During the opening credits of Trading Places (1983), you see a great contrast between poverty and wealth in the Philadelphia of the early 1980s.  It could be anywhere, but there are homeless people living amongst well-appointed urban and suburban settings with servants doing everything for those lucky ones.  The question the movie asks is implicit in the title, but there is a Biblical parallel.  In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells His disciples the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.  While the rich man lived a life of luxury, Lazarus used to beg for scraps from his table while also being so covered in sores that dogs would lick him.  When they died, Lazarus went to Heaven while the rich man went in the opposite direction.  In life, Lazarus would have loved to have even a fraction of what the rich man had, but in death the roles are reversed.  Lazarus was rewarded, and the Church teaches that such is the treasure for those who have faith.  This is the theme for what you are about to read.

Before they are Trading Places, the Harvard educated commodities broker Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is living the life of privilege.  He works for Duke & Duke, a brokerage firm established by brothers Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche) and Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy).  In addition to managing their firm, Louis is engaged to their niece, Penelope Witherspoon (Kristin Holby), and lives in a well-appointed town house in the city, complete with a butler, Coleman (Denholm Elliott).  Louis’ success is largely the result of the Duke brothers’ patronage, and they debate this issue on their way into work one day.  Randolph thinks that anybody can be taught what Louis knows, while Mortimer is not so sure.  An idea forms after they witness Louis be supposedly assaulted by Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), a beggar who Louis mistakes for a common criminal.  Upon bumping into each other on the street, Billy Ray attempts to return Louis’ briefcase to its owner, but the gesture is misconstrued as theft and a chase ensues through their private club.  Eventually, Billy Ray is arrested, but the seeds of a bet are formed between Mortimer and Randolph.  It is decided that they will bail Billy Ray out of jail and put him in Louis’ position without telling the latter about the plan.  Randolph suspects that Billy Ray will do fine, while Louis will turn to a life of crime, with Mortimer taking the opposite position.  To assist them, they employ Clarence Beeks (Paul Gleason), a shady security officer.  Upon delivering Billy Ray to the house formerly occupied by Louis and getting the newcomer set up with Coleman, Clarence appears before their club in order to frame Louis for stealing money from other members.  Once Louis is taken to jail, his belongings are searched and they find drugs.  Though a distraught Penelope bails him out, she quickly snubs him when he is approached by Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis), a prostitute hired by Clarence to continue tormenting Louis.  Still, she takes pity on Louis, if for no other reason than he promises to pay her back for her help.  Yet, at every turn, Louis discovers that he is blocked from all his finances.  Despite being broke, she can tell that something fishy is going on and agrees to continue to support him in return for future compensation.  Meanwhile, after a brief but wild celebration of his newfound wealth, Billy Ray soon settles into his new role as a commodities trader.  He also demonstrates some ability at reading markets when he warns Mortimer and Randolph off a large investment in pork futures before the time is right.  Indeed, he proves a model employee, even working during their company Christmas party.  It is at this moment that he finds a discrepancy, one that had been uncovered by Louis before him.  While going through the payroll checks, Billy Ray comes across a large note written out for Clarence even though there is no such name on the official books.  As earlier, Billy Ray brings the issue up with the brothers, but they hurriedly say that it is a private matter that they will see to themselves.  It is at this moment that a rock bottomed Louis bursts into his old office and pulls a gun on Billy Ray.  Though Louis is able to make it out of the building without being arrested, the desperate act means Randolph has won the bet.  Billy Ray overhears them discussing the details of the arrangement in the bathroom, settling the $1 wager.  Now that it is finished, they plan on getting rid of Billy Ray and hiring Clarence.  Instead, Billy Ray finds Louis, brings him and Ophelia back to the town house, and reveals the whole scheme.  Louis does not believe Billy Ray until Coleman confirms everything.  Now it is time for revenge, and it comes with the upcoming release of the orange crop forecasts from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  Once more, Clarence is proving useful to the Duke brothers, getting his hands on the information days before anyone else.  However, Billy Ray is able to learn of this and where Clarence plans to come into town to hand off the dossier.  With this knowledge, Billy Ray, Coleman, and Ophelia are able to intercept Clarence and switch briefcases.  Going to New York City with the proper data about orange futures, and some capital given them by Coleman and Ophelia, Billy Ray and Louis are able to ruin the Duke Brothers and make a large fortune for themselves.  We close with them living the good life on a tropical island.

That Billy Ray and Louis get the life of luxury at the end of Trading Places kind of defeats what I had hoped for with the scenes of poverty at the beginning of the film.  What this should not be read as is a Catholic critique of wealth.  The Church does not condemn people for making money.  It is what one does with it that matters.  Actually, even more important than its usage is how you value it.  It stems from Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”  Had this not been a comedy, I would have likely gotten what I wanted from the narrative: a serious treatise on appreciating the situation in which others find themselves.  That is why I included the parable in the introduction.  What it comes down to is Billy Ray’s reaction to his new station in life.  Granted, it is true that Randolph’s nurture stance trumps Mortimer’s notions that nature wins out, but this argument relies on stereotypes that are the worst aspect of the movie.  Besides, while leaning more towards nurture, the Church will tell you both sides of that divide are important to ponder.  At the same time, while not becoming a snob, I would have liked to see Billy Ray retain more of an appreciation of where he came from before he was given the blessings of a large bank roll.  In the end, despite their experiences, it seems the hearts of Billy Ray and Louis are more slanted towards earthly delights.  Hopefully they will not suffer the same fate as the rich man.

There are other horrible aspects of Trading Places to consider that could contribute to any one of us ending up in the same place as the rich man.  Mainly, there is a shocking amount of nudity in this movie, which is entirely unneeded.  Had there been more of a lesson to this, I might have been more tolerant.  As it is, I would pass on this one.