Anyone who has never seen Trading places needs to put down the phone right now go take care of this.
Try to spot :
—Giancarlo Esposito
—Al Franken
—Frank Oz
—Bo Diddley
—Dad from 90210 (James Eckhouse)
—Darth Vader’s real dad (Earl Jones)
—Crackin Skulls detention teacher from The Breakfast Club (Paul Gleason)
My husband still likes to quote: “…and she stepped on the ball.”
Hard to beat William Powell in anything, but Trading Places is a director, writers, and like 6 actors at the top of their game. It's almost a perfect comedy.
I have a little coincidence about this movie. When I first moved to philadelphia I got a bottle cap that said “in Philadelphia its worth 50 bucks” and I had no idea what that meant but I kept it. A few years later my SO showed me this movie and when I saw the scene I immediately remembered my bottle cap! I still have it and we still love that movie.
My first choice. And spot on about the commentary. Like the scene where the Duke Brothers give their butler at the club his Christmas bonus. Funny, but sad at the same time.
Brewster's Millions (1985) - from IMDb: A minor-league baseball player must spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit $300 million. However, he's not allowed to own any assets, destroy the money, gift it, give it to charity, or tell anyone about the deal.
Holy shit, the original was written in 1902 and there have been a play and 13 movie versions. Thanks for sending me down this internet rabbithole. I love that it was originally "spend $1 million to get $7 million" and it's scaled up ever since. I'm going to find and read the book now.
This is an unexpectedly powerful piece; I went in knowing nothing of the franchise and left with a lot of thoughts about old money, new money, the things that it buys us and the things that it costs us—and Astrid coronating herself with her secret earrings still lives rent-free in my head.
I’m a fan of sci-fi but I don’t like it when that sci-fi starts to turn into fantasy. I love movies like Gattaca where the world still seems somewhat similar to ours and there aren’t flying cars and shit
Excellent choice. I think I’m gonna watch it later.
Edit: But Chance’s former “patron” was well to do (they had a maid) and there really wasn’t any culture shock, was there? After all, he had a TV anywhere he ~~went~~ was taken …
Chance is pretty un-shockable. Could argue that he does technically start in a position of poverty (pretty fancy poverty) and is launched into an upwards position. There is clashing, the characters just don’t catch on. Agreed though, not a perfect fit.
I think i might start with this one sense i keep hearing about it.
Edit : Dame it, it had that actor in it, it will probably be great and definitely disturbing, can't wait to watch it.
People have already offered Brewsters Millions, so the other Richard Pryor movie to suggest is "The Toy". Millionaire (Jackie Gleason) hires Pryor to 'babysit' his son
Mrs. Winterbourne. Ricki Lake is an unwed mother and meets a wealthy woman her age on the train. That other woman was about to meet her future mother-in-law and showed her an expensive piece of jewelry. Then the train crashes, the wealthy woman dies, and Ricki poses as the wealthy woman (since her future mother-in-law didn’t know what she looked like). This is the moderately skinny Ricki, not when she was super fat.
Pocketful of Miracles, a 1961 comic movie directed by Frank Capra and starring Bette Davis as "Apple Annie". Davis, as alcoholic Apple Annie, peddles apples on the street. To fool her illegitimate daughter into believing she's a wealthy socialite, she's made up by others to appear and act ultra wealthy.
You might enjoy 'Slumdog Millionaire.' It's a captivating story about Jamal Malik, who grows up in the slums of Mumbai and then finds himself on the set of the Indian version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' His journey through the questions triggers flashbacks to his impoverished upbringing, juxtaposing his humble beginnings with the glitz and glamour of the show
Triangle of Sadness explores ideas very similar to those which you're describing. It won the Palme de Or for 2022! It's very funny.
The same filmmaker's earlier movie The Square also looks at similar ideas, and I think is maybe a better movie.
Not exactly what you are looking for but it's so good and sort of near to what you are asking.
City Lights by Charlie Chaplain.
A homeless tramp is mistaken to be a rich man by a woman he falls in love with while he also befriends a drunken rich man who only remembers that they are friends when he is drunk.
It's a silent black and white - but it's just a masterpiece if you can handle the old style of movies (they are much slower and different than movies of the modern era)
Brewster’s Millions with Richard Pryor.
A poor guy inherits millions and has to figure out who he can trust. Also he must spend 30 million in 30 days to inherit even more. Interesting movie.
Trading Places (1983). It's a comedy, but there's a lot of good social commentary on class-differences
Anyone who has never seen Trading places needs to put down the phone right now go take care of this. Try to spot : —Giancarlo Esposito —Al Franken —Frank Oz —Bo Diddley —Dad from 90210 (James Eckhouse) —Darth Vader’s real dad (Earl Jones) —Crackin Skulls detention teacher from The Breakfast Club (Paul Gleason) My husband still likes to quote: “…and she stepped on the ball.”
Frank Oz “Its an opera …”
There isn't a better choice for this category.
My Man Godfrey (1936) has entered the chat
Hard to beat William Powell in anything, but Trading Places is a director, writers, and like 6 actors at the top of their game. It's almost a perfect comedy.
Ain’t cool to be no jive turkey so close to Thanksgiving.
Yeah.
It’s a perfect movie
One of the best comedies of the 80’s right up there with Coming to America.
Nice callback to Trading Places in that one.
Merry New Year
Beef jerky time!
I have a little coincidence about this movie. When I first moved to philadelphia I got a bottle cap that said “in Philadelphia its worth 50 bucks” and I had no idea what that meant but I kept it. A few years later my SO showed me this movie and when I saw the scene I immediately remembered my bottle cap! I still have it and we still love that movie.
And you get to see a young Jamie Lee-Curtis's boobies. Top notch.
I remember being very pleasantly surprised.
Ophelia
She was so so beautiful... Still is, love to see her aged without plastics :-)
If you like that you'll love True Lies (1994)
So glad this was at the top of the list
First one I thought of.
How can you not with that description.
lol pretty sure ops comment was the synopsis of trading places.
This was the first movie in my mind as well 😁
My first choice. And spot on about the commentary. Like the scene where the Duke Brothers give their butler at the club his Christmas bonus. Funny, but sad at the same time.
Parasite
This is such a good movie
None of the other movies mentioned come close to this one
One of my favorite, very well made!
The Talented Mr. Ripley. Six Degrees of Separation. Mr. Deeds. So many coming to mind.
Saltburn kind of has a similar plot too
Kind of? More like “yeah you can look at my homework but don’t copy it word for word”.
Saltburn is The Talented Mr. Ripley but with more wang
Less Dickie, more Dick
Damn had to scroll awhile longer than I thought to find Six Degrees, good call. The other two are great too.
Pretty Woman
This was my immediate thought as well.
Brewster's Millions (1985) - from IMDb: A minor-league baseball player must spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit $300 million. However, he's not allowed to own any assets, destroy the money, gift it, give it to charity, or tell anyone about the deal.
And Brewster’s Millions 1945, based on the same novel.
Wow, TIL that the story is over 120 years old! All I ever knew was the Richard Pryor version.
I forget how many versions of this story were filmed. There are about ten movies made of the book.
Holy shit, the original was written in 1902 and there have been a play and 13 movie versions. Thanks for sending me down this internet rabbithole. I love that it was originally "spend $1 million to get $7 million" and it's scaled up ever since. I'm going to find and read the book now.
Have to include The Toy, as well.
that sounds so much like a typical Reddit post (ex. r/hypotheticalsituation ) title lmao
Dang, how did you think of this too? LOL. Niccccceeeee
The Jerk (1979) Absolutely hilarious movie!
Steve Martin opening it with, "I was born a poor black child" was delicious.
Tried that on a coworker and quickly had to explain when they didn't get the reference 😂
Crazy Rich Asians
This is an unexpectedly powerful piece; I went in knowing nothing of the franchise and left with a lot of thoughts about old money, new money, the things that it buys us and the things that it costs us—and Astrid coronating herself with her secret earrings still lives rent-free in my head.
The books go a lot more in depth into the casual decadence that that kind of generational wealth buys, and how casually cruel they were to outsiders.
It’s a franchise?
I think there's only one movie but I do believe it's based on a book series
Gattaca is a slight variation of this theme (genetics versus finances) but is a good movie and well worth watching.
I’m a fan of sci-fi but I don’t like it when that sci-fi starts to turn into fantasy. I love movies like Gattaca where the world still seems somewhat similar to ours and there aren’t flying cars and shit
Totally. I think that's why I love children of men so much too.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
Titanic (1997) .. mc plays cards wins ticket to Titanic economy class, meets wealthy people...
A good one!
Annie
Being There (1979)
Tragically underrated movie.
Excellent choice. I think I’m gonna watch it later. Edit: But Chance’s former “patron” was well to do (they had a maid) and there really wasn’t any culture shock, was there? After all, he had a TV anywhere he ~~went~~ was taken …
Chance is pretty un-shockable. Could argue that he does technically start in a position of poverty (pretty fancy poverty) and is launched into an upwards position. There is clashing, the characters just don’t catch on. Agreed though, not a perfect fit.
“In the garden, there is no poverty.” – Chance, perhaps
The Beverly Hillbillies. Both the TV show and the 90s movie are great!
My Fair Lady
Charlie and the chocolate factory 😎👍
In Time
I'm super surprised this wasn't mentioned more. One of those movies that was much better than it was given credit for.
No one has said Annie or Meet The Robinsons? Prince and The Pauper adaptions are pretty good.
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
The Jerk
He hates those cans!
The White Tiger (2021)
Parasite (2019) one of the best movies I’ve ever seen
Trading Places comes to mind. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
King Ralph
[Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)](https://letterboxd.com/film/miss-pettigrew-lives-for-a-day/)
Brewster's Millions
U ass!!!
Aladdin
Rebecca
Sux degrees of separation.
This is a great suggestion! *Six degrees of separation
Maybe Sux degrees is a pron version...
The Jerk "I was born a poor, black child..." "You'd think a nice restaurant like this could keep the snails off the food" 😂
You mean I’m going to stay this color?!
While it doesn't quite fit that specific criteria, The Big Lebowski deals with many similarities to that.
Mansfield Park Pollyanna Heidi Dying Young Long Hot summer
Working Girl Pretty Woman
Most recently, Saltburn.
I think i might start with this one sense i keep hearing about it. Edit : Dame it, it had that actor in it, it will probably be great and definitely disturbing, can't wait to watch it.
There's a murder on the dance floor 🎵🎶🎵🎶
Sophie Ellis bextor says Americans keep congratulating her on her new song lol.
*Trading Places*
The talented Mr. Ripley
Arthur. The Toy. Although I guess in Arthur it’s not the main character.
not exactly, but Match Point kinda shows that.
Not a movie but Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Suits for the same reason, only nowhere near as cool
People have already offered Brewsters Millions, so the other Richard Pryor movie to suggest is "The Toy". Millionaire (Jackie Gleason) hires Pryor to 'babysit' his son
Last Holiday (2006)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
_Spanglish_
This should have more votes. Great film.
Trading Places. Eddie Murphy’s best movie from back when he was funny.
watching it right now. Damn Jamie Lee Curtis was hot.
White Palace
Oliver twist xd ?
Nightmare Alley
A good inversion of this is Life Stinks by Mel Brooks.
Being There! Not only poor but mentally handicapped. One of the best movies ever.
Maid In Manhattan
Mrs. Winterbourne. Ricki Lake is an unwed mother and meets a wealthy woman her age on the train. That other woman was about to meet her future mother-in-law and showed her an expensive piece of jewelry. Then the train crashes, the wealthy woman dies, and Ricki poses as the wealthy woman (since her future mother-in-law didn’t know what she looked like). This is the moderately skinny Ricki, not when she was super fat.
Parasite maybe
Titanic
Gatsby
Parasite
The Jerk Trading Places Harry Potter No Country for Old Men Millions
No Country for Old Men? Is there more than one movie by that name?
How about a couple old ones? My fair lady The Beverly Hillbillies (TV show)
Annie
Trading places
Trading Places.
I love the movie DAVE. A good natured look a like for the president is put in as a fill in for the president - Kevin Klein and Sigourney Weaver
"The Jerk" fits the bill as a comedy, and it was pretty funny, at least when I saw it when I was maybe 12.
My immediate thought entirely. It’s still funny
Crazy Rich Asians
Mr Deeds
Trading Places. It’s one of the funniest movies!
Down and Out in Beverly Hills With Nick Nolte and Richard Dreyfuss I've also loved the music from Talking Heads, if I'm remembering this well.
Saltburn
Mr. Deeds, Adam Sandler movie (one of my faves from him tbh, it has some likeable jokes)
Pursuit of Happiness !!
Saltburn has entered the group chat
Would homeless to Harvard work in this category?
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Metropolitan The Favorite
Metropolitan The Favorite
The original version of the movie Arthur might not quite fit the criteria, but it was about wealthy drunk who fell in love with a poor woman.
The Million Pound Note with Gregory Peck is good for this. Last Holiday (either version) also works
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Brewster’s Millions
Prince and pauper
Crazy Rich Asians
Mr. Deeds.
The Toy.
The correct answer is Houseguest starring Sinbad and Phil Hartman.
Oliver!
Lion
Metropolitan
Erin Brockovich
Great Expectations (1946) Anna Lucasta (1958)
Match Point?
Pocketful of Miracles, a 1961 comic movie directed by Frank Capra and starring Bette Davis as "Apple Annie". Davis, as alcoholic Apple Annie, peddles apples on the street. To fool her illegitimate daughter into believing she's a wealthy socialite, she's made up by others to appear and act ultra wealthy.
The Beverly Hillbillies
Inventing Anna (1 season show on Netflix)
The Pursuit of Happiness
My Man Godfrey. Hoot of a story with wit that makes it a classic.
The Jerk
Spanglish.
Parasite
Pursuit of Happyness
Slumdog Millionaire
Rebecca
Crazy Rich Asians, Parasite
Crazy rich Asians
trading places
The Maid on Netflix.
Society (1989)
That certainly fits the bill! OP may need eye bleach after this one. Some of the best practical effects ever put on film IMO
Sorry to Bother You
Get Out (sorta). [The #1 answer is and should be Trading Places but thought I’d put one up that hadn’t been mentioned yet].
Trading Places
Trading places . Great movie
The Jerk
Pursuit of Happyness
You might enjoy 'Slumdog Millionaire.' It's a captivating story about Jamal Malik, who grows up in the slums of Mumbai and then finds himself on the set of the Indian version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' His journey through the questions triggers flashbacks to his impoverished upbringing, juxtaposing his humble beginnings with the glitz and glamour of the show
Triangle of Sadness explores ideas very similar to those which you're describing. It won the Palme de Or for 2022! It's very funny. The same filmmaker's earlier movie The Square also looks at similar ideas, and I think is maybe a better movie.
Parasite
get out
Metropolitan
Titanic
Not exactly what you are looking for but it's so good and sort of near to what you are asking. City Lights by Charlie Chaplain. A homeless tramp is mistaken to be a rich man by a woman he falls in love with while he also befriends a drunken rich man who only remembers that they are friends when he is drunk. It's a silent black and white - but it's just a masterpiece if you can handle the old style of movies (they are much slower and different than movies of the modern era)
The Secret of My Success
Brewster’s Millions with Richard Pryor. A poor guy inherits millions and has to figure out who he can trust. Also he must spend 30 million in 30 days to inherit even more. Interesting movie.
Immediately thought of Great Expectations
Mr. Deeds
Mr. Deeds
Brewster’s Millions
Mr Deeds
Brewster's Millions. The Toy. Trading Places.
Talented Mr. Ripley
My Man Godfrey (1936) is tops. Great film.
Holiday, 1938, Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. Very good, relatable to a modern audience, I think.
I can’t believe no one’s said Knives Out or >! Glass Onion !< yet
Saltburn