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#1132 FFAF: The Bonfire of the Vanities - Trent Horn

Counsel of Trent

In this Free-for-All Friday episode, Trent reviews his recent interaction with Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities—both the classic novel and its film adaptation. Dive into a spoiler-light breakdown of the book’s biting satire of 1980s New York (Wall Street excess, class conflict, race politics, media frenzy, and a justice system under pressure), and why Sherman McCoy’s unraveling still feels relevant today. Then compare it to Brian De Palma’s 1990 movie version, including what changed from page to screen, why the adaptation is so controversial, and how casting and story decisions shaped the film’s reputation.