Well, we’re a little over halfway home. I wasn’t sure exactly where to go from Scrooged but figured I’d transition to another 80s comedy that helped inform my sense of humor and one of my all-time favorite movies, Trading Places.
Directed by John Landis
Screenplay by Timothy Harris & Herschel Weingrod
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie Lee Curtis
A pair of old, rich, white Wall Street elites decide to have some fun at Christmastime by placing a wager and swapping the lives of one of their up and coming traders with that of a street-wise con man in a mean-spirited social experiment. As their lives are inverted, the subjects of the bet must find a balance in their new roles and learn the intrinsic value of their newfound positions.
The great John Landis had his finger on the pulse of this fairly dark but hilarious comedy that adeptly navigated the realm of social satire without coming across as preachy. Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod’s script has some commentary about the whims of the super-rich, the chasm between the working class and the elite, and the perceptions of race in America, but the focus is more on the impact that money has on the lives of the two individuals at the center of the story. Landis paced the story masterfully and never shied away from its R-rating, so it’s engaging in a naturally compelling way. He doesn’t pull any punches so the brilliance of the writing lands with the perfect tone. Landis has made a number of beloved films, but this is easily my favorite of them.
When this movie came out in 1983, Eddie Murphy had risen to stardom through his standup comedy and Saturday Night Live but was still unproven as a movie star. This was only his second movie but I don’t know if he goes on to have the same kind of career without it. The role of Billy Ray Valentine allowed him to showcase his patented sense of humor that made him famous but also framed it with a suit and tie approach that helped him crossover.
Dan Aykroyd worked with Landis on The Blues Brothers so that familiarity went a long way. Having him opposite Murphy worked wonderfully as their comedic styles were a complement to one another. This wasn’t a buddy comedy where the two of them play off each other the whole time, Aykroyd carved out a very specific blend of scorn and snobbery as Loius Winthorpe III that elevates Murphy’s portrayal of Valentine and vice versa. Good friends from their SNL days, it’s a shame these two didn’t get another project like this to work together.
Let’s not forget the other fantastic performances in the movie either. Jamie Lee Curtis plays a prostitute with a heart of gold who meets Winthorpe when he’s at his lowest and helps give him a perspective he was never able to see or appreciate behind his life of privilege. Curtis acts as his moral compass in a way and she has a warmth that helps soften some of the edges. Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche are both great as the pompous old windbags who gamble with the lives of others so freely. They aren’t as unlikeable as you’d imagine based on the description but it’s enjoyable watching the tables turn nonetheless. Even with no official sequel, Landis has the characters reprise their roles in a cameo in Coming to America.
I wasn’t introduced to this as a Christmas movie, but it still qualifies. If you could only watch one movie on the list and you picked this one, I wouldn’t argue with the choice. You can rent Trading Places from most video-on-demand services.
Merry New Year and Happy Holidays!