Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Boiler Room

 Boiler Room
type
TVTItem
 Boiler Room
label
Boiler Room
 Boiler Room
page
BoilerRoom
 Boiler Room
comment
Boiler Room is a 2000 American crime drama film with elements of film noir, written and directed by Ben Younger and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Nicky Katt, Scott Caan, Ron Rifkin, Jamie Kennedy, Tom Everett Scott, and Ben Affleck.The film takes a look at the world of "boiler room" (seedy, dishonorable, and often fraudulent) brokerage firms and centers on college dropout Seth Davis (Ribisi), a budding underground casino owner from Queens, New York, who gets a job at J.T. Marlin, a less-than-reputable brokerage firm. However at the time, Seth is totally unaware of the firm's criminal reputation.Davis' opposition to his disapproving father, a federal judge, drives the plot as he goes deeper into the operation at J.T. Marlin than he'd like, learning how the firm scams its clients. The company runs a "pump and dump" by propping up artificial demand in the stock of defunct companies to unsuspecting investors and selling them shares at prices set by the brokerage firm, which include a large commission to the brokers (up to three dollars a share for a penny stock).When the firm is done pumping the stock, the investors then have no one to sell their shares on the market, and the price of the stock plummets.This film was inspired by the real-life experience of Ben Younger, who had gone to a meeting with a friend at an actual boiler room. The friend, who drove a new sports car, claimed "...you work here for a year, make your million bucks, go to the Bahamas..." and suggested that Younger work there. The firm (which was busted a few years later) offered Younger a job, which he declined -choosing instead to write about it.The DVD release includes an alternate ending that implies a workplace massacre by one of the cheated clients.
 Boiler Room
fetched
2024-04-05T21:02:36Z
 Boiler Room
parsed
2024-04-05T21:02:36Z
 Boiler Room
processingComment
Dropped link to GlengarryGlenRoss: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 Boiler Room
processingComment
Dropped link to Greed: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Boiler Room
processingComment
Dropped link to TheCon: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Boiler Room
processingComment
Dropped link to WallStreet: Not a Feature - ITEM
 Boiler Room
processingUnknown
GlengarryGlenRoss
 Boiler Room
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Boiler Room / int_12dc4d97
type
Greedy Jew
 Boiler Room / int_12dc4d97
comment
Greedy Jew: Greg, along with a few other brokers. There are many scenes making references about his background and the public perception of him working for a scam brokerage firm.
 Boiler Room / int_12dc4d97
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_12dc4d97
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_12dc4d97
 Boiler Room / int_1305f045
type
Vanity License Plate
 Boiler Room / int_1305f045
comment
Vanity License Plate: Greg the douchebag has one that says "2 RIP", referring to the exorbitant fees the Marlin brokers are getting on their lousy stock deals.
 Boiler Room / int_1305f045
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_1305f045
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_1305f045
 Boiler Room / int_1779f10e
type
"Well Done, Son" Guy
 Boiler Room / int_1779f10e
comment
"Well Done, Son" Guy: The film revolves entirely around Seth going to work at a brokerage firm (which he later realizes is in fact an illegal operation) to earn enough money to impress his father Marty, who's a federal judge. It actually endangers his father's career when the FBI's Financial Crimes unit catches wind of it.
 Boiler Room / int_1779f10e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_1779f10e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_1779f10e
 Boiler Room / int_196d2598
type
Too Good to be True
 Boiler Room / int_196d2598
comment
Deconstructed. The film reveals the ugly side of this scam. The brokers at J.T. Marlin are knowingly robbing investors of their hard-earned savings via securities fraud. Hoping to make a quick buck on the market, the investors in turn are investing in deals Too Good to Be True. The unused ending reveals that one such client plans a massacre after he lost his life savings and family. Seth also applied for a trainee role just to earn legitimately and please his father, but doesn't realize it's a sham until he starts snooping around.
 Boiler Room / int_196d2598
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_196d2598
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_196d2598
 Boiler Room / int_216ca857
type
Not What I Signed on For
 Boiler Room / int_216ca857
comment
Not What I Signed on For: Once Seth does a bit of snooping around and realizes he conned a guy out of his money and family by noting that the firm is not what it all seems to be, combined with getting an earful from his father regarding the dark secret of J.T. Marlin, he decides to shut the firm down for good by cooperating with the FBI.
 Boiler Room / int_216ca857
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_216ca857
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_216ca857
 Boiler Room / int_21d47bb7
type
Nouveau Riche
 Boiler Room / int_21d47bb7
comment
Nouveau Riche: All of the senior brokers have various shades of this. They're well-off financially, but also very clearly low-class and crude, lacking anything even resembling refinement nor having any idea what to do with their newfound wealth. So they still hang in the seedy bars they were going prior, dress in shoddy suits, and act like rowdy frat boys. The best idea what to do with their money for them is to play craps in a corner betting in thousands. When Seth visits Jim's uber-spendy mansion, he finds it barely furnished, with a tanning bed filling the elegant dining room. Seth internally remarks that Jim has no clue what to do with his expensive house.
 Boiler Room / int_21d47bb7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_21d47bb7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_21d47bb7
 Boiler Room / int_2208f77c
type
Fiction Business Savvy
 Boiler Room / int_2208f77c
comment
Fiction Business Savvy: Greg tells Michael that he has clients who continue to trade with him despite taking huge losses. In reality, nobody would want to buy from anyone who sells defective things.
 Boiler Room / int_2208f77c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_2208f77c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_2208f77c
 Boiler Room / int_233d181
type
Misaimed Fandom
 Boiler Room / int_233d181
comment
Misaimed Fandom: In-Universe. There's a scene where the guys are having a party and watching Gordon Gekko's introduction from Wall Street. Being big fans of the guy, they start quoting the entire thing verbatim. Gekko is actually a Corrupt Corporate Executive who would throw thousands of people on the street for profit and ultimately gets jailed for securities fraud. This is a Justified Trope as the Boiler Room guys are knowingly scammers themselves who project an honest image to outsiders.
 Boiler Room / int_233d181
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_233d181
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_233d181
 Boiler Room / int_25b5600
type
Captain Ersatz
 Boiler Room / int_25b5600
comment
Captain Ersatz: In-universe. J.T. Marlin has a similar-sounding name to the much bigger and more reputable J.P. Morgan. Lampshaded when some J.P. Morgan brokers have a confrontation with Seth and his coworkers.
 Boiler Room / int_25b5600
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_25b5600
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_25b5600
 Boiler Room / int_26bb1906
type
Cop/Criminal Family
 Boiler Room / int_26bb1906
comment
Cop/Criminal Family: Marty Davis is a federal judge with future political ambitions, but is embarrassed by his son Seth running an illegal casino from his dorm room. When Seth starts working for J.T. Marlin, which turns out to be a scam brokerage firm, the FBI use the potential destruction of his father's career so Seth can become their informant.
 Boiler Room / int_26bb1906
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_26bb1906
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_26bb1906
 Boiler Room / int_29f44d3a
type
Adam Smith Hates Your Guts
 Boiler Room / int_29f44d3a
comment
Adam Smith Hates Your Guts: J.T. Marlin overcharges on the fraudulent stock it sells with the brokers getting a "rip" of two dollars for every share sold. While transaction fees are common, any investor should always see if their broker is "churning" (overtrading on client accounts for the sake of more commissions). Overcharging clients and churning are illegal acts that would get the firm sanctioned and the brokers permanently banned from the securities industry.
 Boiler Room / int_29f44d3a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_29f44d3a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_29f44d3a
 Boiler Room / int_30c40e9a
type
Deconstructor Fleet
 Boiler Room / int_30c40e9a
comment
Deconstructor Fleet: The film reveals the ugly side of the "greed is good" and get-rich-quick mentalities. The brokers at J.T. Marlin are conning investors of their savings via securities fraud, but project themselves as honest businessmen. Several scenes show the higher-ups altering their records and lining up new office space should the feds shut it down. In a deal with the FBI, Seth copies the firm's records on a floppy disk as evidence. Hoping to make a quick buck, the investors in turn are buying the shares of companies Too Good to Be True. The unused ending shows one such client Going Postal after he lost his life savings and family. Trainees are lured with a promise of becoming millionaires, but they're actually paid chump change so they'll be replaced with New Meat when they fluke out. Any sale they make become house accounts, meaning the entire team is working for a senior broker's profits. Management also treats them like crap even if they exceed the requirements. Seth also applied for a job at J.T. Marlin just to go legit and please his father, but doesn't realize it's a scam until he starts snooping around J.T. Marlin's records. Realizing he duped countless investors, Seth cooperates with the FBI in exchange for a lighter sentence.
 Boiler Room / int_30c40e9a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_30c40e9a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_30c40e9a
 Boiler Room / int_30cffab7
type
Illegal Gambling Den
 Boiler Room / int_30cffab7
comment
Illegal Gambling Den: Before joining J.T. Marlin, Seth runs an underground casino from his dorm room. This worries his father, who fears it will endanger his own career as a federal judge.
 Boiler Room / int_30cffab7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_30cffab7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_30cffab7
 Boiler Room / int_319e4a2f
type
Even Evil Has Standards
 Boiler Room / int_319e4a2f
comment
Even Evil Has Standards: Most of the J.T. Marlin brokers looked stunned at Greg violently shoving Seth for arguing over who gets to keep the 40th account Seth just closed, aside from him dating Abby.
 Boiler Room / int_319e4a2f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_319e4a2f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_319e4a2f
 Boiler Room / int_3573371e
type
Dinner and a Show
 Boiler Room / int_3573371e
comment
Dinner and a Show: When Marty starts yelling at Seth and throws his custom poker chips at him.
 Boiler Room / int_3573371e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_3573371e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_3573371e
 Boiler Room / int_35e9f6f8
type
Executive Excess
 Boiler Room / int_35e9f6f8
comment
Executive Excess: Subverted. The "businessmen" at J.T. Marlin are all professional scammers involved in a pump-and-dump scheme and have made ridiculous amounts of cash for the company, but really don't know how to spend it and most of them don't get that much money themselves. When they get together after work at Greg's house, it's entirely empty except for a tanning bed and a flatscreen TV.
 Boiler Room / int_35e9f6f8
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Boiler Room / int_35e9f6f8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_35e9f6f8
 Boiler Room / int_3ed17fe0
type
Wide-Eyed Idealist
 Boiler Room / int_3ed17fe0
comment
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Once Seth joins J.T. Marlin, he's unaware that it's a scam conning unsuspecting investors through a "pump-and-dump" operation. It's only when Seth does a bit of snooping around, gets an earful from his father regarding the dark truth behind J.T. Marlin, and after he cheated a guy out of his money and family by selling him bogus shares does he realize that he's been duped. Realizing he duped countless investors of their hard-earned money, Seth decides to shut the firm down for good by cooperating with the FBI. The trainees are lured in with a Fauxtastic Voyage of becoming millionaires, when they are actually the workhorses of a pyramid scheme with subpar wages and Jerkass senior brokers who ill-treat them even if they make it past the threshold. Management also encourages them to quit so they can be replaced with an endless stream of New Meat.
 Boiler Room / int_3ed17fe0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_3ed17fe0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_3ed17fe0
 Boiler Room / int_42eb0460
type
Going Postal
 Boiler Room / int_42eb0460
comment
Going Postal: The unused ending has Seth barely dodging becoming part of a (possible) massacre at the offices of J.T. Marlin by a pissed-off scammed client. For further irony, it's Harry, who got scammed by Seth and for whom Seth just arranged a return of his investment.
 Boiler Room / int_42eb0460
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_42eb0460
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_42eb0460
 Boiler Room / int_443f9d8a
type
Ask a Stupid Question...
 Boiler Room / int_443f9d8a
comment
Ask a Stupid Question...: Greg the prick asks Abby why she started dating Seth over him, only for her to tell him that it's his dickish behavior that caused their relationship to go sour.
 Boiler Room / int_443f9d8a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_443f9d8a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_443f9d8a
 Boiler Room / int_4b50895
type
Taking the Kids
 Boiler Room / int_4b50895
comment
Taking the Kids: One of Seth's victims invests his family's life savings on a worthless company, and after several heated arguments with his wife, she takes the kids and leaves him alone in their home. Once he realized the man lost all of his savings, Seth regrets his actions and decides to scam the company and give the guy his money back right before the Feds swoop in. However, it would be meaningless as Seth knows the FBI will halt all transactions, meaning the sell order would never go through in real life. A deleted ending shows the man planning to go postal.
 Boiler Room / int_4b50895
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_4b50895
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_4b50895
 Boiler Room / int_537dd8fe
type
Affably Evil
 Boiler Room / int_537dd8fe
comment
Affably Evil: Michael, who's quite affable while running a criminal brokerage firm.
 Boiler Room / int_537dd8fe
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_537dd8fe
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_537dd8fe
 Boiler Room / int_5473668f
type
Logo Joke
 Boiler Room / int_5473668f
comment
Logo Joke: The New Line Cinema theme song is repeatedly spun backwards to the opening note's by a DJ and then dead presidents appear on the logo as it comes to a close.
 Boiler Room / int_5473668f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_5473668f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_5473668f
 Boiler Room / int_5b565147
type
Meaningful Background Event
 Boiler Room / int_5b565147
comment
Meaningful Background Event: During the scene when Seth and Abby are talking in the car, you see the FBI agents pull up and start walking over (to arrest Seth) in the background quite a few minutes before it actually happens.
 Boiler Room / int_5b565147
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_5b565147
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_5b565147
 Boiler Room / int_62fd5552
type
Bavarian Fire Drill
 Boiler Room / int_62fd5552
comment
Bavarian Fire Drill: The J.T. Marlin brokers are told to pretend whomever they want to be as long as they carry the bluff. The unsuspecting marks have no clue to verify the broker's real identity. One scene involves a young trainee claiming to be in the business for many years when he's just a newbie, while a senior broker pretends to be the firm's president to an arrogant client. Truth in Television as IRL boiler rooms use similar tactics.
 Boiler Room / int_62fd5552
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_62fd5552
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_62fd5552
 Boiler Room / int_6e27397
type
Missed Him by That Much
 Boiler Room / int_6e27397
comment
Missed Him by That Much: In an alternate ending for the movie, one of Seth's pissed off clients, Harry, goes to the J.T. Marlin office with a gun to get his revenge. He pulls up in the parking lot just when Seth himself is leaving the company for his own reasons, and they bump into each other without recognizing the other person.
 Boiler Room / int_6e27397
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_6e27397
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_6e27397
 Boiler Room / int_79a0e313
type
Bolivian Army Ending
 Boiler Room / int_79a0e313
comment
Bolivian Army Ending: At the end, Seth cooperates with the Feds, but the movie ends just as they storm J.T. Marlin minutes after Seth walks out, leaving it ambiguous exactly what happened to Chris and the rest of the company, or if any of them got away. There's a high chance that Chris did escape, since he was forewarned by Seth and is seen packing his suitcase a few minutes before the Feds swoop in. There's an alternate take on this in the unused ending: as Seth leaves the building, he bumps into a customer who was carrying a concealed gun. The customer misses Seth himself, but it's not clear if he went postal after their brief run-in.
 Boiler Room / int_79a0e313
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_79a0e313
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_79a0e313
 Boiler Room / int_7b6e47a5
type
Armor-Piercing Question
 Boiler Room / int_7b6e47a5
comment
Armor-Piercing Question: After finding out that Seth lied about J.T. Marlin, Marty asks him if he made his clients any real money or if he's actually stealing from them. Seth doesn't answer and can only look down in shame.
 Boiler Room / int_7b6e47a5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_7b6e47a5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_7b6e47a5
 Boiler Room / int_7d89315b
type
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
 Boiler Room / int_7d89315b
comment
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Jim Young, the HR manager and one of the senior brokers, gives one to the trainees. Marty gives an earful to Seth after finding out that J.T. Marlin is a boiler room:
 Boiler Room / int_7d89315b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_7d89315b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_7d89315b
 Boiler Room / int_7de3aec2
type
What Does She See in Him?
 Boiler Room / int_7de3aec2
comment
What Does She See in Him?: Greg the prick doesn't understand why Abby started dating Seth. His arrogance is what made the relationship go sour.
 Boiler Room / int_7de3aec2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_7de3aec2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_7de3aec2
 Boiler Room / int_7febc23b
type
Establishing Character Moment
 Boiler Room / int_7febc23b
comment
Establishing Character Moment: Jim Young's New Era Speech to the trainees.
 Boiler Room / int_7febc23b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_7febc23b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_7febc23b
 Boiler Room / int_8391b1c7
type
Artistic License – Law
 Boiler Room / int_8391b1c7
comment
Artistic License – Law: At the end of the film, Seth browbeats Chris into signing a sell order for a client so he can make his money back. However, securities transactions have a mandated "settling" period before they go live. Since the FBI will be arriving shortly and freeze all pending transactions, the sell order would never go through in real life. It would be a completely meaningless gesture.
 Boiler Room / int_8391b1c7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_8391b1c7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_8391b1c7
 Boiler Room / int_8573ac0a
type
The Social Darwinist
 Boiler Room / int_8573ac0a
comment
The Social Darwinist: In his introductory rant to the trainees, Jim considers those living paycheck-to-paycheck weaklings. This is actually what the senior brokers at J.T. Marlin do: promise a young New Meat with big money, then place absurd requirements on them so they'll eventually be replaced with a new sucker. The lucky few who make it are looked down by management, who is also happily willing to let the trainees be Cannon Fodder while the senior brokers set up shop elsewhere (under a different name) if/when they're busted.
 Boiler Room / int_8573ac0a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_8573ac0a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_8573ac0a
 Boiler Room / int_87bb6874
type
Villain with Good Publicity
 Boiler Room / int_87bb6874
comment
Villain with Good Publicity: The J.T. Marlin brokers like to project themselves as honest businessmen, but are fraudsters in reality.
 Boiler Room / int_87bb6874
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_87bb6874
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_87bb6874
 Boiler Room / int_898cf4a
type
Terminology Title
 Boiler Room / int_898cf4a
comment
Terminology Title: Securities industry term for brokerage firms that specialize in defrauding unwitting customers. There is another term for "Boiler Room", which is a room full of people that are selling pretty much anything. It doesn't have to be illegal, but it's generally considered a poor way to do business, as the people are "fuel for the boiler", and are used up and thrown away: the idea isn't to have a positive work environment, it's to get people that need money, squeeze any utility out of them, and then dump them when they're no longer useful.
 Boiler Room / int_898cf4a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_898cf4a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_898cf4a
 Boiler Room / int_901046d2
type
The Informant
 Boiler Room / int_901046d2
comment
The Informant: The feds offer Seth federal immunity if he agrees to testify against J.T. Marlin once all the suspects are arrested and threaten to involve Marty in order to assure Seth's cooperation. Seth states he will only do so if his father is not dragged into the case. He and the agents come to an agreement on this, with Seth being kept overnight and allowed to return to work so he could make copies of his book of business onto a floppy disk to be used as evidence.
 Boiler Room / int_901046d2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_901046d2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_901046d2
 Boiler Room / int_9591377d
type
Heel Realization
 Boiler Room / int_9591377d
comment
Once Seth joins J.T. Marlin, he's unaware that it's a scam conning unsuspecting investors through a "pump-and-dump" operation. It's only when Seth does a bit of snooping around, gets an earful from his father regarding the dark truth behind J.T. Marlin, and after he cheated a guy out of his money and family by selling him bogus shares does he realize that he's been duped. Realizing he duped countless investors of their hard-earned money, Seth decides to shut the firm down for good by cooperating with the FBI.
 Boiler Room / int_9591377d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_9591377d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_9591377d
 Boiler Room / int_98b5f82b
type
Basement-Dweller
 Boiler Room / int_98b5f82b
comment
Basement-Dweller: Chris is still living with his mom despite making a quarter million per month.
 Boiler Room / int_98b5f82b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_98b5f82b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_98b5f82b
 Boiler Room / int_9919369d
type
Con Man
 Boiler Room / int_9919369d
comment
Con Man: J.T. Marlin and its brokers are conning unsuspecting investors by selling fraudulent stock deals.
 Boiler Room / int_9919369d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_9919369d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_9919369d
 Boiler Room / int_9f62723d
type
Get Out!
 Boiler Room / int_9f62723d
comment
Get Out!: Jim tells a rude job applicant off before the interview even starts.
 Boiler Room / int_9f62723d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_9f62723d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_9f62723d
 Boiler Room / int_a1b141f4
type
My God, What Have I Done?
 Boiler Room / int_a1b141f4
comment
My God, What Have I Done?: Besides realizing that J.T. Marlin is a "boiler room", Seth is horrified that he cheated a guy out of his money and family by selling him bogus shares. Ashamed of this, he decides to shut the firm down for good by cooperating with the FBI.
 Boiler Room / int_a1b141f4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_a1b141f4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_a1b141f4
 Boiler Room / int_ab5eea65
type
Dramatic Irony
 Boiler Room / int_ab5eea65
comment
Dramatic Irony: In the alternate ending, Harry decides to go to J.T. Marlin with a gun, the implication being he's going for Seth... right as the FBI is about to start their raid on the building. In fact, this is two-fold, as Harry arrives at the building just as Seth is leaving... and neither man recognizes each other. In fact, after Harry drops the suitcase he's carrying his gun in, Seth stops to help him gather his things.
 Boiler Room / int_ab5eea65
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_ab5eea65
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_ab5eea65
 Boiler Room / int_ac92aad1
type
White-Collar Crime
 Boiler Room / int_ac92aad1
comment
White-Collar Crime: J.T. Marlin is a "pump-and-dump" scam, where the shares of fake companies and speculative penny stock are hyped through false statements. Once the crooks "dump" their holdings, the price falls and the investors lose money.
 Boiler Room / int_ac92aad1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_ac92aad1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_ac92aad1
 Boiler Room / int_aca32000
type
Armor-Piercing Response
 Boiler Room / int_aca32000
comment
Armor-Piercing Response: Done between Chris and Seth near the end of the movie.
 Boiler Room / int_aca32000
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_aca32000
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_aca32000
 Boiler Room / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 Boiler Room / int_ad1db87c
comment
The "companies" promoted by J.T. Marlin use fancy-sounding names and fake returns to convince unwitting clients that they're legit. When Seth checks the record of one such "company," he notices something is off.
 Boiler Room / int_ad1db87c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_ad1db87c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_ad1db87c
 Boiler Room / int_b42b7e7b
type
Moral Myopia
 Boiler Room / int_b42b7e7b
comment
Moral Myopia: In the end, Seth convinces Chris to "do one thing right" and sign a ticket sale making one schmuck client good by stealing from the firm on the market.
 Boiler Room / int_b42b7e7b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_b42b7e7b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_b42b7e7b
 Boiler Room / int_b9fa17b7
type
Pretender Diss
 Boiler Room / int_b9fa17b7
comment
Pretender Diss: At one point, the J.T. Marlin stockbrokers run into a group from J.P. Morgan, who proceed to mock them for being small fish in the financial world. It's implied the J.P. Morgan brokers know something is wrong with J.T. Marlin.
 Boiler Room / int_b9fa17b7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_b9fa17b7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_b9fa17b7
 Boiler Room / int_bad22526
type
What If?
 Boiler Room / int_bad22526
comment
What If?: The final shot of the film, right before the Feds swoop in, has this monologue:
 Boiler Room / int_bad22526
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_bad22526
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_bad22526
 Boiler Room / int_bc00493f
type
Precision F-Strike
 Boiler Room / int_bc00493f
comment
Precision F-Strike: "Hey, Kid: GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Marty calls Seth a "piece of shit" once he finds out the reality about J.T. Marlin.
 Boiler Room / int_bc00493f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_bc00493f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_bc00493f
 Boiler Room / int_bf609406
type
New Meat
 Boiler Room / int_bf609406
comment
This is actually what the senior brokers at J.T. Marlin do: promise a young New Meat with big money, then place absurd requirements on them so they'll eventually be replaced with a new sucker. The lucky few who make it are looked down by management, who is also happily willing to let the trainees be Cannon Fodder while the senior brokers set up shop elsewhere (under a different name) if/when they're busted.
 Boiler Room / int_bf609406
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_bf609406
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_bf609406
 Boiler Room / int_c132c0c5
type
I Have No Son!
 Boiler Room / int_c132c0c5
comment
I Have No Son!: Marty disowns Seth after he found out that J.T. Marlin is actually a fraudulent operation. This is eventually subverted when Seth decides to shut the firm for good by cooperating with the FBI and reconciling with his father.
 Boiler Room / int_c132c0c5
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Boiler Room / int_c132c0c5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_c132c0c5
 Boiler Room / int_c37a7fd9
type
No, You
 Boiler Room / int_c37a7fd9
comment
No, You: When Greg asks Abby why she chose Seth over him, Abby tells that it was his Jerkass behavior that turned her off.
 Boiler Room / int_c37a7fd9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_c37a7fd9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_c37a7fd9
 Boiler Room / int_c396fef9
type
Ponzi
 Boiler Room / int_c396fef9
comment
Ponzi: J.T. Martin is centered around "pump-and-dump" schemes. Once the stock is hyped enough artificially, Michael wraps it up, pays himself and his cronies the real profits before paying his senior brokers their exorbitant fees (which he can afford due to the pumping). He also has enough money to keep the company afloat and pay the trainees chump change. The marks who invested in the fraudulent stock are left with nothing, having been suckered by scammers. The inner workings of J.T. Martin are the classic internship pyramid scheme. Lured in with tales of making big money, the trainees are actually paid potatoes until they can break through their impossibly high sales quota. Any sale they make becomes a house account, meaning the entire team is working for the company's profits. Management openly expects the trainees to simply fluke out and thus never have to pay them any real money, while people like Seth are seen as outliers rather than the expected result.
 Boiler Room / int_c396fef9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_c396fef9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_c396fef9
 Boiler Room / int_c6d0ce84
type
Awkward Father-Son Bonding Activity
 Boiler Room / int_c6d0ce84
comment
Awkward Father-Son Bonding Activity: Inverted. Seth attempts to have coffee with Marty, but it's Marty (the father) who quickly gets annoyed and leaves.
 Boiler Room / int_c6d0ce84
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_c6d0ce84
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_c6d0ce84
 Boiler Room / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 Boiler Room / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: Early in the film, Seth and the gang watch a scene from Wall Street, complete with Chris and Michael acting out the parts. Later, Greg specifically references Glengarry Glen Ross when training Seth. Ben Affleck's introductory rant to the new trainees is also an obvious send-up to Alec Baldwin's scene in that film as a foul-mouthed real estate salesman.
 Boiler Room / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_c75df49a
 Boiler Room / int_c852ac43
type
Mars and Venus Gender Contrast
 Boiler Room / int_c852ac43
comment
Mars and Venus Gender Contrast: Greg explains to Seth that the firm never sells to women as they will nag the brokers over the stock's performance. The director stated it's also because men are inherently bigger gamblers than women.
 Boiler Room / int_c852ac43
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_c852ac43
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_c852ac43
 Boiler Room / int_cbe687ab
type
Corrupt Corporate Executive
 Boiler Room / int_cbe687ab
comment
Corrupt Corporate Executive: All of the J.T. Marlin brokers are Con Men. They're running a "pump-and-dump" stock scam, but project themselves as honest businessmen to outsiders.
 Boiler Room / int_cbe687ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_cbe687ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_cbe687ab
 Boiler Room / int_cf4fa6b9
type
Lonely Bachelor Pad
 Boiler Room / int_cf4fa6b9
comment
Lonely Bachelor Pad: After work, a couple of the guys from J.T. Marlin all get together at the house of one of the senior brokers, which is a huge, almost completely empty domicile aside from a few pieces of furniture such as a tanning bed. Seth even asks one of his colleagues if the owner just moved in, but is informed that he's actually been living there for months and has no clue what to do with it. Seth's apartment is this, too. Since a majority of it is used for his illegal casino and he is portrayed as an underachiever, his entire personal life is crammed into a tiny room with a single bed for himself. When Abby visits for the first time, she suggests getting a bed that can accommodate more than one person.
 Boiler Room / int_cf4fa6b9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_cf4fa6b9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_cf4fa6b9
 Boiler Room / int_d7fc9fd0
type
Vitriolic Best Buds
 Boiler Room / int_d7fc9fd0
comment
Vitriolic Best Buds: Chris and Greg are having this sort of relationship, even if it's mostly about vitriol, rather than friendship.
 Boiler Room / int_d7fc9fd0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_d7fc9fd0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_d7fc9fd0
 Boiler Room / int_d9cf40fa
type
Screw This, I'm Outta Here
 Boiler Room / int_d9cf40fa
comment
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: At the end of the film, Seth tells Chris that he was arrested by the FBI and was ratting everyone out. After angrily lashing out, Seth tells him to sign a slip that would allow one of his victims to get his money back and to leave before the FBI raids the building. After taking care of business, Seth excuses himself to go to lunch. In the next scene, Chris can be seen quickly packing up everything on his desk that would incriminate him and hightailing it out of there.
 Boiler Room / int_d9cf40fa
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_d9cf40fa
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_d9cf40fa
 Boiler Room / int_e313b4e7
type
Manchild
 Boiler Room / int_e313b4e7
comment
While the J.T. Marlin brokers are all well-off, they are still the same low-class louts who have no idea what to do with their newfound wealth. They still hang out in the seedy bars they were going prior, dress shabbily, and act like immature manchildren when partying.
 Boiler Room / int_e313b4e7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_e313b4e7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_e313b4e7
 Boiler Room / int_e4b69188
type
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
 Boiler Room / int_e4b69188
comment
Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Boiler Room was inspired by the real-life rise and fall of Stratton Oakmont, which was under constant FBI scrutiny and its owners being booked for securities fraud. Director Ben Younger also used elements of his interview at another boiler room that was busted around the same time.
 Boiler Room / int_e4b69188
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_e4b69188
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_e4b69188
 Boiler Room / int_e5fd8bc2
type
Hate Sink
 Boiler Room / int_e5fd8bc2
comment
Hate Sink: Greg, as he is a snooty and condescending Jerkass who develops a negative relationship and a painfully jealous attitude towards not only Seth, but also towards his subordinates, Chris, and Abby at times.
 Boiler Room / int_e5fd8bc2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_e5fd8bc2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_e5fd8bc2
 Boiler Room / int_e66e9bfb
type
New Era Speech
 Boiler Room / int_e66e9bfb
comment
New Era Speech: Jim Young's Establishing Character Moment is an introductory rant to the new trainees.
 Boiler Room / int_e66e9bfb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_e66e9bfb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_e66e9bfb
 Boiler Room / int_e7fc5c61
type
Family Honor
 Boiler Room / int_e7fc5c61
comment
Family Honor: Marty is constantly worried that his son's underground casino will endanger his own career as a federal judge. It's further exacerbated when he finds out that J.T. Marlin is actually a "pump-and-dump" boiler room.
 Boiler Room / int_e7fc5c61
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_e7fc5c61
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_e7fc5c61
 Boiler Room / int_e9f517e1
type
Artistic License – Geography
 Boiler Room / int_e9f517e1
comment
Artistic License – Geography: Before the interview, Seth notices the guys at J.T. Marlin look like they're taking the 6 to Fulton Street. The 6 actually terminates at City Hall, one stop before. Subway riders wishing to stop at Fulton Street must take the 4 or 5 express routes along the Lexington Avenue Line.
 Boiler Room / int_e9f517e1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_e9f517e1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_e9f517e1
 Boiler Room / int_eb8e4fa8
type
Jerkass
 Boiler Room / int_eb8e4fa8
comment
Jerkass: Most of the J.T. Marlin brokers can be jerks at times, but Greg tops the list. He's a rude prick to not only Seth, who was dating his girlfriend Abby, but also to his subordinates. He's also mean and petty towards Chris and Abby at times. While the J.T. Marlin brokers are all well-off, they are still the same low-class louts who have no idea what to do with their newfound wealth. They still hang out in the seedy bars they were going prior, dress shabbily, and act like immature manchildren when partying.
 Boiler Room / int_eb8e4fa8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_eb8e4fa8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_eb8e4fa8
 Boiler Room / int_eba3ccea
type
Fauxtastic Voyage
 Boiler Room / int_eba3ccea
comment
The trainees are lured in with a Fauxtastic Voyage of becoming millionaires, when they are actually the workhorses of a pyramid scheme with subpar wages and Jerkass senior brokers who ill-treat them even if they make it past the threshold. Management also encourages them to quit so they can be replaced with an endless stream of New Meat.
 Boiler Room / int_eba3ccea
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_eba3ccea
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_eba3ccea
 Boiler Room / int_ed05cfee
type
Naïve Newcomer
 Boiler Room / int_ed05cfee
comment
Naïve Newcomer: For all his apparent street-smarts, Seth is incredibly gullible, as he apparently never prior even heard about the concept of a boiler room. Even when he's already working in one, it still takes him quite a while to realise he's participating in a multi-layer scam.
 Boiler Room / int_ed05cfee
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_ed05cfee
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_ed05cfee
 Boiler Room / int_f8b893e5
type
Get-Rich-Quick Scheme
 Boiler Room / int_f8b893e5
comment
The inner workings of J.T. Martin are the classic internship pyramid scheme. Lured in with tales of making big money, the trainees are actually paid potatoes until they can break through their impossibly high sales quota. Any sale they make becomes a house account, meaning the entire team is working for the company's profits. Management openly expects the trainees to simply fluke out and thus never have to pay them any real money, while people like Seth are seen as outliers rather than the expected result.
 Boiler Room / int_f8b893e5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_f8b893e5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_f8b893e5
 Boiler Room / int_f8e010ce
type
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good
 Boiler Room / int_f8e010ce
comment
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Greg the dickweed doesn't understand why his girlfriend Abby chose to date Seth over him. Not being an arrogant jerkass towards others doesn't register in his head.
 Boiler Room / int_f8e010ce
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_f8e010ce
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_f8e010ce
 Boiler Room / int_fb3576b2
type
The Dog Bites Back
 Boiler Room / int_fb3576b2
comment
The Dog Bites Back: When Abby tells Greg off for the second time.
 Boiler Room / int_fb3576b2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_fb3576b2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_fb3576b2
 Boiler Room / int_fd76df83
type
Artistic License – Economics
 Boiler Room / int_fd76df83
comment
Artistic License – Economics: Seth tells a client that CNBC put a buy reco on Farrow Tech. In reality, CNBC is a TV channel that can only provide economic commentary. They are not broker-dealers and have no authority to recommend a certain stock. Only licensed advisors can do that. However, the client may not be aware of this.
 Boiler Room / int_fd76df83
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_fd76df83
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_fd76df83
 Boiler Room / int_fe596c1
type
Hide the Evidence
 Boiler Room / int_fe596c1
comment
Hide the Evidence: One scene shows J.T. Marlin's compliance officer altering records to hide their criminality. Seth's deal with the FBI involves making copies of his client files onto a floppy disk so it can be used as evidence.
 Boiler Room / int_fe596c1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_fe596c1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_fe596c1
 Boiler Room / int_ff7f34c5
type
Pet the Dog
 Boiler Room / int_ff7f34c5
comment
Pet the Dog: During the group interview, a new recruit sits in Jim Young's seat. Young walks in and politely asks him to move. The guy nervously apologizes and Young assures him it's fine. Then when another recruit calls the first one a dumbass, Young angrily orders the second guy out of the room and offers his seat to the first guy.
 Boiler Room / int_ff7f34c5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_ff7f34c5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_ff7f34c5
 Boiler Room / int_name
type
ItemName
 Boiler Room / int_name
comment
 Boiler Room / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Boiler Room / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Boiler Room / int_name
 Boiler Room / int_name
itemName
Boiler Room

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Adam Smith Hates Your Guts / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Artistic License – Economics / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Awkward Father-Son Bonding Activity / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Bavarian Fire Drill / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
seeAlso
Boiler Room
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Bolivian Army Ending / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Cop/Criminal Family / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Delayed Wire / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Executive Excess / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Fauxtastic Voyage / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Get Out! / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Get-Rich-Quick Scheme / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Lonely Bachelor Pad / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Meaningful Background Event / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Missed Him by That Much / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Nouveau Riche / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Taking the Kids / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Terminology Title / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Vanity License Plate / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Villain with Good Publicity / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
White-Collar Crime / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room
hasFeature
Wide-Eyed Idealist / int_375d0452
 Boiler Room (Music)
seeAlso
Boiler Room