Heroes And Villains

In Slate, Jessica Winter seems surprised that Gordon Gekko, the villain of the movie Wall Street, has turned into a folk hero. But that's how the movie is designed.

The Charlie Sheen character, a young go-getter whom we're supposed to identify with, is fairly dull. Even duller is his kindly father, a union leader played by Martin Sheen. Duller still is the Hal Holbrook character, a long-winded Wall Street oldtimer who's supposed to represent how good and honest things use to be.

Amidst all this boredom, Gekko stands out--as Hollywood recognized 20 years ago when it gave Michael Douglas an Oscar for the role. He's exciting, he's charismatic, and he's unashamed. That Gekko is also a crook just shows the lack of imagination in the screenplay, where they can't figure out a story about high finance or big business unless someone is breaking the law.