July 22, 1990
OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY
Screenplay by Alvin Sargent
Synopsis by Brian Aldrich
LAWRENCE GARFINKLE, 45, is a greedy, self-centered, stock market tycoon who likes to take over small companies and dump them for profit. He sets his eyes on New England Wire and Cable, a family-like factory business in milltown Rhode Island that has an impressive balance sheet. The patriarch of the business is ANDREW "JORGY" JORGENSON, the aging chairman. He has promised the business to his acting President, COLES, when he retires. Jorgy's assistant and lover is BEA, a strong woman of 65. Garfinkle makes Jorgy an offer for the company. Jorgy refuses. Garfinkle intends to take over. Bea calls her daughter, KATE, a successful lawyer in New York who works for a huge firm. Although Kate detests the small town she came from and has a problem with Jorgy who took her mother away from her father, she gives in to her mother's urgings and returns to handle the firm's battle with Garfinkle.
Kate goes to visit Garfinkle who falls in love with her. She asks him to make an agreement with her to not purchase any more NEWC stock for two weeks till she can return with a counterproposal. He agrees and asks her out. She refuses. Immediately, he goes back on his agreement and buys as much NEWC stock as fast as possible. Likewise, Jorgy has Coles buy as much stock as he can. Garfinkle and Kate play courtroom chess, throwing obstacles in each other's path. Meanwhile, Garfinkle does all he can to seduce Kate.
Kate struggles to get old man Jorgy to try new ways to save his company and the jobs of his townspeople. Jorgy stubbornly decides to let the stockholders vote at the next meeting. Coles, a worried loser, goes behind Jorgy's back and sells his stock votes to Garfinkle. Garfinkle is sure of his victory and he finally seduces Kate.
At the stockholders meeting, Jorgy gives an excellent speech about labor and the future of America. Garfinkle ridicules him and preaches about greed. The results of the vote give the company to Garfinkle. Garfinkle and Kate get married and have a kid. Jorgy dies two years later. Bea tries to help her townspeople with retraining programs. Finally, years later, the news on the street is that someone is trying to take over Garfinkle Enterprises.
Summary Criticism: As I was born in Providence, it was a delight to read this story and I enjoyed the authentic flavor of the mill town characters and their dilemmas. While the downer ending was enjoyably refreshing, it was not consistent with the character's well-drawn personalities.
Other People's Money - imdb
Other People's Money - wiki
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