Associate, The MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +3 Content: -2

The difficulties of being a woman in the working world are experienced by financial analyst Laurel Ayres (Whoopi Goldberg). A promotion she expects to receive is instead given to Frank (Tim Daly), simply because he is a man. Upset by this development, Laurel quits her job and tries to open her own brokerage firm. But no matter how great her ideas are, not one man will see her. Sally (Dianne Wiest), who was an assistant for Laurel and Frank, comes to check on Laurel. She helps make a contact and eventually comes to work for Laurel. But even with Sally's help to get her foot in the door, Laurel can't close a deal. Realizing that her abilities will never be respected because she's a woman, she creates an imaginary associate named Robert Cutty. That's when the fun begins. As a result of Laurel's work, Cutty/Ayres becomes the largest brokerage house in New York City, and soon everyone wants to know who Cutty is. To avoid fraud charges, Laurel, who is black, transforms herself into a white male. And when Cutty gets all of the credit, she tries to kill him off. The Associate is a fun, relaxing comedy to watch.

However, it does contain several scenes which feature topless women at a strip bar, including female rear and breast nudity. In addition there is one sexually suggestive scene in which Camille (Bebe Neuwirth) tries to seduce Cutty, not knowing that Cutty is really a woman. Laurel tells her to use her brains instead of her body to get ahead. Some bar scenes include smoking and drinking, along with male entertainers who perform songs dressed as women. It is surprising and disappointing that a movie that is supposed to promote women contains so many degrading things. Also it's polluted with frequent crude, obscene and profane language. The Associate is a feel good kind of movie, but its language, nudity and sexually suggestive elements spoil the fun.

Preview Reviewer: Sherry Oswald
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. (Hollywood Pictures), 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91