Trading Places is a 1983 comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. The film revolves around the lives of two men, Louis Winthorpe III (played by Aykroyd) and Billy Ray Valentine (played by Murphy), whose lives are manipulated for a bet by two wealthy and callous brothers, Randolph (Ralph Bellamy) and Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche).
Louis Winthorpe III is a snobbish and privileged investor who works for the Duke Brothers. Billy Ray Valentine, on the other hand, is a wily street con-artist who is struggling to make ends meet.
The Duke Brothers decide to make a bet, the terms of which mandate that they swap the lives of Winthorpe and Valentine for a brief period to see if their personalities are inherently shaped by their social class or if they can adapt to new surroundings.
Winthorpe is framed for theft, resulting in his arrest and loss of his job, home, and fiancée. Valentine, meanwhile, is given the job, house, and privileges that were once possessed by Winthorpe. The two men soon discover the bet and decide to team up to take revenge on the Duke Brothers and their associates.
In the end, Winthorpe and Valentine manage to expose the Duke Brothers' illicit activities and become wealthy by trading orange juice futures, resulting in a happy ending for both men. Trading Places was a box office success and received critical acclaim for its social commentary and comedic performances.