Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The Associate (1996): Dir: Donald Petrie / Cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Diane Wiest, Tim Daly, Bebe Neuwirth, Eli Wallach: A woman disguises herself as a male to prove a point. The title regards someone who doesn't exist. In this case the screenwriter. It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a hard working woman on Wall Street who quits her job after a scheming male broker received the promotion due her. She attempts Wall Street elsewhere but her gender creates a problem so she invents Robert S. Cutty. After a makeup job she is able to carry out meetings but he gets the credit. When things get really out of hand she is assisted by her secretary in in staging Cutty's death, which lands them both in jail. Director Donald Petrie does his best with the unoriginal material. Whoopi Goldberg holds her own despite the predictable outcome, and Diane Wiest elevates the standard role of secretary to amusing levels that payoff. Tim Daly is cardboard as the schemer whom took Goldberg's opportunity. His role is pretty straight forward and about as boring as a class speech. Also appearing is Bebe Neuwirth who is sexually interested in Cutty but again, the role is lifeless. Finally veteran Eli Wallach makes a wasted appearance to remind us that we need to see his earlier roles. Theme exposes male chauvinism that fails as a screenplay but big fans of Goldberg will likely associate best with it. Score: 6 / 10

Watchable if nothing else, this Whoopi Goldberg vehicle doesn't reach for the stars, but instead weaves social commentary on the glass ceiling and racial prejudice into the comedy of a business whiz (Goldberg) who invents a fictitious business partner when she finds she can't advance on her own merits, apparently due to her gender and race. But the ruse becomes difficult to manage as various investors demand to meet the elusive "Mr Cutty", and Goldberg resorts to costumes and well-staged theatrics to hide the fact that Cutty doesn't exist.Reasonable supporting cast features Tim Daly as a sleazy corporate type, ubiquitous to just about every film that depicts 'corporate America', Dianne Wiest as Goldberg's chronically under-appreciated right-hand woman, Eli Wallach as an old-school investor keen to meet the elusive Mr Cutty, and Austin Pendleton as a bookish inventor and CEO on the brink of bankruptcy until Goldberg can restore his standing. Blink and you'll miss Colleen Camp in a very minor role as a detective.Occasional slapstick and farce, fused with the usual dry-wit for which Goldberg is accustomed, it's a studio picture with all the typical hooks and clichés, nevertheless, very mild and satisfying. And as a footnote, good to see Bebe Neuwirth in a particularly sultry role as an all-too-eager business associate to Wallach; she has a couple of scenes sans most of her wardrobe that are quite revealing.

I thought "The Associate" was a great film dealing with one of the major problems of today's society : judging everything and everyone on the way it looks instead of what it is. In this case : she is (and looks like) a woman, and therefor she must be inferior to men. The acting was very, very good, but that's what we're used to see from such people as Whoopy Goldberg, Diane Wiest, Eli Wallach, and so on. Then why am I only giving a vote of 8 ? Because of the final scene! The whole film was, though in every way a comedy, very realistic, but that last bit was completely over the top and utterly unbelievable. This is, in my view, one of the big flaws of American films : they just MUST HAVE a happy ending, no matter how far fetched it may be. Nevertheless a film worth seeing and seeing again.

Just saw this great movie on HBO! What a hoot! I've actually experienced some of what the movie portrays in real life.....and Whoopi was definitely perfect for the part! Really nice mix of real life issues (even in the modern world of 2006) and humor......and Whoopi, she should have received an Academy Award for her role! I've always liked her, but after seeing her in this role, I have a huge amount of new respect for her work! She comes across as if she really was the character she's portraying. You need to step back to realize she's an actress playing a part. Of course, her supporting cast did a great job too!I didn't read any reviews on this, so I don't know what the critics might have said......I do know that I really can't say enough good things about this movie! You really can't miss, especially if you're female! ;-)