Other writers have well summarized the plot, so I will only comment that the writers give us plenty of plot complications but the storyline is refreshingly easy to follow. This is more than just soap opera sex, as the corporate infighting is related well to issues of the founding family, with the corporate developments very well set forth.I'm a car freak, so I find the silly looking cars in the film a good example of the challenge faced by the Olivier character (Loren Hardeman) in designing and building a sensible car that will actually appeal to a great number of buyers. Hey, were this an easy task, GM would never have gone bankrupt a few years ago. And, this storyline reminds us how huge auto companies have become--rather than being run by family such as the Hardemans here or even the Fords (Ford actually hired an airplane guy from Boeing to run the company). My fellow car freaks might also want to view the "Wheels" from the Arthur Hailey novel....but then that film lacks Kathy Beller so why bother????Speaking of whom....I would watch Kathy Beller read the phone book for two hours (she is that gorgeous, love her long hair for starters) I think I am being objective when I say her performance is topflight, and I am amused that some other writers feel the same way (she was also great in an eighth (?) season "Hawaii Five-0" episode, Beller fans). This film also gives us other great performances from Duvall and Down ......but oh you reviewers are soooo right about Olivier. I've always found his work overdone and hammy, but, here, ham is served with every word from him. Fortunately, Olivier does not ruin the pleasure of this film....so enjoy a ripping tale of corporate intrigue with plenty of sex to "complete" the story.....

Having read Harold Robbins' book on the sly in high school, I certainly expected nothing but trash from this movie, albeit served with style--come on, most of you saw it to see if Olivier could pull it off. And pull it off he did, hammy acting all the way, and it sure looks as if he enjoyed it too. He plays (parodies is more like it) the patriarch, wanting to leave his legacy with a dream car called The Betsy, named after great-granddaughter Kathleen Beller. He engages the services of Jones, whose father saved his life years back and to whom he feels a certain responsibility, but runs into trouble with his grandson Duvall. Duvall hates granddad with a vengeance, and here's why: the night he witnessed his homosexual father kill himself, the 7-year old Duvall runs to his mother's room to tell her, only to see his grandfather in bed with her. How's that for family issues? Duvall vows to kill granddad's dreams at the directors' board meeting, only to be out-voted by his wife, who is just about fed up with his blatant affair with the stunningly stylish Down, who is also secretly seeing Jones (Down, that is). You still with me? Beller then manages to seduce Jones on the night of her 21st birthday, and afterwards, great-grandfather gives her the keys to the kingdom. After some scenes with the car (with Betsy emblazoned on its entire side--now who would want a car like that?), Jones manages to get Duvall's wife and Betsy's POA, with the backing of his late father's friend mafioso "Uncle" Joe Warren, and elects himself President of the company. The movie ends with Olivier walking (he's supposed to be in a wheelchair after a stroke) into the new president's office with a giant smirk on his face, since cocky Jones clearly got more than he bargained for, as mafioso Joe Warren is now part of the board of directors, and it seems only Olivier can reel him in. At least that's how I understood the ending--I've yet to reread the book to see if I got that last part right! So if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't expect Wuthering Heights please, it's hams, trash and sex all the way.

I bought this film because I LOVE Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, and it was packed with other great names. The movie misses its mark at every chance. It fails to bring you into caring about the characters, the passion, the evil, etc. I don't know how it could miss with the people involved, but it does. Just the description of the movie was gripping, but the viewing failed to deliver. The era was fascinating. The sets were beautiful. The music was blah. The drama was off center. You should see the chemistry of Jones and Duvall in "Lonesome Dove" to see what is missing in this film. I'm glad I have this chance to comment, as I was dying to tell someone who cares.

This is not the kind of movie you can recommend, but if you are in the mood for trash with a lot of glitter, this is the one for you. There are not many good adaptations from Harold Robbins novels, and this is not one of them. The all-star cast helps immensely but they might have brought a bit of fun to the proceedings, so we could think this wasn't torture for them to make.