Follow
More than one observer has quipped that “movies are life.” Movie makers rework and retell the old stories of love and lust and greed and sorrow with the added impact of light and sound, and some movies have their thoughts about the art of making money. The following five movies will amuse audiences while speaking on the topic of getting ahead.
Pirates of Silicon Valley
This 1999 biographical treatment of the prime movers behind industry giants Apple and Microsoft may strike some as outdated, but it nonetheless casts a useful light on the humble beginnings of now-billionaires Bill Gates and Paul Allen of Microsoft as well as deceased billionaire Steve Jobs and multi-millionaire Steve Wozniak of Apple fame. It can be hard to believe now that Apple once was a tiny startup in a garage and that a struggling Microsoft almost stumbled into its long rise to super-stardom by agreeing to develop a desktop operating system for an industry colossus called IBM.
Quite apart from the perhaps fascinating personal stories of these pioneers of the modern Silicon Valley, the persistence of the founders in the face of repeated setbacks yields the obvious lesson that opportunity awaits only those who seek it.
Moneyball
This 2011 romp through the backroom games of baseball, which still attracts millions of fans in a sports world now dominated by American football, shows how even a supposedly staid business can be upended by a young, vigorous innovator who is willing to tackle longstanding assumptions about working with talented individuals. Instead of accepting the conventional wisdom that the hiring process for special individuals resists automation, the hero of the story brought the cold, hard logic of mathematics and statistical analysis to the dismayed stalwarts of the equipment rooms.
Perhaps the most compelling takeaway is that the comfort zone for any tradition-bound business can grow into a crippling handicap that ultimately defeats profitability.
The Wolf of Wall Street
While this 2013 cautionary tale about the destructive power of greed for the unearned may not exactly seem a suitable vehicle for a life lesson for entrepreneurs, it nonetheless illuminates in an entertaining and believable way the machinations that may lie behind the superficially sedate financial industry. Sooner or later, virtually every business owner will slam into the ugly reality behind the serene facades of banks and other sources of funding, and knowing just how dirty the game can be is half the defense against being rooked, swindled and tricked.
The sheer lack of concern for the hard work of decent people as shown in the movie is appalling, but most students likely will respond by growing even more determined to rise above the muck by being strongly ethical themselves.
The Aviator
Students need not be aviation enthusiasts to appreciate this 2004 exploration of the quirky rise of famed aviator and businessperson Howard Hughes in an age when air travel was still a dawning phenomenon. While the movie does dwell at length on the personal foibles of the central character, it also strides through the hustle and bustle of grabbing for success in a rapidly developing industry. Obsessive attention to detail has marked almost every truly successful entrepreneur, and Howard Hughes was no exception to the rule.
The core lesson for students of success is that the details are important, and significant endeavors invariably burst with details. Being the rare person who cares enough to become thoroughly familiar with them means a much higher probability of runaway success.
Forrest Gump
Finally, this gentle 1994 fable about a slow but determined fellow brings home the remarkable power of sheer persistence. In an age of pervasive social networks feeding rumors of easy money to gullible audiences and bellowing infomercials cluttering the airwaves with implausible stories of fast riches with little work, it’s very much worth revisiting the eternal truth that success never comes for free. If it were easy, then everyone would be a millionaire. Only hard work produces durable wealth.
Movies are indeed life. Sitting back with a few friends and a bucket of buttered popcorn in front of a great movie can be both entertaining and educational in a way that transcends the annoyingly hectoring tone of old-style moral lessons. Be happy, and be successful!