John Oliver ridicules abortion law using Kelsey Grammer’s film ‘Money Plane’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: On the latest episode of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight', British comedian John Oliver managed to draw an unexpected connection between the 2020 low-budget action movie 'Money Plane' and the ongoing debate over abortion laws in the United States.
The comedian dedicated a significant portion of the episode on Sunday, November 5 to discussing the current state of abortion laws following the Dobbs decision, particularly in the context of local elections taking place this week.
Playful nod to 'Money Plane'
During the episode, Oliver drew parallels between the concept of the 'Money Plane' featured in the film and the idea of floating abortion clinics. He pointed out that some states have been passing restrictive abortion laws, prompting creative efforts to maintain access to abortion services.
"Abortion bans have prompted many to desperately try to maintain abortion access for those who need it and sometimes in truly imaginative ways," Oliver told the audience, explaining how a California doctor was proposing a floating abortion clinic as a way to bypass laws in some states that are restricting the procedure.
"She says the clinic would operate on a boat floating in federal waterers just off the Gulf of Mexico, so technically making it out of reach of any state laws here," he noted.
Oliver humorously compared the concept of a floating abortion clinic in lawless territory to the premise of the movie 'Money Plane.'
“Lawless territory, no rules, anything goes. It’s not only a foolproof plan, but it’s also the literal premise for the movie Money Plane," he stated.
He then joked, "You didn’t hallucinate that during peak Covid. There really was a film about a casino in the sky full of thieves, cartels, and arms dealers who can never be arrested because the money plane is always moving in international airspace."
He encouraged viewers to watch the film.
"If you haven’t seen it, you should, frankly, stop watching this show right now and go watch that instead," Oliver quipped. "If you pop an edible immediately, it should start to kick in right around when you meet the film’s villain – Darius Emanuel Grouch III, aka 'The Rumble', played by Kelsey Grammer."
He quoted one of Grammer's lines from the movie, "Whatever you want to wager on, the money plane has you covered. You want to bet on a dude f**king an alligator? Money Plane," which was fittingly used to draw a connection to the abortion discussion.
Amid the humor, Oliver couldn't resist poking fun at the movie's connection to his own interests. "It is the Frasier reboot that we deserved," he joked, referring to Kelsey Grammer's famous role in the TV show 'Frasier.'
'Money Plane', distributed in the US by Quiver Distribution, featured a cast that included WWE Superstar Adam "Edge" Copeland, Denise Richards, and Thomas Jane. The film was directed by Andrew Lawrence, who co-wrote it with Tim Schaaf, and it was produced by Taylor & Dodge Entertainment and Dawn's Light Productions.
John Oliver's jibe at Warner Bros. and Idaho Republican
Toward the end of the episode, Oliver took a dig at Warner Bros. Discovery for their decision to reboot 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' as 'Wonka', starring Timothee Chalamet.
He pointed out the unexpected consequences of decisions on abortion, pointing out that they're not as trivial as a reboot of a film. Akin to the surprising connections he drew throughout the episode, he highlighted comments by Idaho Republican Mark Sauter and the impact of abortion laws on his constituents.
“That’s not a cute little oopsie, it’s not joking that Timothee Chalamet could play a young Willy Wonka and the studio immediately greenlit and now you have to figure out what the f**k that means," Oliver quipped. He went on to call the Republican's behavior a "dereliction of duty."