Year: 2001
Runtime: 93 mins
Language: English
Director: Steve Rash
An investment banker loses everything and must discover what’s important in life.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Good Advice (2001), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Ryan Turner, Charlie Sheen, is an arrogant broker living a Playboy lifestyle in New York City with his conceited girlfriend Cindy Styne, Denise Richards. One morning, he’s on the golf course with Donald Simpson, Barry Newman, who hints at a massive merger between his company, Simpson Inc., and a large drug firm. Convinced this could be his big break, Ryan broadcasts the news to all of his clients, pulling them into a fever pitch of investment and sending their money toward the supposed deal. The idea of a game-changing merger floods his ego with confidence, and he rides the wave of hype as if he’s already tasting victory.
The next day, Simpson drops the bomb: there is no merger. Ryan loses most of his own money, along with a significant chunk of his clients’ funds. When he confronts Simpson in his office, he learns the truth—Simpson lied as revenge for Ryan’s affair with his wife. With reputation ruined, Ryan becomes unemployed and bankrupt, selling what he has left and moving in with Cindy. He tries to land another brokerage job, but his license is revoked, leaving him adrift and bitter. In a stark turn of fate, Cindy announces she’s leaving for Brazil with another man, dismissing Ryan as a loser and aligning herself with a diamond mine owner who represents a new, glossy horizon.
Cindy, meanwhile, takes a different path. She begins working at a small newspaper as an advice columnist, a role she never anticipated. Ryan, spotting an opening, flirts with the editor Page Hensen, Angie Harmon, and secures control of the column. At first, he’s clumsy and self-centered, out of step with real empathic guidance, but he soon finds a knack for offering practical advice that resonates with readers. The column explodes in popularity, and the newspaper’s sales surge across the city, turning Ryan into a star of a different sort. Page and Ryan’s partnership deepens, and a mutual attraction develops as they navigate the boundaries of their professional and personal lives.
Meanwhile, Cindy returns to New York, and Simpson re-enters the frame by expressing interest in purchasing Cindy’s column for his own paper. When the truth about Ryan and Page’s affair surfaces, Cindy uses the fallout to her advantage, blackmailing them and moving to Simpson’s company. The upheaval shakes everyone involved, and Ryan leverages his broker’s acumen to profit from the chaotic shake-up, even as Cindy’s inability to deliver the same heartfelt, nuanced advice she once did undermines the broader deal, sending Simpson’s stock spiraling downward. In the end, Ryan rebuilds his career as a columnist, seizes a second chance at love, and proposes to Page, ready to start a more stable life together. The road is bumpy, the lessons are costly, but the script of ambition, romance, and reinvention seems to finally bend toward a hopeful close.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:31
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Cynical characters find love and purpose after a major life downfall.If you enjoyed the redemptive arc and romantic spark in Good Advice, explore these other movies. These stories feature characters who lose everything only to find love and a better version of themselves, blending comedy with sincere emotional growth.
These stories typically follow a linear arc where a fall from grace—financial, professional, or social—serves as the catalyst for a protagonist's transformation. From a place of cynicism or arrogance, they are forced to confront their flaws, often finding unexpected help and love, leading to a happy and hopeful conclusion.
They are grouped by their shared structure of downfall leading to redemption, a consistent blend of sharp comedy with romantic sincerity, and a fundamentally hopeful tone that assures viewers of a positive outcome despite the protagonist's initial hardships.
Witty critiques of modern urban life that ultimately celebrate human connection.Looking for more movies with the sharp wit and urban energy of Good Advice? This collection features satirical comedies set in bustling cities like New York, where characters grapple with ambition but ultimately find their humanity.
Narratives often revolve around a high-status individual embroiled in a competitive world (finance, media, etc.) whose worldview is challenged. The plot uses comedic situations to expose the emptiness of pure ambition, culminating in a realization that authenticity and human connection are more valuable than success defined by the city's standards.
These films share a specific mood: a balance of sharp, cynical humor aimed at a particular urban milieu with an underlying aspirational and hopeful message. The setting is a key character, and the pacing is steady, moving the protagonist from a state of disillusionment to one of enlightened purpose.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Good Advice in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Good Advice is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Good Advice with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Good Advice. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Good Advice that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Good Advice: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
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