History Film / MoneyMonster

However, the large corporation [[MegaCorp IBIS Global Capital]] undergoes a massive loss in its stock earnings, losing around $800 million dollars, allegedly, due to a computer glitch. Not long after, a deliveryman named Kyle bursts into the studio during one of Gates's shows and holds everyone inside hostage. Armed with a gun and fitting Gates with an explosive vest triggered by a DeadMansSwitch, Kyle demands that the broadcast continue and that the real reason behind IBIS loss be made public. With his own personality and the help of his director Patty (Creator/JuliaRoberts), Gates must not only find out the truth behind the monetary loss, but also find out how to escape the situation alive.

* NotSoDifferent: Lee points out to Kyle that he's doing better in the romance department since Lee is divorced. In fact, Lee's sympathy towards Kyle [[spoiler:is what spurs the man to consider surrendering to the police and going to Camby, the heart of the matter]].

However, the large corporation [[MegaCorp IBIS Global Capital]] undergoes a massive loss in its stock earnings, losing around $800 million dollars, allegedly, due to a computer glitch. Not long after, a deliveryman named Kyle bursts into the studio during one of Gates's shows and holds everyone inside hostage. Armed with a gun and fitting Gates with an explosive vest triggered by a DeadManSwitch, Kyle demands that the broadcast continue and that the real reason behind IBIS loss be made public. With his own personality and the help of his director Patty (Creator/JuliaRoberts), Gates must not only find out the truth behind the monetary loss, but also find out how to escape the situation alive.

* DeadManSwitch: The vest Kyle puts on Lee has this feature, and Kyle has to keep the trigger pressed in his hand to prevent it from going off. This is the primary reason the cops don't immediately try to shoot Kyle when they have a chance.

** [[spoiler:Kyle's girlfriend]] tears into Kyle for being so stupid as to investor all his inheritance into one stock, and that his solution to take people hostage is even worse. [[spoiler:She also ends up being right that he doesn't know how to make bombs. It's enough for Kyle to get a HeelRealization, and for Lee to help him find another solution]].

** [[spoiler:Kyle's girlfriend]] tears into Kyle for being so stupid as to investor all his inheritance into one stock, and that his solution to take people hostage is even worse. [[spoiler:She also ends up being right that he doesn't know how to make bombs. It's enough for Kyle to get a HeelRealization, and for Lee to help him find another solution.

* HonestCorporateExecutive: Diane Lester, Chief Communications Officer for IBIS, is the only person in the company who makes a genuine effort to help the hostages in the studio by coming up with the answers Kyle wants.

* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler:Walt Camby]] is a complete and utter tool, but he is not wrong when he points out that [[spoiler:''nobody'' was asking any questions about the shady things he was doing so long as he kept making money for his investors]].

* MoodWhiplash: Gate's ridiculously over the top theatrics on prior shows contrast the very real situation transpiring live. Indeed when people initially tune in they think the hostage situation is another silly gimmick.

* NeverMyFault: Kyle initially holds this viewpoint, blaming both Lee Gates for (exaggeratedly) suggesting his viewers buy IBIS stock and Walt Camby for allegedly [[spoiler: (later proven correct)]] causing the $800 million dollar loss. He conveniently ignores the fact that he himself had to willingly buy $60,000 worth of IBIS stock for this to happen, an amount that almost no middle or lower class American with a modicum of common sense would try to buy. He eventually [[HeelRealization realizes how wrong he is]] when [[spoiler: his pregnant girlfriend tears him a new one by pointing out how [[WhatAnIdiot moronic]] this action was.]]
** Of course, this still doesn't change the fact that stupidity is less than a good reason to [[spoiler: swindle people of all their money.]]
** True, but Kyle's continued denial of ''any'' kind of fault in the matter (he blames Lee more for his stage show promoting IBIS stock than his own personal decision to actually buy the stock) makes him come off as this trope.

** By the end of the day, while Cumby's [[spoiler: actions ARE inexcusable, it is wrong of Kyle to blame Lee for believing Cumby's lies since he believed them as well and it was his recklessness that led to his ruin.]]

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: [[spoiler:Walt Camby]] tries to invoke this, saying that businesses are more focused on earning as much money as possible regardless of legality. This turns out to be [[SubvertedTrope subverted,]] however, as the SEC is investigating him by the end of the film and will likely throw him in jail for decades for his swindle.

** [[spoiler:An enraged Gates punches him in the face right in front of the cops, who are so disgusted with Canby they refuse to arrest Gates.]]

* JerkassHasAPoint: [[spoiler:Walt Camby]] is a complete an utter tool, but he is not wrong when he points out that [[spoiler:''nobody'' was asking any questions about the shady things he was doing so long as he kept making money for his investors]].
* JerkWithAHeartofGold: Gates

** [[spoiler:Despite being obviously taken aback, Lee instructs Kyle to keep pretending it's real because he realizes that the cops would tear Kyle apart before they got to Camby if they knew it was fake]]

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: [[spoiler:BigBad Walt Camby]] turns out to be this, taking large funds from the IBIS company and using it to [[spoiler:invest in a South African mine that could net them a billion dollar profit. And Avery at least also qualifies as TheDragon as he made it his mission to cover up everything]].

* NeverMyFault: Kyle initially holds this viewpoint, blaming both Lee Gates for (exaggeratedly) suggesting his viewers buy IBIS stock and Walt Camby for allegedly [[spoiler: (later proven correct)]] causing the $800 million dollar loss. He conveniently ignores the fact that he himself had to willingly buy $60,000 worth of IBIS stock for this to happen, an amount that almost no middle or lower class American with a modicum of common sense would try to buy. He eventually [[HeelRealization realizes how wrong he is]] when [[spoiler: his pregnant girlfriend tears him a new one by pointing out how [[WhatAnIdiot moronic]] this action was.

* NeverMyFault: Kyle initially holds this viewpoint, blaming both Lee Gates for (exaggeratedly) suggesting his viewers buy IBIS stock and Walt Camby for allegedly [[spoiler: (later proven correct)]] causing the $800 million dollar loss. He conveniently ignores the fact that he himself had to willingly buy $60,000 worth of IBIS stock for this to happen, an amount that almost no middle or lower class American with a modicum of common sense would try to buy. He eventually [[HeelRealization realizes how wrong he is]] when [[spoiler: his pregnant girlfriend tears him a new one by pointing out how [[WhatAnIdiot moronic]] this action was. Of course this still doesn't change the fact that stupidity is less than a good reason to swindle people of all their money.]]

* HonestCorporateExecutive: Diane Lester, Chief Communications Officer for IBIS, is the only person in the company who makes a genuine effort to help the hostages in the studio by coming up with answers Kyle wants.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: [[spoiler:BigBad Walt Camby]] turns out to be this, taking large funds from the IBIS company and using it to [[spoiler:invest in a South African mine that could net them a billion dollar profit]].

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: [[spoiler:Walt Camby]] turns out to be this, taking large funds from the IBIS company and using it to [[spoiler:invest in a South African mine that could net them a billion dollar profit]].

* AntiVillain: Kyle is a WellIntentionedExtremist looking to expose what he believes is a corporate cover-up. [[spoiler:After he's revealed to be right, he becomes an UnscrupulousHero.]]

* NeverMyFault: Kyle initially holds this viewpoint, blaming both Lee Gates for (exaggeratedly) suggesting his viewers buy IBIS stock and Walt Camby for allegedly [[spoiler: (later proven correct)]] causing the $800 million dollar loss. He conveniently ignores the fact that he himself had to willingly buy $60,000 worth of IBIS stock for this to happen, an amount that almost no middle or lower class American with a modicum of common sense would try to buy. He eventually [[HeelRealization realizes how wrong he is]] when [[spoiler: his pregnant girlfriend tears him a new one by pointing out how [[WhatAnIdiot moronic]] this action was.]]

* ShaggyDogStory: By the end of the film, [[spoiler: while the truth is out, no one seems to care, Walt Camby might escape justice, Kyle's dead, and the American public has quickly moved on. The only potential benefit of the whole ordeal us that Lee and Patty will continue to work together, but it's unknown if Lee will reshape his show to be more substance and less flash.]]

However, the large corporation [[MegaCorp IBIS Global Capital]] undergoes a massive loss in its stock earnings, losing around $800 million dollars due to a computer glitch. Not long after, a deliveryman named Kyle bursts into the studio during one of Gates's shows and holds everyone inside hostage. Armed with a gun and fitting Gates with an explosive vest triggered by a DeadManSwitch, Kyle demands that the broadcast continue and that the real reason behind IBIS loss be made public. With his own personality and the help of his director Patty (Creator/JuliaRoberts), Gates must not only find out the truth behind the monetary loss, but also find out how to escape the situation alive.