The Associate (1996): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Associate is a 1996 comedy directed by Donald Petrie, starring Whoopi Goldberg as Laurel Ayres, Bernie McInerney and Tim Daly. It runs 1 hour 54 minutes and earned $12.8 million worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 54m (114 min)
- Director
- Donald Petrie
- Genre
- Comedy
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Interscope Communications
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Associate About?
The premise of The Associate without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Laurel Ayres is a diligent businesswoman at an investment firm where senior partners like Frank Peterson take credit for her work. Frustrated, she quits and launches her own agency. To attract clients, she invents a fictitious male partner, Robert Cutty, and soon everyone insists on meeting the non‑existent Cutty, creating a web of deception she must navigate.
The Associate Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- comedy of errors
- comedy of manners
- african american comedy
- cross dressing
- woman dresses as a man
- gender discrimination
- male domination
- wall street
- feminist film
- remake of french film
- lesbian subtext
- pretending to be someone else
+38 more Show fewer
- deceptive love interest
- women's rights
- women's equality
- feminism
- glass ceiling
- black woman disguised as a white man
- wall street manhattan new york city
- black american
- african american
- race relations
- prejudice
- businesswoman
- businessman
- female protagonist
- strong female protagonist
- investment firm
- financial analyst
- revenge
- alter ego
- quitting a job
- employer employee relationship
- female impersonator
- man in drag
- neighbor neighbor relationship
- friend
- friendship
- plaza hotel manhattan new york city
- new york city
- cameo role
- banquet
- female stockbroker
- seduction
- woman undresses
- farce
- satire
- sexism
- institutionalized sexism
- rumor
The Associate Cast & Characters
Whoopi Goldberg leads the cast as Laurel Ayres, with Bernie McInerney as Client at Cutty Ayres and Tim Daly as Frank Peterson. Directed by Donald Petrie; 42 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Donald Petrie
-
Whoopi Goldberg as Laurel Ayres - Bernie McInerney as Client at Cutty Ayres
- Tim Daly as Frank Peterson
-
Dianne Wiest as Sally Dugan
Also Starring in The Associate
· 38 more- Bebe Neuwirth Camille Scott
- Thomas Wagner Harley's Associate
- Donald Trump Donald Trump
- Eli Wallach Donald Fallon
- Colleen Camp Detective Jones
- Allison Janney Sandy
- Austin Pendleton Aesop Franklin
- Lainie Kazan Cindy Mason
- John Rothman Jogging Track Executive
- Peter McRobbie Executive at Strip Club
- William Hill Detective Templeton
- Brian Tarantina Eddie
- George Martin Walter Manchester
- Jerry Hardin Harley Mason
- Kathleen McClellan Frank's Girlfriend
- George Morfogen Plaza Manager
Show all 42 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Zeljko Ivanek SEC Agent Thompkins
- Lee Wilkof Bissel
- Vincent Laresca José, Plaza Waiter
- Arthur French Plaza Men's Room Attendant
- Helen Hanft Mrs. Cupchick
- Jonathan Freeman Hockey Game Executive
- Lawrence Gilliard Jr. Thomas, Plaza Bellhop
- Jean De Baer Loan Officer
- Miles Chapin Harry
- Daryl Edwards Executive at Strip Club
- Sally Jessy Raphael Themselves
- Katherine Wallach Reporter
- Nicholas Kepros Dalton
- Louis Turenne Peabody Club Concierge
- Frederick Rolf Carl Bode
- Leon Addison Brown Reporter
- Johnny Miller Themselves
- Robert Levine Door Slam Executive
- Socorro Santiago Syntonex Worker
- Lianna Pai Charlotte, Plaza Concierge
- John Short Harley's Associate
- Kenny Kerr Charlie
More from Donald Petrie
More films directed by Donald Petrie, best-rated first: Mystic Pizza, Grumpy Old Men, Richie Rich and Miss Congeniality.
The Associate Plot Summary
What happens in The Associate from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Laurel Ayres, Whoopi Goldberg, is a sharp-minded investment banker climbing the Wall Street ladder, until a promotion denial reveals the gender bias that holds her back. Her less intelligent male protege, Frank Peterson, Tim Daly, is promoted instead, pushing Ayres to quit and strike out on her own. When she tries to launch a new company, she discovers that the male-dominated world of finance refuses to take a Black woman seriously, so she fabricates a fictional white man, Robert S. Cutty (an inspiration drawn from the Cutty Sark bottle), to act as the public face of her talents.
Full summary
The whole story of The Associate, scene by scene
The Associate Box Office
The Associate grossed $12.8 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$12.8M
- US & Canada
- $12.8M
The Associate Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 teaser.
- Teaser The Associate - 1996 MOVIE TRAILER TV TRAILER Whoppi Goldberg
How Well Do You Know The Associate?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actress portrays the protagonist Laurel Ayres?
Cars in The Associate
24 cars on screen, including the 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 R129 and the 1986 Chevrolet Caprice.
-
1995 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 R129 Important role -
1986 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role -
1992 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role -
1993 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
Seen The Associate?
Movies Like The Associate
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Partner(s), The American Success Company and An Innocent Affair.
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The Associate FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Associate, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Associate?
The Associate runs 1 hour 54 minutes (114 minutes).
When was The Associate released?
The Associate was released on October 25, 1996.
Who directed The Associate?
The Associate was directed by Donald Petrie.
More films by Donald Petrie Who is in the cast of The Associate?
The Associate stars Whoopi Goldberg as Laurel Ayres, Bernie McInerney as Client at Cutty Ayres and Tim Daly as Frank Peterson, among 42 credited actors.
How much did The Associate make at the box office?
The Associate grossed $12.8 million worldwide.
Does The Associate have a post-credit scene?
No. The Associate has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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