FILM · 1987 · USA
Wall Street
- Directed by
- Oliver Stone
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Studio
- 20th Century Fox, Pressman Film
109 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless and greedy corporate raider, who takes the youth under his wing.
109 Interesting Facts About Wall Street
Interesting Facts (34)
- #001
The first time Bud meets Gekko has three actors with famous fathers: Michael Douglas son of Kirk; Charlie Sheen son of Martin; and Josh Mostel son of Zero Mostel.
- #002
In the scene in which Bud Fox brings a birthday gift to Gekko's office, Gordon's secretary says 'Five minutes' in order to keep the unplanned meeting between Gekko and Fox as brief as possible. There are exactly 5 minutes in the movie from this moment to the moment in which Bud leaves the office.
- #003
At the time, Michael Douglas was better known as a producer. Oliver Stone was warned that Douglas would micromanage the film and undermine Stone. Stone hired Douglas anyway, and Douglas did not micromanage.
- #004
Michael Douglas remembers that when he first read the screenplay, "I thought it was a great part. It was a long script, and there were some incredibly long and intense monologues to open with. I'd never seen a screenplay where there were two or three pages of single-spaced type for a monologue. I thought, whoa! I mean, it was unbelievable". For research, he read profiles of corporate raiders T. Boone Pickens and Carl Icahn.
- #005
Tom Cruise wanted the part of Bud Fox, but Oliver Stone had already cast Charlie Sheen.
- #006
Hal Holbrook's character, Lou, is named for director Oliver Stone's real father, Louis Stone, a Wall Street stockbroker who died a year before this film's release.
- #007
With a Directors Guild strike looming, Oliver Stone worked 14-hour days in the last few weeks of production. The film was finished five days ahead of schedule.
- #008
The film, and Gordon Gekko in particular, has a notorious fandom who took the wrong messages from the film. Michael Douglas said that every time a broker said he went to Wall Street after seeing him as Gordon Gekko, he gets a little sad. On the DVD, Douglas and Oliver Stone say the 2008 financial crisis was caused by those Gordon Gekko wannabes, while saying people should have gone for Bud Fox instead. The movie is oft-cited as an inspiration to people who went on to earn MBAs, despite the film's explicitly anti-greed message. The villain of the film is sometimes not even recognized as such by his fans-as in, they don't realize he's supposed to be the bad guy. Many white collar crime perpetrators have said that they loved Gekko and were inspired by him.
- #009
At the Teldar Paper shareholders meeting, the name card of the man at the end of the back row on the right, visible over Gordon Gekko's shoulder, says "Sean Stone". Oliver Stone's son, Sean Stone, plays Rudy Gekko.
- #010
Several David Byrne/Talking Heads songs are on the soundtrack. Bud Fox's secretary is played by Adelle Lutz, David Byrne's former wife. Adele was also assistant director to Byrne on the music video of Talking Heads: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (1983), a song that appears in this movie.
- #011
Oliver Stone liked the "stiffness" of Charlie Sheen's acting style and used it to convey Bud's naivete.
- #012
Director Oliver Stone's first two choices to play Gordon Gekko were Richard Gere and Warren Beatty.
- #013
When Bud Fox enters Gekko's Office for the first time, when the doors are opened in front of him you can hear a wolf howl.
- #014
At the time, Michael Douglas was better known as a producer. Oliver Stone received warnings that Douglas would micromanage the film and overshadow him. Even so, Stone brought him into the cast, and Douglas never interfered excessively in any way.
- #015
Michael Douglas was also working on Fatal Attraction (1987) at the same time as this film. To avoid a scheduling conflict, he shuttled between the two films during the week.
- #016
The star investment banker of the era at Drexel Burnham Lambert, "Mad Dog," was one of the film's technical advisors and appears as the man speaking at the meeting where the breakup of Bluestar is discussed. Former New York deputy mayor and investment banker Kenneth Lipper was also hired as chief technical advisor. He initially turned Oliver Stone down, thinking the film would be a one-sided attack. When Stone asked him to reconsider, Lipper read the script and responded with a 13-page critique. For example, he argued that it was unrealistic for all the characters to be "morally bankrupt." Lipper advised Stone on the types of computers used on the trading floor, the proportion of women at a business meeting, and the kinds of extras who should be present at the annual shareholders' meeting where Gekko gives his "Greed is good" speech. Stone agreed with Lipper's criticisms and asked him to rewrite the script. Lipper brought a balance to the film, and this helped Stone obtain permission to shoot on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during trading hours. Lipper and Stone disagreed over the character of Lou Mannheim. Stone shot a scene in which the honest Mannheim succumbs to insider trading, but Lipper argued that audiences might conclude that everyone on Wall Street is corrupt and that the film needed an unquestionable character. Stone cut that scene.
- #017
Oliver Stone also consulted Carl Icahn, Asher Edelman, convicted insider trader David Brown, various government prosecutors and Wall Street investment bankers. In addition, stockbrokers were brought in to coach the actors on how to talk on the phone, how to write trade slips and how to communicate with clients. Stone asked Lipper to design a six-week course to introduce Charlie Sheen to a cross-section of young Wall Street businessmen. The actor said, "I was impressed and had a lot, a lot of respect that they could maintain that kind of aggressiveness and ambition."
- #018
Originally the main character was a young Jewish stockbroker named Freddie Goldsmith, but Oliver Stone changed it to Bud Fox to avoid the stereotype that Wall Street is controlled by Jews.
- #019
In a 2015 interview, Oliver Stone said that the film's original composer was Jerry Goldsmith, but that he was unhappy with the music he heard and fired him. Stewart Copeland came in his place.
- #020
Oliver Stone had begun thinking about a film of this kind as early as 1981 and was inspired by his father Lou Stone, who was a stockbroker at Hayden Stone during the Great Depression. Initially, he put forward the premise of two investment partners who get involved in shady financial dealings and use each other, pursued by a prosecutor as in Crime and Punishment.
- #021
Oliver Stone planned to use the cover of Fortune magazine in exchange for promotional ads, but Forbes magazine made a similar offer. When Stone settled on Fortune, Forbes publisher Malcolm Forbes was upset by this and later turned down his request to use his private yacht.
- #022
Charlie Sheen came up with the name "Bud" Fox. Oliver Stone initially thought the name sounded like "Butt Fox," but he used it anyway.
- #023
Gordon Gekko's famous speech was inspired by a 1985 speech at UC Berkeley by disgraced stock speculator Ivan Boesky. Boesky had said, "I think greed is healthy."
- #024
The character Lou, played by Hal Holbrook, was inspired by director Oliver Stone's real father, Louis Stone. Louis Stone was a stockbroker on Wall Street and passed away a year before the film's release.
- #025
At the Teldar Paper shareholders' meeting, the name card of the man on the far right of the back row, seen over Gordon Gekko's shoulder, reads 'Sean Stone.' Oliver Stone's son Sean Stone plays Rudy Gekko in the film.
- #026
The film's soundtrack includes several songs by David Byrne/Talking Heads. Bud Fox's secretary is played by Adelle Lutz, David Byrne's ex-wife. Adelle also served as assistant director on the music video for Byrne's song 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),' which also appears in this film.
- #027
When Gekko bids on a James Rosenquist painting at a contemporary art auction, there is a brief moment where the real artist James Rosenquist is seen watching what is going on.
- #028
In Gekko's office, while describing Bluestar Airlines, Bud mentions 80 'mid-sized' jets and 300 pilots. Most domestic airlines calculate an average of 11 pilots per aircraft (5.5 x 2-pilot 'crews') to cover a full daily flight schedule and balance leave/days off; Bluestar logically should have had about 880 pilots.
- #029
According to producer Edward R. Pressman, the character Sir Larry Wildman was inspired by the famous British-French billionaire and corporate raider Jimmy Goldsmith.
- #030
At about the 40th minute of the film, the U.S. Customs House is briefly visible. Two years later, this building would become famous for being used as the fictional Manhattan Museum of Art where the Vigo painting was kept in 'Ghostbusters II.'
- #031
The character Lou Mannheim was inspired by Oliver Stone's father, Louis Stone. However, the character is described as a 'loser.'
- #032
Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen had played gay lovers in the film 'That Certain Summer.' Although they have no scenes together in this film, Holbrook puts his arm around Bud Fox's (Charlie Sheen) shoulder, just as he did to his father Martin Sheen in that film.
- #033
When Bud Fox visits his father in the hospital, he tries to light a cigarette. This would never happen in reality; because for his father, who had suffered a heart attack, it would not only create a fire hazard in an oxygen-rich environment but would put the entire hospital at risk.
- #034
In the opening credits, director Oliver Stone's name appears in front of the World Trade Center. Stone would go on to direct the 2006 film 'World Trade Center,' about the September 11 attacks.
Production Story (21)
- #035
Oliver Stone planned to use a Fortune magazine cover in exchange for promotional advertisements, but Forbes magazine made a similar offer. Stone stuck with Fortune, which upset Forbes publisher Malcolm Forbes, who turned down a later request to use his private yacht.
- #036
To his regret, Matthew Modine turned down the film because Oliver Stone wouldn't give him the script to read.
- #037
Oliver Stone had been thinking about this kind of a movie as early as 1981 and was inspired by his father, Lou Stone, a broker during the Great Depression at Hayden Stone. He originally pitched the premise of two investment partners getting involved in questionable financial dealings, using each other, and they are tailed by a prosecutor as in Crime and Punishment.
- #038
Originally, the lead character was a young Jewish broker named Freddie Goldsmith, but Oliver Stone changed it to Bud Fox to avoid the stereotype that Wall Street was controlled by Jews.
- #039
"Dedicated to Louis Stone, stockbroker 1910-1985"
- #040
Hal Holbrook's character, Lou, is named for director Oliver Stone's real father, Louis Stone, a Wall Street stockbroker who died a year before this film's release.
- #041
Oliver Stone gave Charlie Sheen the choice of having either Jack Lemmon or Martin Sheen play his father. Charlie chose his dad.
- #042
Charlie Sheen's character was originally called Joe Fox. It was changed because a real-life Wall Street trader with the same name refused to have his name used.
- #043
Oliver Stone mentioned that the studio heads at 20th Century Fox weren't so enthusiastic about the film in terms of release, awards consideration and difficult theme for an audience to embrace, and instead the studio focused their attention on Broadcast News (1987). Both were released in the same month (December 1987), made a similar profit (despite Wall Street getting a limited release compared to the other film) and were nominated for Oscars, with James L. Brooks film getting seven nominations and Stone's film only one. While Broadcast News (1987) didn't get any Oscars, this film managed to win its only nomination.
- #044
According to Stanley Weiser, Gekko's style of speaking was inspired by Oliver Stone. "When I was writing some of the dialogue I would listen to Oliver on the phone and sometimes he talks very rapid-fire, the way Gordon Gekko does".
- #045
According to a 2015 interview, Oliver Stone said Jerry Goldsmith was the original composer for the film but Stone was unhappy with the score he heard and fired him. Stewart Copeland replaced him.
- #046
Gordon Gekko's famous speech was inspired by one disgraced stock trader Ivan Boesky gave at UC Berkeley in 1985. He stated "I think greed is healthy."
- #047
Oliver Stone wanted to make a film about the 1950s quiz show scandals. When he tossed around ideas with his friend Stanley Weiser, he hit on the notion of making a film about Wall Street instead. Weiser was reluctant because he knew very little about the financial markets. Stone encouraged Weiser to read "Crime and Punishment" and "The Great Gatsby" for an idea of the morality he wanted to put into the story, and Weiser spent the next few months immersing himself in the financial world. He and Stone spent three weeks visiting brokerage houses and interviewing investors.
- #048
At the time, Michael Douglas was better known as a producer. Oliver Stone was warned that Douglas would micromanage the film and undermine Stone. Stone hired Douglas anyway, and Douglas did not micromanage.
- #049
Al Pacino turned down the role of Gordon Gekko. Pacino revealed this in a television interview with Barbara Walters in 1992.
- #050
James Woods was offered the part of Gordon Gekko. But he turned it down to do Cop (1988) instead.
- #051
Charlie Sheen came up with the name "Bud" Fox. Oliver Stone originally thought the name sounded like "Butt Fox", but used it anyway.
- #052
Michael Douglas remembers that when he first read the screenplay, "I thought it was a great part. It was a long script, and there were some incredibly long and intense monologues to open with. I'd never seen a screenplay where there were two or three pages of single-spaced type for a monologue. I thought, whoa! I mean, it was unbelievable". For research, he read profiles of corporate raiders T. Boone Pickens and Carl Icahn.
- #053
The plot is loosely based on the junk bond and insider trading scandals of the 1980s.
- #054
"Mad Dog", a star investment banker at the time with Drexel Burnham Lambert, was one of the film's technical advisers and appears as the man speaking at the meeting discussing the breakup of Bluestar. Kenneth Lipper, investment banker and former deputy mayor of New York for Finance and Economic Development, was also hired as chief technical adviser. At first, he turned Oliver Stone down because he felt that the film would be a one-sided attack. Stone asked him to reconsider and Lipper read the script responding with a 13-page critique. For example, he argued that it was unrealistic to have all the characters be "morally bankrupt". Lipper advised Stone on the kind of computers used on the trading floor, the accurate proportion of women at a business meeting, and the kinds of extras that should be seated at the annual shareholders meeting where Gekko delivers his "Greed is good" speech. Stone agreed with Lipper's criticism and asked him to rewrite the script. Lipper brought a balance to the film and this helped Stone get permission to shoot on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during trading hours. Lipper and Stone disagreed over the character of Lou Mannheim. Stone shot a scene showing the honest Mannheim giving in to insider trading, but Lipper argued that audiences might conclude that everyone on Wall Street is corrupt and insisted that the film needed an unimpeachable character. Stone cut the scene.
- #055
Contains a major spoiler — show
Oliver Stone had written a subplot involving Fox having an affair with Gekko's wife (which would have explained Gekko's anger towards Fox in their final confrontation), but had to abandon it due to Charlie Sheen and Sean Young's hatred of each other.
Behind the Scenes (16)
- #056
From the beginning, Sean Young kept telling Oliver Stone that she should play Darien and Daryl Hannah should be fired. Young would show up on the set late and unprepared. It's part of the reason her role is so small.
- #057
Early on in the shoot, Oliver Stone tested Michael Douglas by enhancing his "repressed anger", according to the actor. At one point, Stone came into Douglas' trailer and asked him if he was doing drugs because "you look like you haven't acted before". This shocked Douglas, who did more research and worked on his lines again and again, pushing himself harder than he had before. All of this hard work culminated with the "Greed is good" speech.
- #058
Oliver Stone also consulted with Carl Icahn, Asher Edelman, convicted inside trader David Brown, several government prosecutors, and Wall Street investment bankers. In addition, traders were brought in to coach actors on the set on how to hold phones, write out tickets, and talk to clients. Stone asked Lipper to design a six-week course that would expose Charlie Sheen to a cross section of young Wall Street business people. The actor said, "I was impressed and very, very respectful of the fact that they could maintain that kind of aggressiveness and drive".
- #059
"Mad Dog", a star investment banker at the time with Drexel Burnham Lambert, was one of the film's technical advisers and appears as the man speaking at the meeting discussing the breakup of Bluestar. Kenneth Lipper, investment banker and former deputy mayor of New York for Finance and Economic Development, was also hired as chief technical adviser. At first, he turned Oliver Stone down because he felt that the film would be a one-sided attack. Stone asked him to reconsider and Lipper read the script responding with a 13-page critique. For example, he argued that it was unrealistic to have all the characters be "morally bankrupt". Lipper advised Stone on the kind of computers used on the trading floor, the accurate proportion of women at a business meeting, and the kinds of extras that should be seated at the annual shareholders meeting where Gekko delivers his "Greed is good" speech. Stone agreed with Lipper's criticism and asked him to rewrite the script. Lipper brought a balance to the film and this helped Stone get permission to shoot on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during trading hours. Lipper and Stone disagreed over the character of Lou Mannheim. Stone shot a scene showing the honest Mannheim giving in to insider trading, but Lipper argued that audiences might conclude that everyone on Wall Street is corrupt and insisted that the film needed an unimpeachable character. Stone cut the scene.
- #060
With a Directors Guild strike looming, Oliver Stone worked 14-hour days in the last few weeks of production. The film was finished five days ahead of schedule.
- #061
Oliver Stone later admitted that everyone involved told him Daryl Hannah was miscast, but he was too proud to replace her. This caused tension on set, particularly with Sean Young who wanted the role herself.
- #062
Martin Sheen's delivery of the line "I never judged a man's success by the size of his WALLET" was inspired by George C. Scott in The Hustler (1961).
- #063
According to Oliver Stone on the DVD commentary, the scenes filmed at the Wall Street trading floor (shot on location) were filmed in just one day for 45 minutes with actual brokers playing themselves.
- #064
Charlie Sheen said his inspiration on the hospital scene was remembering how he felt when Martin Sheen had a heart attack during Apocalypse Now (1979).
- #065
In the Wall Street scenes the camera is deliberately jittery and always prowling. It becomes calmer and stationary in the more grounded scenes with Bud's father.
- #066
The scene where Bud confronts Gekko in his office is primarily composed of two extended takes, separated by the cut to the reverse angle shot of Gordon shouting "Because it's wreckable!" The rest of the scene is one unbroken take.
- #067
Charlie Sheen and Sean Young didn't get on at all. It got to the point where Sheen stuck a piece of paper on her back saying "I am a c***". No one pointed it out to her.
- #068
Michael Douglas worked with a speech instructor on breath control to help him with the film's rapid-fire dialogue. Douglas was smoking 40 cigarettes a day at the time.
Wall Street (1987): Gordon Gekko, behind the scenesImage: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain - #069
Michael Douglas was working on the film Fatal Attraction (1987) at the same time as this film. To avoid a schedule conflict, Douglas would alternate between each film during the week.
- #070
Years later, Charlie Sheen remarked, that when he watches this movie, all he sees from one scene to the next, is how "hammered" he was.
- #071
Daryl Hannah has never seen the film. She said in an interview that it was a "rough experience" and she and director Oliver Stone had an "unhealthy working relationship". At the time of filming she accused Stone of being a misogynist. She said "film is a collaborate medium. Sometimes you hook up with people you don't collaborate well with."
Characters & Cast (6)
- #072
Oliver Stone liked the "stiffness" of Charlie Sheen's acting style and used it to convey Bud's naivete.
- #073
Daryl Hannah was never happy about playing Bud's materialistic girlfriend Darien. It was at odds with everything the actress and activist represented.
- #074
The Realtor played by Sylvia Miles is never referred to by name. Her name is revealed in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010); Dolores.
- #075
Michael Douglas modeled his performance after his friend Pat Riley, who at the time was head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
- #076
Oliver Stone later admitted that everyone told him Daryl Hannah was wrong for the role, but that he was too proud to replace her. This led to tension on set, especially between her and Sean Young, who wanted the part.
- #077
The real estate agent played by Sylvia Miles is never mentioned by name. Her name, Dolores, is revealed in the 2010 sequel 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.'
Easter Eggs & References (20)
- #078
When Bud Fox enters Gekko's Office for the first time, when the doors are opened in front of him you can hear a wolf howl.
- #079
At the Teldar Paper shareholders meeting, the name card of the man at the end of the back row on the right, visible over Gordon Gekko's shoulder, says "Sean Stone". Oliver Stone's son, Sean Stone, plays Rudy Gekko.
- #080
In the scene in which Bud Fox brings a birthday gift to Gekko's office, Gordon's secretary says 'Five minutes' in order to keep the unplanned meeting between Gekko and Fox as brief as possible. There are exactly 5 minutes in the movie from this moment to the moment in which Bud leaves the office.
- #081
Several David Byrne/Talking Heads songs are on the soundtrack. Bud Fox's secretary is played by Adelle Lutz, David Byrne's former wife. Adele was also assistant director to Byrne on the music video of Talking Heads: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) (1983), a song that appears in this movie.
- #082
Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen starred as gay lovers in the movie, "That Certain Summer." And Although they have no scenes together, Holbrook places his arm around Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), the exact same way he did his dad Martin in that movie.
- #083
There is a brief glimpse of the U.S. Customs House at around 40 minutes into the film. That building would become famous two years later after its appearance in Ghostbusters II (1989) in which it doubled as the fictional Manhattan Museum of Art which housed the Vigo painting.
- #084
During the opening credits, the name of director Oliver Stone appears in front of the World Trade Center. In 2006 he would direct World Trade Center which depicts the events that happened on 9/11.
- #085
When Bud Fox moves into his private office, he's introduced to his new private security, "Janet." Janet is the name of Charlie Sheen's real life mother.
- #086
Early on in the film when Marvin reminds Bud to make his daily call to Gekko, Marvin makes a reference to the Space shuttle Challenger disaster. This is an oddity given that the film is set in 1985 and the Challenger disaster does not occur until January of 1986.
- #087
In "Betrayed", a second season episode of the television series "The Streets of San Francisco", in which Michael Douglas starred as a homicide detective, Martin Sheen guest stars as a greedy stockbroker.
- #088
The watch Bud Fox is wearing, as shown in close-up before his meeting with Gordon, is a Lorus Quartz.
- #089
During the meeting where it's revealed Blue Star will be broken up, Gekko's representative tells Bud he will have the shortest lifespan of any executive, "since that pope who got poisoned." This is obviously a reference to John Paul I, who died in 1978 after only 33 days of being pope. John Paul I died of natural causes but conspiracy theories still persist of an assassination.
- #090
Anacott Steel, a fictional company, may be an obscure reference to Anaconda Copper, a company that busted in the 1929 stock market crash. Many entertainers had invested in Anaconda, including Groucho Marx.
- #091
When Gekko is bidding on the James Rosenquist painting at the contemporary art auction the actual artist James Rosenquist can briefly be seen observing the proceedings.
- #092
In Gekko's office when Bud is describing Bluestar Airlines, he says it has 80 "Medium Body" Jets and 300 pilots. Most domestic airlines benchmark an average of 11 pilots per airframe (5.5 x 2 pilot "crews") in order to satisfy a full flying day roster and account for leave / days off etc. Bluestar would rationally have approximately 880 pilots.
- #093
When Bud Fox visits his dad in the hospital, he attempts to light a cigarette. That would never have happened, being that not only would it be dangerous to his father who just had a heart attack, due to the flammable oxygen rich environment, it puts the whole hospital in jeopardy.
- #094
Charlie Sheen's character was originally called Joe Fox. It was changed because a real-life Wall Street trader with the same name refused to have his name used.
- #095
At the meeting where Blue Star's breakup is announced, Gekko's representative tells Bud that he will be the shortest-lived executive 'since the poisoned pope.' This line refers to John Paul I, who died in 1978 after only 33 days as pope; although the official statement was natural death, assassination conspiracy theories still persist.
- #096
Early in the film, when Marvin reminds Bud to call Gekko daily, he references the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. This is an oddity, because the film is set in 1985 and the Challenger disaster did not occur until January 1986.
- #097
Contains a major spoiler — show
At the end when Bud Fox is dropped off in front of the court house, he passes by a news stand where there's a magazine that has his picture on it. It's very difficult to see, but it says "Yuppie With A Conscience".
Deeper Meaning (8)
- #098
The film takes place in 1985.
- #099
The film implies where Gordon Gekko and Bud Fox attended college, though neither character's academic degree is mentioned. Gekko refers to himself as a "City College boy," implying the City College of New York, while Bud's father mentions Bud's student loans from NYU, implying he attended New York University.
- #100
According to Oliver Stone, he was "making a movie about sharks, about feeding frenzies. Bob [director of photography Robert Richardson] and I wanted the camera to become a predator. There is no letup until you get to the fixed world of Charlie's father, where the stationary camera gives you a sense of immutable values." The director saw Wall Street as a battle zone and "filmed it as such" including shooting conversations like physical confrontations and in ensemble shots had the camera circle the actors "in a way that makes you feel you're in a pool with sharks."
- #101
Oliver Stone used food to symbolize Gordon Gekko's voracious nature in the early scene where he takes Bud Fox to lunch at an exclusive restaurant. Gekko treats his new protégé to his favorite off-the-menu dish: Steak tartare (raw beef) with a raw egg on top.
- #102
The film, and Gordon Gekko in particular, has a notorious fandom who took the wrong messages from the film. Michael Douglas said that every time a broker said he went to Wall Street after seeing him as Gordon Gekko, he gets a little sad. On the DVD, Douglas and Oliver Stone say the 2008 financial crisis was caused by those Gordon Gekko wannabes, while saying people should have gone for Bud Fox instead. The movie is oft-cited as an inspiration to people who went on to earn MBAs, despite the film's explicitly anti-greed message. The villain of the film is sometimes not even recognized as such by his fans-as in, they don't realize he's supposed to be the bad guy. Many white collar crime perpetrators have said that they loved Gekko and were inspired by him.
- #103
Oliver Stone had written a subplot in which Fox has an affair with Gekko's wife; this would have explained Gekko's rage in the final confrontation. However, because of the mutual hatred between Charlie Sheen and Sean Young, he had to cut that section.
- #104
Oliver Stone originally wanted to make a film about the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. While exchanging ideas with his friend Stanley Weiser, the idea of making a film about Wall Street instead emerged. Weiser was initially hesitant because he knew little about financial markets. Stone suggested he read Crime and Punishment and The Great Gatsby so he could grasp the moral dimension he wanted to bring to the story, and Weiser threw himself into the world of finance over the following months. The pair spent three weeks visiting brokerage firms and meeting with investors.
- #105
The film, and especially the character Gordon Gekko, has a notorious fan base that draws the wrong messages from it. Michael Douglas has stated that he feels a bit sad whenever he meets a stockbroker who says they went into Wall Street after watching Gordon Gekko. In the DVD commentary, Douglas and Oliver Stone say the 2008 financial crisis happened because of Gordon Gekko imitators, whereas people should have taken Bud Fox as their example. Despite its anti-greed message, the film is often cited as an inspiration for those who go on to pursue an MBA; in fact, fans sometimes fail to notice the villain and mistake Gekko for a hero. Many white-collar criminals have confessed that they loved Gekko and were inspired by him.
Career & Awards (4)
- #106
This is the only movie to win both an Oscar (Best Actor- Michael Douglas) and a Razzie (Worst Supporting Actress- Daryl Hannah), not just for acting, but in any category.
- #107
Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.
- #108
This film is the only production to win both an Oscar (Best Actor – Michael Douglas) and a Razzie (Worst Supporting Actress – Daryl Hannah); moreover, this is a first not just in acting but across all categories.
- #109
Oliver Stone stated that the studio executives at 20th Century Fox were not very enthusiastic about the film's release, its awards prospects or its theme, which was hard for audiences to embrace, and that they focused their attention on Broadcast News (1987) instead. Both were released the same month (December 1987), earned similar profits (Wall Street despite a more limited release than the other film) and were nominated for Oscars; James L. Brooks's film received seven nominations while Stone's film received only one. Broadcast News (1987) won no Oscars at all, while this film turned its single nomination into an award.
Related pages
- Oliver Stone — Wall Street comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
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