Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Timeless cautionary tale of excess has other mature themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Wall Street
What's the Story?
Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) works for a brokerage firm, impatiently trying to make a living through cold-calls. Fed up, he talks his way into a meeting with high-roller Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Gekko takes a liking to Bud and shows him how to make some real money on Wall Street, even if the methods are a bit shady. Bud begins to enjoy his newfound wealth and power, as well as a high-class girlfriend (Daryl Hannah). He starts to set up a deal to save the small-scale airline business run by his good-hearted father (Martin Sheen), but discovers that Gordon is more interested in making money than in helping people. So Bud must decide whether to sacrifice everything he has worked for in the name of family, love, and loyalty.
Is It Any Good?
Directed by Oliver Stone, and dedicated to his stockbroker father, WALL STREET plays out with Stone's usual bombastic intensity. Some of the 1980s-era details may seem a bit dated, and the movie's attitude toward women is slightly despicable, but the overall story arc, echoing the "Faust" tale, is timeless. It can be on the predictable side, but movie as a whole is still effectively seductive.
It's telling that Michael Douglas won the movie's only Oscar for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko, who is something of a devil/Mephistopheles character, and effortlessly steals the show away from the more heroic characters. Eventually, right wins the day, but the movie is more memorable when Gekko, like the Grinch, is being bad. (And it's still remembered for Gekko's infamous "greed" speech.) Additionally, Wall Street manages to capture the mood and methods of Wall Street without getting too complex, and the overall story is told clearly and well.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about greed. Is it good? Is it possible for businesses to work without being greedy?
Why is the Gordon Gekko character the most seductive and the most interesting? How do we come to see him for the first time? What does he represent?
Was Bud really happy when he was rich and working for Gordon? Can money and objects buy happiness for a short while? For the long haul?
What other media is a commentary on excess and greed? Is it still glorified? Expand your thinking to outlets that didn't exist in the '80s like Reality TV (My Super Sweet 16, for example).
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 11, 1987
- On DVD or streaming : September 18, 2007
- Cast : Charlie Sheen , Daryl Hannah , Michael Douglas
- Director : Oliver Stone
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 126 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 27, 2025
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