One decision could make or break The Bonfire of the Vanities: who will play the female lead? It comes down to two actresses – established, expensive Melanie Griffith or an unknown, alluring 19 year-old named Uma Thurman.

Tom Hanks signs on to play amoral stockbroker Sherman McCoy, and he’s so beloved that nobody recognizes how wrong he is for the part. But the hardest decision comes when the director insists that a Jewish judge be played by a Black actor.

Shooting hasn’t even started and the movie is already under attack. Courtroom locations, snippets of dialogue, even a single shot of a plane landing at JFK – every little decision becomes a battle as the crew preps for filming.

The cast shows its true colors: some are easygoing and relatable, but not Bruce Willis. Meanwhile, Bronx residents show up to throw eggs and lightbulbs at the filmmakers, and one irate New Yorker confronts Brian De Palma directly.

As production moves to Los Angeles, the specter of sexism clouds the movie. Rumors swirl among the crew: Melanie Griffith’s breasts have gotten bigger, and one actress has secretly been having an affair on the set.

With production in Los Angeles, Brian De Palma feels the pressure from prying studio executives – and from Bruce Willis, who starts directing other actors on how to be funnier.

The Bonfire of the Vanities tanks with both critics and the moviegoing public. De Palma leads the autopsy, trying to understand how all these smart people made all the wrong decisions.

Author Julie Salamon joins TCM Host Alicia Malone for a revealing interview about what you didn’t hear during our second season of The Plot Thickens.