Watch The Associate

The Associate is a 1996 comedy film directed by Donald Petrie starring Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, Dianne Wiest and Eli Wallach. The movie follows the story of Laurel Ayres (Goldberg), a brilliant but underappreciated businesswoman who decides to create a fictitious male white coworker in order to persuade clients that she is legit as a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Laurel is an ambitious and talented financial analyst who works at an investment bank but despite her numerous talents and qualifications, she is constantly passed over for promotions and treated with indifference by her male colleagues. In one particularly humiliating incident, Laurel's boss steals her idea and presents it to their superiors as his own. With the help of her new friend Sally Dugan (Wiest), a fellow analyst at the bank, Laurel decides to show everyone what she's made of by creating a successful business venture with the help of her fictitious male persona - Robert S. Cutty.

As Robert Cutty, Laurel is able to land high profile clients and impress her superiors by presenting her ideas in a way that they were unable to appreciate when presented by Laurel as herself. However, things start to get out of control as Laurel becomes more and more entrenched in her double life as Robert Cutty, and struggles to keep her personal and professional lives separate, leading to some hilarious and dramatic situations.

Along the way, Laurel meets a diverse cast of characters including an elderly millionaire played by Eli Wallach who is charmed by her down-to-earth attitude and her business savvy. She also falls for Frank (Tim Daly), a rival investor who is initially skeptical of her abilities but eventually learns to appreciate her intelligence and drive.

The movie is a brilliant satire of workplace discrimination and gender politics in the corporate world. Whoopi Goldberg delivers a fantastic and nuanced performance as Laurel, infusing the character with a deep sense of vulnerability and inner strength. Dianne Wiest is equally exceptional in her role as Sally, and the two actresses share a wonderfully natural chemistry that makes their friendship feel authentic and sincere.

The Associate is an intelligent and hilarious comedy that is both empowering and entertaining. It is a must-see for anyone who has ever felt invisible or marginalized in the workplace, and a reminder that success comes in many forms and can be achieved by anyone, regardless of gender or race.

The Associate is a 1996 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 54 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.1.