Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah
20th Century Fox, Oliver Stone, 1987. R, Drama.

Synopsis: Bud Fox (Sheen) is a young man from a good family who seeks his fortune as a Wall Street stockbroker. In an effort to make the big-time he enters an unholy alliance with stock manipulator Gordon Gekko, played chillingly by Michael Douglas, who received the Best Actor award for his performance.

Trivia: Tom Cruise asked Oliver Stone for the Bud Fox part. However, the role had already been promised to Charlie Sheen. As a consolation to Cruise, Stone cast him in his next significant film, which was “Born On The Fourth Of July” where Cruise played the emotionally charged role of Vietnam vet Ron Kovic.

Talking Points: Temptation

1. Martin Luther said that just because temptation flies around our head like a bird, it does not mean we should allow it to make a nest in our hair. Tell the last time temptation flew around your head and what you did to keep it from nesting there.

2. People try to take shortcuts to success for many reasons besides greed. While Bud Fox wanted money, other things seemed just as important. What were some of the other desires that motivated his actions?

3. Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness, and the story is told in Matthew 4:1-11. How was Jesus able to overcome this temptation?

4. Jesus faced three major temptations in this passage. How are they similar to the temptation Bud Fox faced? How are they different?

5. Carl Fox (played by Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen’s real-life father) is a stabilizing influence in his son’s life. List the things Carl did before, during and after his son’s fall demonstrated his strong moral values. How he was able to impart these values to his son?