Film

Other People's Money

Name: Other People's Money
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Released: 1991
Cast: Danny DeVito, Gregory Peck, Penelope Ann Miller, Piper Laurie, Dean Jones

Drama

A scrappy 1991 comedy about a cutthroat corporate raider (Danny DeVito) circling a failing New England factory, only to find himself outmaneuvered by the owner's sharp daughter (Penelope Ann Miller). It's a surprisingly smart film about capitalism, loyalty, and whether anyone is beyond seduction—played with real charm and bite, not cynicism.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy talky, verbal sparring-driven comedy where smooth-talking deal-making doubles as a flirtation, and the best jokes come from two sharp minds circling each other across a boardroom.

Skip it if you need brisk plot momentum, since much of the running time goes to legal and financial maneuvering that can bog down in long rooms of talk and paperwork.

What it asks of you: Around one hour and forty minutes, it wants patient attention and a willingness to follow negotiations without rushing toward fireworks.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Wall Street1987

The definitive portrait of '80s greed and ambition, with Michael Douglas as a titan who makes DeVito's raider look almost human. Explores the same moral rot with far greater darkness and complexity.

But Three hours long and genuinely bleak. The romance subplot doesn't soften it; it deepens the dread.

Barbarians at the Gate1993

A TV movie about an actual leveraged buyout (RJR Nabisco) that's wickedly funny about greed and ego. James Garner and Jonathan Pryce have the same chemistry—warmth across enemy lines—that makes Other People's Money work.

But Heavier on finance jargon. If you don't care about hostile takeovers, the humor lands softly.

Working Girl1988

Melanie Griffith playing a smart woman outthinking the men in the room, set against New York business culture. Same era, same 'little person wins through brains' energy, with Sigourney Weaver as a genuinely menacing antagonist.

But Leaning more into wish-fulfillment romance. The corporate takedown matters less than the love story.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Other People's Money

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Glengarry Glen Ross1992

Both films believe that charm and verbal skill are weapons. The difference is Mamet never lets charm work.

Mamet's play about men selling real estate becomes Ariel's film about the theology of capitalism—brutal, funny, and entirely convinced that seduction and lying are the same skill. DeVito's raider would *be* these men if given a stage.

But Claustrophobic and merciless. No one is remotely likable. The aggression is uncut by romance or sentiment. Grueling to watch.

Disclosure1994

Michael Douglas again, this time threatened by Demi Moore in a corporate power play. Equally interested in seduction as a weapon and the legal maneuvering that follows. Tense, sexy, absurd.

But Badly dated gender politics. The film seems to believe its own conservative anxiety about female ambition, which reads as unintentional camp now.

The Producers1968

Two men at odds in a confined battle of wills, with the older, greasier one somehow charming us despite himself. Mel Brooks' original is funnier and stranger, and proves that DeVito-style castings—the unexpected lead—can carry a whole film.

But Very '60s, very broad. Humor has aged unevenly. The plot is deliberately flimsy.

Ghostbusters II1989

Another '80s-'90s comedy about unlikely heroes fighting an establishment threat, with DeVito in a smaller role. Bill Murray's weary charm and Dan Aykroyd's sincerity anchor something fundamentally silly.

But It's a sequel nobody asked for. The first film casts a long shadow. Visibly made by committee.

Coming to America1988

Eddie Murphy as a prince in New York, charmingly resourceful, repeatedly outmaneuvered by Arsenio Hall and the woman he loves. Same lightness of touch with capitalism and romance, same underdog glow.

But Long stretches of thin premise. Relies entirely on charisma. If Murphy isn't working for you, nothing here will.

Tucker: The Man and His Dream1988

Coppola directing Jeff Bridges as an idealistic manufacturer up against corporate interests. More earnest than Other People's Money, but asking similar questions about integrity in business and whether charm alone wins.

But Sentimental in ways that undercut the drama. The villain isn't as fun as DeVito; the stakes feel safer.

Eating Raoul1982

A modest independent comedy with a married couple (Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov) outsmarting sleazier people through cunning and weird tenacity. Low-budget, funny, genuinely odd, and totally of its era.

But Dark humor about killing people for money. Cult film pacing means it moves at its own speed, not yours.

Network1976

Both are about men who thrive on chaos and attention, and both ask whether there's any difference between ambition and seduction. Network just answers more darkly.

Sidney Lumet's coruscating satire about a man (Peter Finch) seduced by his own relevance within a corrupt system. Like Other People's Money, it's fascinated by how charisma and moral emptiness dance together, but it ends with an apology for nothing.

But Savagely pessimistic. No romance, no redemption, just the system winning. If you want to feel better after a movie, this isn't it.