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Rags To Riches


20 November 2009

To celebrate the release of a classic rags to riches tale, Coco Before Chanel which is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on the 23rd of November, we’re going to take a look at some of the best examples of the Rags to Riches story in cinema history, from the high pressure climb to the top of the stocks game in Wall Street to a young boy from the slums winning his fortune on national television, here’s some of the best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oliver
Oliver is the story of a boy who escapes from an orphanage. He leaves for London where he is pressured into joining a gang of child pickpockets led by Fagin. He is eventually taken into care by a wealthy and loving family where Oliver finally finds is home. 

Carol Reed’s musical adaptation of the Dickens novel won 5 of the 6 Academy Awards it was nominated for and features an iconic performance form the late Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes. The film is family favorite and is still the film of choice every Christmas for many households.

The Pursuit of Happyness
Starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith, The Pursuit of Happiness is based on a true story. 

It tells the story of Chris who is convinced his "Bone Density scanner" will make him money. He spends every minute of every day trying to sell these devices whilst also looking after his son. His luck runs out however and his wife leaves him, he loses his house, his bank account and is forced to live out in the streets with his son. He takes on a job as a stock broker and 6 months hard work pays off as he eventually lands his dream job.

Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle’s heartwarming tale recently took the world by storm. Jamal Mailk (Dev Patel) is an 18 year old orphan who is one question away from winning 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” when the police arrest him over suspicion of cheating. As he explains his story to them we are given an account of his life, from his struggles in the slums, trouble with the local gangs and losing the love of his life.

Coco before Chanel
From humble beginnings to the heights of society, this is the astonishing story of Gabrielle Chanel, the legendary couturier who became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style.  As a little girl, Gabrielle (Audrey Tautou) is sent with her sister to an orphanage in the heart of France, where she waits in vain every Sunday for her father to come for her. A few years later Gabrielle is a humble seamstress by day, stitching hems at the back of a provincial tailor's shop, whilst by night she is a cabaret performer with a weak voice who sings to an audience of drunken soldiers. One night she meets middle-aged aristocrat Etienne Balsan (Benoît Poelvoorde) who offers her a safe haven as a young courtesan amongst the idle and decadent of French society. Reborn as Coco, a rebel who finds the conventions of her time oppressive and instead dresses in her lovers' clothes, she soon encounters the friends and lovers who will shape her life through triumph and tragedy, and who inspire her ascent to the pinnacle of Fashion legend…

Aladdin
Disney’s animated masterpiece is an interpretation of the classic tale of a young boy from the streets whose luck changes when a magic lamp falls into his hands. After meeting a young Princess called Jasmine he uses his wishes to try to impress her by posing as a prince. He is challenged by the evil Jafar who wants to get hold of the lamp for money and power. Eventually Aladdin beats Jafar and ends up marrying the princess and lives…….happily ever after of course.

Wall Street
The definitive 80’s success story. Charlie Sheen plays Bud Fox a Wall Street broker who wants to make it big. He eventually gets the chance to meet with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) a ruthless and powerful man at the top of his game. He is lured into a life of greed and corruption just to get a taste of the good life. He eventually comes to a moral dilemma when Gekko plans to ruin the company Fox’s father once started.

My Fair Lady
The 1964 adaptation of the Broadway musical won 8 Academy Awards and remains one of the all time greats.  Professor Henry Higgins, who take a bet from Colonel Pickering that he can turn a unrefined Cockney flower girl called Eliza Doolittle into a lady and at the same time fool everyone into thinking she actually is on. He succeeds, and ends up falling madly in love with Eliza. Higgins takes all the credit which causes Eliza to angrily leave leaves him. Henry soon realizes he can't really live without her.

Trading Places
Dan Ackroyd stars as Louis Winthorpe III , a successful commodity broker from Philadelphia with a mansion and girlfriend to match.  Eddie Murphy plays Billy Ray Valentine a hustling beggar. Winthorpe's employers, make a bet with him that by switching the lifestyle of the two Billy Ray will see right and Winthorpe will take to a life of crime. Suddenly Louis finds himself with no job, no home and only one friend, glamorous hooker by the name of Ophelia, who’s prepared to help him. It’s a hilarious role reversal caper with some token morals to boot.

Pretty Woman
Originally intended to be a dark drama and then turned into a romantic comedy, Pretty Woman is a modern day fairytale. Julia Roberts stars as Vivian Ward, a prostitute working on Hollywood Boulevard, when she runs into her Prince, ruthless billionaire businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere). He eventually falls for Vivian changing his perspective on his way of life and giving her the riches she’d never even dream of.

Scarface
Al Pacino’s portrayal of Tony Montana a.k.a Scarface has become one of the most iconic performances of all time. Scarface tells the story of Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee who travels to America in the search of money, power and respect. Tony and his friend Manny start in small time jobs, eventually working for drug lord Frank Lopez. Tony’s rise to power is quick, but as he becomes more powerful, his enemies and his own paranoia begin to take over.