In a bid to make a rapid rise to the top of the career ladder, ambitious young stockbroker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) tries to hitch his wagon to unscrupulous Wall Street hot-shot Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas). In a desperate attempt to ingratiate himself with his idol, Bud provides Gecko with some inside information, prompting him to take the eager youngster under his wing. Following in Gecko's amoral footsteps, Bud's career sky rockets and he begins to live the lifestyle he's always dreamed of.
When his father Carl (Martin Sheen) looks set to fall victim to Gecko's next money-making scheme, however, Fox begins to plot his mentor's downfall. As Bud's dream life begins to show cracks, the young pretender quickly discovers that, in Gecko's world, money is king and everyone's expendable.
An irrepressible Michael Douglas gives an Academy Award-winning performance in Oliver Stone's rip-roaring diatribe against 80s greed culture. A memorable and energetic drama, full of quotable lines ('greed is good', 'lunch is for wimps'), Oscar winning director Stone, takes a fullblooded approach to replicating the aggressively macho world of the trading room floor. An impressive Charlie Sheen is joined on screen by real-life father Martin, who appears as his blue-collar dad, with Daryl Hannah notoriously underwhelming as Bud's trophy girlfriend.
As Douglas prepares to revive the dastardly Gecko for next year's planned sequel, it's a great time to refresh your memory of the definitive 80s money man.
Wall Street is a Film programme that first aired in 1987 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
