Laurel Ayres is a businesswoman trying to make it but unfortunately she works at a investment firm where she does all the work but all the senior investors like Frank Peterson grab all the credit. She then leaves and starts her own firm. While trying to find clients Laurel pretends that she has a male partner named Robert Cutty. And when she starts to do well all of her clients wants to meet Cutty which is difficult since he doesn't exist.
Acting
Whoopi's controlled fury barely disguised as comedy genius.
Writing
The Cutty creation myth — absurd yet depressingly logical.
Costume
Laurel's transformation vs Cutty's generic power suit.
Director
Donald Petrie
Whoopi Goldberg
Laurel Ayres
Dianne Wiest
Sally Dugan
Eli Wallach
Donald Fallon
Tim Daly
Frank Peterson
Bebe Neuwirth
Camille Scott
Austin Pendleton
Aesop Franklin
Lainie Kazan
Cindy Mason
George Martin
Walter Manchester
Lee Wilkof
Bissel
Helen Hanft
Mrs. Cupchick
George Morfogen
Plaza Manager
Željko Ivanek
SEC Agent Thompkins
Miles Chapin
Harry
Jean De Baer
Loan Officer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released the same year as The First Wives Club, this was part of Goldberg's mid-90s run of mainstream comedies explicitly targeting institutional sexism.
The Robert Cutty disguise — fat suit, deep voice, white male mediocrity — literalizes how little actual talent patriarchy requires for success.
US
