Alright, pop that tape in, adjust the tracking if you need to, and let’s talk about a 90s comedy that hit Wall Street with a unique kind of hostile takeover: 1996’s The Associate. This wasn't your standard fish-out-of-water laugh riot; it was Whoopi Goldberg taking aim at the glass ceiling with a briefcase full of wit and some seriously impressive prosthetics. Forget explosions – the fireworks here were purely corporate and comedic.
### Breaking the Boys' Club, One Disguise at a Time
The setup is pure 90s corporate satire: Laurel Ayres (Goldberg) is brilliant, ambitious, and utterly invisible in the testosterone-fueled world of high finance. Passed over for a promotion in favour of her snake-like protégé Frank (a perfectly smarmy Tim Daly, fresh off Wings), she strikes out on her own. The problem? Nobody takes a woman seriously. Her solution? Invent the ultimate elusive (and non-existent) business partner: the seasoned, connected, and crucially, male Robert S. Cutty.
What follows is a sharp, often funny look at the absurdities Laurel has to navigate. Suddenly, doors open, deals get made, and everyone wants a piece of the mythical Mr. Cutty. It’s a premise that felt incredibly relevant rumbling through the VCR back then, a time when corporate culture was king and the discussions around workplace equality were definitely buzzing, albeit perhaps differently than today.
### Whoopi Undercover
Let's be honest, the main event here is Whoopi Goldberg. She carries the film effortlessly, radiating intelligence and frustration as Laurel. But the real magic trick is her transformation into the elderly, white Robert S. Cutty. This wasn't CGI, folks – this was the painstaking, practical art of movie makeup. Reportedly, the transformation took Greg Cannom (the genius who later won Oscars for Mrs. Doubtfire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and his team around 3-4 hours each day. You can feel the weight and texture of those prosthetics, adding a layer of physical comedy and sheer audacity to the performance. Seeing Whoopi inhabit this entirely different persona, mimicking the mannerisms and vocal tics, is the film's core delight. It's a demanding dual role, and she nails both the comedic timing and the underlying commentary.
The supporting cast adds flavour, too. Dianne Wiest is reliably wonderful as Laurel's loyal, slightly frazzled secretary Sally, providing the grounded heart amidst the escalating chaos. And seeing the legendary Eli Wallach turn up as a savvy potential investor adds a touch of old-school class. On the flip side, Bebe Neuwirth slinks around perfectly as the rival firm’s executive, another obstacle in Laurel's path.
### 90s Satire, Aged Like… Well, a 90s Satire
Directed by Donald Petrie, who knew his way around crowd-pleasers like Mystic Pizza and Grumpy Old Men, The Associate moves at a brisk pace. He captures that specific late-90s Wall Street aesthetic – the boxy suits, the early cell phones the size of bricks, the sterile C-suite environments. The film definitely feels like 1996, and that's part of its charm now.
The script, penned by Nick Thiel and based on a 1979 French film L'Associé, lands some solid punches about sexism and systemic bias. Some jokes and situations might feel a bit broad or dated by today's standards, but the central point – that talent should matter more than gender or race – still resonates. It’s interesting to note that despite Goldberg's star power and a timely theme, the film wasn't a huge box office success, pulling in just under $13 million on a $23 million budget. Maybe the satire cut a little too close for comfort, or perhaps it got lost in the shuffle of other 90s comedies.
It’s fun spotting the little details – the frantic juggling act Laurel performs, keeping Cutty alive through phone calls, faxes (remember those?), and near-misses. Remember how utterly high-stakes it felt when she almost got caught? The tension Petrie builds around maintaining the charade is surprisingly effective, even within a comedic framework.
### The Bottom Line on Cutty
The Associate might not be the first film you think of when recalling 90s comedy classics, but it deserves a revisit. It’s a smart vehicle for Whoopi Goldberg’s considerable talents, featuring one of the era's more ambitious practical makeup transformations. The satire, while rooted firmly in its time, still sparks recognition, and the performances are uniformly strong. It’s a film that tried to say something important wrapped in an entertaining package.
VHS Heaven Rating: 7/10
Justification: The score reflects Whoopi Goldberg's fantastic dual performance and the impressive practical makeup effects, coupled with a clever premise and solid supporting cast. It captures the 90s corporate zeitgeist effectively. Points are deducted slightly for some dated comedic elements and a plot that occasionally stretches credibility, but its nostalgic charm and still-relevant core message make it a worthwhile watch.
Final Thought: While the tech and ties scream mid-90s, The Associate remains a testament to Whoopi's star power and the lengths one woman had to go to (literally!) just to get a seat at the table – a pre-digital hustle captured perfectly on analogue tape.