thejcowboy22 Larry Garfield (Danny Devito), is a corporate raider, deconstructing and selling off failing companies for prophet. Short and egotistical donut popping Larry or as his adversaries call him "Larry The liquidator", has his eye on buying out a New England based cable and wire company. This small town company employs most of it's residence. Owner in the autumn years the infamous Gregory Peck as Andrew Jorgenson and his wife Bea (Piper Laurie).Short and pudgy Garfield travels to Rhode Island and enters the factory and already complains about too many stairs but explains that a buy out is more wise than staying barely afloat. Jorgenson demands that he leaves the premises but the reality is there . Enter Stepdaughter/business attorney Kate Sullivan (Penelope Ann Miller). Smart, elegant yet feisty as Jorgenson has a plan to have Kate captivate the money hungry Larry and have him change his mind about swaying the stockholders. Jorgenson was right about Larry being smitten with Kate but as far as business goes Larry is not budging. Wife Bea makes a special trip to Larry's Manhattan headquarters offering one million dollars in greenmail to go away but Larry kindly tells the desperate woman, "I don't take money from widows and orphans." Meanwhile the company's President Bill Coles,(Dean Jones) is fearful of a company takeover forcing him into unemployment with no severance, offers his vote of the shares in Garfield's favor for one million dollars but only if the share make up the margin of victory.In that case he'll receive half. The dyes have been cast and the final showdown at the plant will take place. Iconic Gregory Peck's plea to keep the company afloat and little loud mouth Danny DeVito making sense of a changing economy telling the stockholders to invest in something else. Norman Jewison magic hasn't lost it's luster as DeVito and Peck work well together. Love the failed courtship between Devito and Miller as well. I thought this was a great vehicle for Danny DeVito in one of his most finest performances in his long and interesting career. Alvin Sargent's screen writing is superb as the rebuttal scenes at the plant are priceless . The two actors with their cadence and mannerism make the scenes so real. I give this movie half a dozen donuts out of ten.

mark-879-723660 It's been a few years since I saw Other People's Money, but I just watched Time Changer last night, and it brought this movie to mind. If you've seen both or read descriptions of both you might think they have nothing in common, but I think they share this: They are probably the two most "serious" movies I have ever seen, in the sense that both seriously present complex philosophical issues.Other People's Money has a plot and a story, of course. But at heart, it is a discussion about a serious social question: How should we as a society deal with changing technology and economic circumstances? The movie sets up two opposing characters: Gregory Peck's character takes the position that society must be compassionate. Just because a business is no longer efficient or is producing an obsolete product doesn't justify putting them out of business and putting all the employees out of work. At one point he makes a moving speech for giving people a chance to adapt and find solutions to get the company back on its feet. Danny DeVito's character says that real compassion is to get everybody out of a losing enterprise and working someplace that is actually productive. In my opinion, both sides are given a fair hearing in the movie. This is one of the few movies that fairly presents both sides of a controversial issue.From a dramatic, story-telling point of view, DeVito's character is great. MINOR SPOILER HERE: When we first see him he comes across as a crude, greedy jerk. But then gradually we see that this is just an act that he puts on. Watch especially for the scene in the Japanese restaurant: it sums up the paradoxes of his character.

screenman Danny DeVito gives one of his most entertaining performances as the asset-stripper from hell. The movie is a fairly predictable Hollywood cocktail of comedy, morality and romance, but is raised above the ordinary by DeVito's performance and a thought-provoking script. DeVito has found a metal-bashing firm that is down on its luck. There's more money to be made from buying it up, selling off the assets and closing it down, than there is from keeping it going. That's the short-term corporate-raiders' view anyway. Trouble is; the firm employs lots of people whose livelihoods depend on their regular pay-cheques. It's a family-run factory that is practically the sole employer in a one-horse town. It's owner - played by a suitably fading Gregory Peck - knows this, and feels a moral responsibility towards the workforce that goes beyond simply maximising profits. He sees the staff every day. He knows many personally and understands their daily struggles.The conflicting arguments are well presented at an extraordinary shareholders' meeting. Many questions are raised about the purpose of capitalism in a supposedly civilised society. Does a business exist merely to enrich those who invest in it, or do shareholders enter into a covenant of obligation towards those who labour in their name? DeVito comes over more as a likable rogue than a true speculator, which was probably necessary to satisfy the comedic elements of the movie. He is shown as frivolous and playful towards his own staff. Whereas in truth, he would be unlikely to offer anything like such an avuncular stance. His sting is partially pulled by a female business lawyer employed by Peck. A romantic under-current develops between her and DeVito, which she typically attempts to exploit.The movie has some good gags, and some excellent moments that are both skilfully acted and funny. Yet the fundamental questions about capitalism remain unanswered, and the summation is unsatisfactory. Perhaps there is no easy answer. The ending is something of a cop-out that attempts to deliver a feel-good infusion. Probably 99 times out of a hundred, the result would be a disaster for the workforce, but so much reality would compromise the other elements of the play.It's well worth a watch for whatever motivates you.

Petri Pelkonen Lawrence Garfield loves money.Soon Larry loves also a woman.That woman is Kate Sullivan.But if he wants to win her heart he has to become less obnoxious.Norman Jewison's Other People's Money (1991) tells a fine story.The little big man Danny DeVito is the best person to portray the lovable bad guy Larry the Liquidator.Penelope Ann Miller is a perfect player of the opposite sex.The late great Gregory Peck does a great job, as he always did.He plays the part of Andrew Jorgenson.Piper Laurie is awfully great as Bea Sullivan.Dean Jones does very good job as Bill Coles.This movie is full of well written scenes.Overall Other People's Money is a good comedy with some serious stuff.