production long before anyone knew there was something wrong with the economy, or at least the people who worked at shaping it. Wall Street's uncanny timing gripped the public's interest, and has never lost its ability to fascinate. The Financial Times said the film has "exuded an almost hypnotic attraction on scores of would-be bankers and traders."
It's always hard to understand a day and age unless you've lived it, experienced it. For all the Millennials and younger Generation Xers, Wall Street provides a well constructed look into the past at a time that's difficult to imagine. The film may not epitomize the mood of an entire nation, but it sure does a damn good job highlighting the reasons for a critical mis-step made by one of the world's most powerful countries. Is it dated? Yes, there are many esthetic nuances that place this production firmly in the 80s. And I think that does effect the over all impact of the film. It makes it seem more distant, and unimaginable, even fairytale-ish. Which is a shame, since it appears as if the US may very well be heading down the some path even as you read this.
When all is said and done Wall Street stands as a cautionary tale. One that should be required viewing for all those venturing into the financial trade either as buyers or sellers. Some how, I don't think will really change much of anything. But then again, foretold is forewarned. Catch this classic in theaters while you can!