[Quick Summary: A homeless man and a broker have their lives surreptitiously swapped, all for a measly bet between two rich old men.]
This buddy comedy is a gem because of its classic fish-out-of-water setup, i.e., poor guy swaps lives with rich guy.
It also does a great job of playing the moments as real, particularly leading up to the turning points. This leads to REAL consequences & REAL stakes.
Because there are no magic solutions and no "fake deaths", it doesn't tip the hand of what's to come next and helps keep the suspense rising.
For example, in the scene below:
- Louis Whipple is the grandson-in-law-to-be for two elderly Mr. Dukes.
- Louis has just tried to O.D. on prescription pills.
- Billy Ray is the homeless man.
- Ophelia is a woman of the streets who joins the adventure.
- Billy Ray and Ophelia have been walking Louis around the park to keep him awake.
- The writers allow Louis to make mistakes and allow the situation to defeat him. They don't try to soften the blow by a magical solution.
- As a result, we go right up to the turning point (Louis' aha! moment below ) with real stakes (the stupid bet has gone awry and is about to cause a fatality).
EXT. A PARK - NIGHT
...The two of them fall in the snow, and Billy Ray ends up sitting on Whipple's chest, holding him down.
BILLY RAY: Try and get it through your thick skull, Whipple! This whole thing was an experiment! And you and me are the guinea pigs! They made a bet over what would happen to us!
The truth is finally starting to dawn on Whipple. He looks from Ophelia's face to Billy Ray's.
LOUIS: A bet? They ruined my life over a bet? A bet for how much?
BILLY RAY: One dollar.
Whipple finally gets it. He smiles and nods, but his left eye is twitching.
LOUIS: A dollar. Good. Okay. Fine.
BILLY RAY: You okay, man?
LOUIS: Oh, I feel wonderful. And I'm going to feel even better.
CUT TO:
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: One reason that I think audiences have become uninterested in "fake death" universes is because there are no consequences, no stakes, and thus little suspense.
Trading Places (1983)(June, 1982, 1st draft)
by Timothy Harris & Herschel Weingrod
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