Good Advice (2001)

Director:

Steve Rash

Writers (WGA):

Daniel Margosis (written by) &
Robert Horn (written by)

Release Date:

15 November 2001 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

From fixing stocks to fixing hearts.

Plot:

An investment banker loses everything and must discover what's important in life.

Plot Keywords:

Stockbroker | Advice Columnist | Beautiful Woman | Stock Broker | Nokia Ringtone

Cast

Charlie Sheen	...	Ryan Edward Turner
Angie Harmon	...	Page Hensen
Denise Richards	...	Cindy Styne
Jon Lovitz	...	Barry Sherman
Rosanna Arquette	...	Cathy Sherman
Estelle Harris	...	Iris
Barry Newman	...	Donald Simpson
Lisa Rinna	...	Veronica Simpson
John de Lancie	...	Ted (as John DeLancie)
Francoise Surel	...	Lucy Stone
Pete Gardner	...	Carl
Troy Beyer	...	Nancy
Andrew Berman	...	Steven
Christopher Burkott	...	Mail Room Clerk
Madison Mason	...	Jim Pearson

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:L | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Philippines:PG-13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Wall Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Emmett/Furla Films

Trivia:

'Charlie Sheen' met his future wife, Denise Richards, on this movie.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Cathy gets a telephone call in her yoga class we hear a Nokia tone, but she has got a Motorola telephone in her hand.

Quotes:

Cindy Styne: Have you ever been to Brazil? Don't bother. There is no air-conditioning, there are mosquitoes the size of unborn babies, and *nobody* speaks a decent language!

Movie Connections:

References Wall Street (1987)

Soundtrack:

Bounce

A Cable Classic

"Good Advice" doesn't try to be anything it is not, and knowing its limitations makes it a good watch.

Charlie Sheen plays a disgraced stockbroker who was set up and loses his job, then his girlfriend (Denise Richards), who leaves him and the country, as well as her job as an advice columnist, behind. Sheen's character is desperate for money so he takes over the column under "Dear Cyndy's" name. Richards gives an over-the-top performance as the super-hot golddigger whose column wasn't making waves, or money. Sheen takes the job more seriously (since he needs the money), and the movie focuses on his evolution from a Type-A jerk into a new-age sensitive man in touch with his feminine side.

As with any movie of this type, the plot and ending are pretty easy guesses, but the key is in the performances, and the entire cast is strong. Jon Lovitz plays the loyal friend (a plastic surgeon), while Rosanna Arquette is convincing as his materialistic wife and Cyndy's emotional support. The characters are more like what you'd find in real life rather than Hollywood, in that they weren't niced up the way many who move in the world of fiction are.

While I wouldn't be moved to see this film in a theater (it went straight to video), if nothing else is on cable, I might give it another watch. The movie has enough staying power to ensure that you'll be able to find it on cable for many years to come.