The Associate (1996)

Whoopi Goldberg (SISTER ACT I & II, EDDIE) handles business her own way in this outrageous comedy hit! Whoopi plays a fast-track executive who starts her own company after a back-stabbing co-worker (Tim Daly, TV's WINGS) nabs her promotion. But when she's locked out of the stuffy corporate world, she invents a dazzling male business partner to sell her ideas! Her wacky plan soon spins wildly out of control, however, when her bogus "associate" becomes Wall Street's hottest financial whiz -- and Whoopi herself must impersonate him! With Dianne Wiest (THE BIRDCAGE) in a hilarious supporting cast, THE ASSOCIATE is a comedy treat you're sure to love!

Guilt by Association

The Associates is a Whoopi Goldberg vehicle about a Black woman on Wall Street. Though she is smart and hard working, no one takes her seriously, so she invents a White male associate, Robert S. Cutty. Though no one ever sees him, he gets the reputation of being a financial genius. The more he hides, the more people want to see him, until finally, Whoopi, with the help of a drag queen, does reverse drag as a White male.

The Associates is mildly entertaining, though the rapid rise of Robert S. Cutty is not really plausible. He makes one deal and the next thing you know he is on the cover of Fortune. Still, it is just an excuse for Whoopi to turn the tables and make a statement about racial prejudice and sexism. Oh, yeah, it is a comedy, not a Wall Street Journal primer on finance. The financial stuff is not very realistic, and I guess it isn't trying to be Wall Street(the Oliver Stone film), but Trading Places with Eddie Murphy was a lot more successful in showing how the world of high finance operates, and also in exploring racial prejudice with comedy. The Associates doesn't really aspire to be realistic, as it is only a flimsy premise for the whacky antics of Goldberg & Co.

Bebe Neuwirth plays a smart broker who tries to use her gender to her advantage. There is a totally gratuitous scene with her modeling lingerie, which I enjoyed--but felt that it was not integral to the plot; in fact it was more like a non sequitar. Perhaps it was meant to set up a joke later on, and should be judged solely on whether or not you laughed. I did chuckle a bit here and there, and was amused.

One other quibble, the whole movie was building towards a climax where Whoopi impersonates Robert S. Cutty, her imaginary White male Associate, and I think they cheated. He is not credited, but I think they just used an actual White male with Whoopi's voice dubbed in. That was kind of a let down. I remember in Little Big Man Dustin Hoffman was made to look very old with make up. As the story begins, Jack Crabb, who is about 100 years old, tells his tale of being raised by Indians and fighting at Little Big Horn. Then the story flashes back and you see it is Jack Crabb, the same person, only much younger. It was a make up tour de force, and most impressive. They may have had something similar in mind with The Associate, but then reality and budget constraints set in. I am not 100% sure it wasn't her under that latex and make up, but I am highly dubious. If someone knows otherwise, please speak up, and leave a comment.

Whoopi Goldberg ... Laurel Ayres
Boys on the Side (1995) .... Jane Deluca
Ghost (1990) .... Oda Mae Brown

Dianne Wiest ... Sally Dugan
Edward Scissorhands (Widescreen Anniversary Edition) (1990) .... Peg
September (1987) .... Stephanie

Eli Wallach ... Donald Fallon
The Magnificent Seven (Special Edition) (1960) .... Calvera
Il Buono Il Brutto Il Cattivo (1966) .... Tuco
... aka The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (UK) (USA)

Tim Daly ... Frank Peterson
"Wings" .... Joe Montgomery Hackett (172 episodes, 1990-1997)
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995) .... Dr. Richard Jacks (Sean Young plays Ms. Hyde)
Diner (1982) (as Timothy Daly) .... William 'Billy' Howard

Bebe Neuwirth ... Camille Scott
"Wings" .... Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane (1 episode, 1992)
"Cheers" .... Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane / ... (80 episodes, 1986-1993)
"Frasier" .... Dr. Lilith Sternin (11 episodes, 1994-2003)
Tadpole (2002) .... Diane Lodder
Celebrity (1998) .... Nina - the Hooker
September 24, 2008

Associate w/ "The Associate"

I love Whoopi Goldberg. This movie and "Working Girl" show how difficult the glass ceiling can be to overcome. July 9, 2008

One of Whoopi's best flicks. I could not stop laughing.

This movie is extremely well done, and raised some political controversy at the time, with Whoopi being a black woman donning "whiteface" makeup.

While many would see this movie superficially as an illustration of the "glass ceiling" for women in America, I think it is a far richer film with deeper characterizations and poignance.

Whoopi plays a smart, enterprising woman (Laurel Ayers) in an investment/banking firm. However, all of her ideas are usurped by the man (Frank), who epitomizes the sleazy old boy's network, and who takes credit for all of her ideas and hard work. When she is passed up for a promotion, that is the last straw, and she quits the firm to start her own. The clerical assistant (Sally Dugan), wonderfully played by Dianne Wiest, sees the potential in this young woman and encourages her.
When Laurel is unable to get anywhere as she attempts to start her own firm, the excuse always being, " I love the proposal, but my 'associate' would not go for it." She is about ready to throw in the towel, when Sally steps in and gets her an appointment with the hot financier in town....

Laurel realizes that being a black female is not getting her where she needs to go, so she becomes..... an elderly white male..... her newfound success soon gets her on people's radar screens, read 'Frank', and like so many success stories, if you won't be co-opted by them? They will seek to destroy you! On the verge of throwing in the towel, seeing the rat she once worked with taking credit for her work, she finds her mojo, with spectacular and hilarious results. The ultra-exclusive, white male only, club will never be the same. Sometimes the good gals DO indeed finish first!

This movie while being totally hilarious, also touches on themes of believing in yourself. Racism. Sexism. And how we treat others, as Laurel has to confront her own hypocrisy as how she treats her diamond in hiding secretary.

I never get tired of watching this movie, and am always 100% sure that guests to my home 1) have never seen this movie, and 2) thoroughly enjoy it when I show it to them. March 29, 2007

Nicely Done

Today I saw the Associate for the second time while I was grading written assignments. I never grade an assignment until I have read it for the second time, just in case I missed something. When an assignment exceeds my expectation I always comment by saying "Nicely Done". October 23, 2006

You'll Love It!

Whoopi is great as Laurel Ayers, a talented stockbroker/investment officer who gets passed over for a promotion, and her male assistant gets the job instead. Like a lot of women in high-powered firms, Laurel tries to break through the glass ceiling but runs into roadblocks from the Old Boys' Network. She sets about starting her own investment firm, but nobody will do business with her until she invents a male partner by the name of Robert S. Cutty. Hilarity ensues as Laurel has to make excuses to clients why the mysterious Mr. Cutty never attends meetings, never meets clients, never talks to the press.

Dianne Wiest is a great sidekick as Laurel's assistant, a bright woman in her own right who has been kept down in dead-end positions. Timothy Daly is great as the sleazy, no-talent Frank who manages to take credit for Laurel's ideas and steal her promotion right out from under her. As the story progresses, you really end up hating this guy, which shows how good Daly's portrayal was. He never stoops to an extreme caricature of the Bad Guy, and it's quite satisfying he gets his comeuppance in the end.

Very funny film, although I thought the scene where they try to kill off Cutty in his car was a bit silly. All in all, this is a great movie to watch over and over again, and one that still rings true even today for women trying to attain high-powered positions in what is traditionally male domain. August 22, 2006

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