When we hear the word “gratuitous,” it is most often in connection to something bad.  Catholicism has a different take, more often applying it to God’s love.  This pertains to its second meaning, which is something given abundantly, free of charge, and with no expectation of return.  This is how we describe God’s love, but it goes beyond our imagination in terms of its abundance and gratuity.  Today’s film, Money Talks (1997), is more of the first definition.  It is excessive in its foul language, over-the-top with its violence, and the only thing it lacks to make it even worse is nudity.  It does have Chris Tucker in his prime, which is . . . something?

In Money Talks, Chris Tucker plays Franklin Maurice Hatchett, a hustler living in Los Angeles who scalps tickets and deals them out of a car wash at which he sometimes works.  Like many people in such a situation, he owes money all over town, primarily to a mobster with one of those stereotypical names, Carmine (Damian Chapa).  This, and other forms of criminal behavior, is the subject of investigative reporter James Russell’s (Charlie Sheen) newest piece on corruption in the city, and he is at the car wash trying to interview Franklin for information on the subject.  The fact that James is there acts as a tip off for the police, who end up arresting Franklin on suspicion of all his deviant behavior.  It is the lightest of charges, and Franklin blames James for his troubles.  None of this helps James, either, since his boss at the television station, Barclay (David Warner), thinks the journalist’s story weak and fires James.  As this is happening, Franklin is being processed through the system.  He is to be transferred to a prison, being handcuffed to notorious Belgian criminal Raymond Villard (Gerard Ismael) for the trip.  With some help on the inside, arrangements are made to stop the bus by armed men working for Raymond.  Taking Franklin with them, Raymond and his associate, Debray (Frank Bruynbroek), climb into a helicopter for their escape.  Once they have separated the manacles, they push Franklin out of the vehicle into the water, firing at him once he has splashed down.  Why they did not do this in reverse order is beyond me, but I digress.  Naturally, Franklin survives and is accused of killing the deputies who had been on the bus.  Now on the run, Franklin makes contact with James, thinking that the news is the only way to clear his name.  In exchange for Franklin’s exclusive story, James agrees to hide the fugitive, signaling Barclay that there will be a big feature on Monday.  However, James’ personal life is encroaching on their need to lay low, forcing him to bring Franklin to the swanky Beverly Hills residence of the Cipriani family.  These are Franklin’s future in-laws, and they are hosting the rehearsal dinner for the upcoming nuptials between James and their daughter, Grace Cipriani (Heather Locklear).  Given Franklin’s reputation for having a big mouth, he tries to pass himself off as the son of famous Italian singer Vic Damone.  As Franklin is enjoying the festivities, Detectives Bobby Pickett (Paul Gleason) and Williams (Daniel Roebuck) make a visit to Franklin’s pregnant girlfriend, Paula (Elise Neal).  The police want to know Franklin’s location, but he has yet to contact her.  This comes shortly after they leave, and hearing the distress under which she is causes Franklin to insist that he and James leave to go to her.  Predictably, the police are monitoring Paula’s apartment, forcing Franklin and James to escape before they are caught.  Franklin and James’ next move is to stake out a club where he has seen Europeans hanging out, knowing that Debray and Raymond could be there based on a stamp on the main henchman’s hand.  The hunch proves right, but turns against the hustler and reporter when the two criminals nearly kill them.  Debray and Raymond’s image is caught on a security camera, though Detective Pickett remains convinced that Franklin is their main suspect.  Everyone else in the city is starting to get to know Franklin, and James is becoming a wanted person as well.  This is something Grace learns, and James is forced to return to her in-laws in order to try to smooth things over before their big day.  While they talk, Franklin buddies up with Grace’s father, Guy Cipriani (Paul Sorvino), over breakfast.  Franklin convinces Guy to show off the married-couple-to-be’s wedding present, but the former feigns being unimpressed.  Having seen an ad for a vintage car auction and remembering Debray and Raymond discussing $15 million in a classic vehicle, Franklin suggest that he and Guy go to the sale.  Goading Guy into a bidding war with Raymond, Franklin gets Guy to purchase the correct car.  Things are almost derailed when James comes to confront Franklin, and the reporter ends up being captured by Raymond while Franklin is forced to flee from Debray in the new purchase.  Once Franklin is safe, he finds the aforementioned dollar amount in diamonds.  Instead of going to the police, he contacts Paula, who manages him to get him to do the right thing.  Unfortunately, the authorities in this case are Detectives Pickett and Williams, who decide they do not need back up.  This proves ludicrously false as Franklin has not only called the cops, but anyone else he owes money, as well as his gangster friend Aaron (Michael Wright).  They all are told to meet at the Los Angeles Coliseum, where, to no one’s surprise, Detective Pickett turns out to be working for Raymond.  Anyway, there is a gratuitous amount of shooting and explosions, the long and short of which is Franklin and James get away and their names are cleared.

The clearing of Franklin and James’ names at the end of Money Talks means the latter can get married to Grace.  It is an apt name for the bride since it is only by the grace of God that James makes it to that joyous day.  There is that word again, gratuitous.  I only wish I had a better film with which to discuss it more fully, so I will have to find a different Catholic angle for this turkey.  Unfortunately, the pickings are slim.  For example, during the climactic action sequence, I found myself thumbing through my phone, not caring to see all the gory details.  My notes on the movie are equally thin, having wrote only one item.  Still, that sole entry is a statement that dovetails nicely with this discussion of gratuitousness.  I will not write the full phrase as it contains foul language, but put the “F” word with “culture” and you have the exact phrase.  This is a significant saying from a Catholic perspective, though in ways that are wildly divergent from anything having to do with the story specifically.  Indeed, I would repeat this line in response to anyone who asked why I did not like the film, because, you know “‘F’ culture.”  At the same time, Catholicism does not support such a position, at least not arbitrarily.  If there is a reason to say this regarding today’s entry, it is because it is hardly what anyone would call culture.  Yet, we cannot look at the West and the traditions that have brought us to the point where we have such a production without the Church having first been a patron and defender of the arts.  One can make the argument that this one suggests that maybe we should have exercised greater control over artistic expression, but that would not be in keeping with Church teaching.  Besides, Catholicism also tells us that we need to be accepting of the bad as well as the good so that they may be redeemed by God’s gratuitous love.

I almost wrote that it may be too late for Money Talk’s to be redeemed by God’s gratuitous love, but nothing is impossible for God.  This is part of why I write The Legionnaire, though also to stand in the cultural breech and warn the rest of you.  As such, there is little to be gained from seeing this one.