The 5 best movies about money, ever!
“Anybody who tells you money is the root of all evil doesn’t have any.”
Ben Affleck uttered this unassailable truth in the 2000 film Boiler Room. What could better sum up the attitudes of seedy brokerage agents that pepper our screens or the conmen that swindle the baddy of all his millions only to lose it again by the time of the sequel? It’s something that dominates our thoughts, behaviours and attitudes, so is it any wonder that money figures prominently in the movies as well? Here is my list of my favourite films about money, from the classic through to the hilarious.
Wall Street (1987)
Impossible to go past on any list of movies about money, Wall Street is the classic of the classics. The storyline is simple- naïve and idealistic young man (Charlie Sheen) seduced by the ruthlessness of Wall Street, epitomized by the inimitable Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Rumours are floating that a sequel is on the cards, a very fitting tribute to the global financial crisis.
Take home lesson: Greed is good and lunch is for wimps.
The Money Pit (1986)
A remake of one of the greatest film of all time, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, The Money Pit is a hilarious look at home renovations. The process of fixing up the house from hell is meant to last two weeks and instead takes four months, almost taking Tom Hanks and Shelley Long’s relationship with it. Occasionally too accurate to truly be funny.
Take home lesson: Watch it before you renovate and at various points throughout the renovation- it may be the only thing that keeps you sane.
The Sting (1973)
It’s got conmen, its got conniving, it’s got more class than you could swing a cat at, The Sting is still the best movie about swindling money with a great deal of panache. Robert Redford and Paul Newman team up in an attempt to bamboozle everyone, crooks and cops included, out of a great deal of cash.
Take home lesson: It’s not immoral if you are stealing off gambling tycoons. Robin Hood would be proud.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Based on a true story, this is one of the best movies I’ve seen in the last couple of years about what life can be like before you make it. Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a salesman-turned-stockbroker, competing for a lucrative position with Dean Witter, but forced to undergo a six month unpaid internship to earn it. The catch? He is a single father with a young son and finding a place to sleep each night isn’t a walk in the park.
Take home lesson: The American dream can come good, but it’s a question of a lot of hard work and sometimes a bit of luck.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The movie my father makes me watch every Christmas; It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the best movies about the things beyond money. A businessman prepares to throw himself off a bridge on Christmas Eve only to be visited by his guardian angel who shows him all the positive effects he’s had on the people around him throughout his life.
Take home lesson: Money is important, but it isn’t everything.
Trading Places? Boiler Room? What classic do you think needs to be on this list? Send me your suggestions and I’ll compile a reader top ten of best movies about money of all time.
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