The Associate

Who is Cutty?

von Michelle A. Hoyle

Laurel Ayres (Whoopie Goldberg) works hard with her partner as financial advisors at a large Wall Street firm. The problem is, she's doing all the work and her partner Frank, played by Tim Daly, scoops all the credit and eventually ends up being promoted over her, even though she trained him. Frustrated at being unjustly passed over, Laurel leaves the firm and sets out to start her own company. She quickly discovers, however, that Wall Street isn't prepared to take a woman seriously if they believe she's acting on her own. Rejection follows rejection follows yet another rejection.

The world of million dollar deals belongs to men

Just as she's giving in to complete and utter despair, Sally, a secretary from her former company, played by Dianne Wiest, shows up on her doorstep and inspires her to try harder and helps her to get an interview with Donald Fallon (Eli Wallach), the head of an influential company. Laurel shows up for her interview but Fallon claims that his partners won't go for something fronted a woman. In a fit of desperation, Laurel claims that she has a partner, one Robert S. Cutty, and Fallon agrees to read over her proposal. The proposal is brilliant and Fallon is happy to hire Laurel's new firm, although he prefers to do business with people he's met.

What cannot be killed must be brought to life

Sally shows up askingdemandinga job. Laurel puts her to work and quickly discovers that Sally's a whiz-bang organizer and soon has all of Laurel's great ideas cross-indexed and accessible with the touch a button. Laurel continues to build up the mystique of Cutty, a supposedly reclusive man who travels extensively and hates to go out in public. Eventually, though, she's forced to have Cutty make an appearance. How will she pull it off? Cutty is older, much heavier, male and white. Meanwhile, Cutty, or rather Laurel as Cutty, is racking up success after success. The problem is, all the credit goes to Cutty. How can she compete with a figment of her own imagination?

This isn't one of Ms. Goldberg's great movies but it's reasonable value for your entertainment dollar and offers an encouraging message to women who still feel that they're overworked, underappreciated, and held back.

Swiss cinemas:

Angaben zum Film

Titel:		Associate, The (1996)
Land:		USA
Genre:		Komödie
Bewertung:		2 (von 5)

Regie:		Petrie, Donald
Drehbuch:		Prieto, Jenaro Thiel, Nick (nach einer Vorlage von Socio, El)
Produktion:		Cort, Robert W. Field, Ted Golchan, Frederic Kroopf, Scott Leipzig, Adam Madden, Avid Markey, Patrick
Koproduktion:		Gainville, René Helfant, Michael A.
Ausf. Prod.:		Madden, David
Kamera:		Nepomniaschy, Alex
Schnitt:		Koehler, Bonnie
Musik:		Tyng, Christopher
Ausstattung:		Jackness, Andrew
Kostüme:		Ferry, April
Besetzung:		Goldberg, Whoopy Wiest, Dianne Wallach, Eli Daly, Timothy Neuwirth, Bebe Pendleton, Austin Kazan, Lainie

Länge:		113 Minuten
Ton:		Dolby SR-D
Prod.-firma:		Buena Vista Hollywood Pictures Interscrope Communications PolyGram
CH Verleih:		Elite Film

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