Audio Version: Let Me Hear It!
While the headlines remain abuzz with the upcoming election and political rhetoric, we would like to encourage you to stop for a moment and take in the season that is Fall. Breathe in the crisp air, gaze at the changing leaves and enjoy some warm cocoa. Since we just need to turn off the noise sometimes, consider a relaxing night in this week with some popped corn, scented fall candles and a great film. Need ideas? Consider getting cozy with a few of our favorite financial flicks, below. Spoiler alert: You will learn a thing or two about finance (but it won’t be work)…
The Big Short (2015): Starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, and Brad Pitt, this movie focuses on the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis in impressive detail, while managing to remain scathingly funny and well-acted. You will learn important financial terms in an unforgettable way by the strategically cast, fun, fourth-wall-breaking cameos from actors like Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez (among others).
Secretariat (2010): Faced with the prospect of losing her family’s Thoroughbred farm after the death of her father, housewife Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) accepts the responsibility of managing the stables, despite her lack of experience in the male-dominated world of horse racing. While the focus of the story remains on Chenery, veteran horse trainer Lucien Laurin (played brilliantly by John Malkovich) and Secretariat the race horse, an estate planning sub-plot involving a will, estate battle, and a $7 million estate tax bill looms over Chenery’s head throughout the course of the movie.
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992): Another star-studded film (think: Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey), this movie depicts two days in the lives of four real estate salesmen, highlighting their desperation when they discover that all except the top two salesmen will be fired by week end. You may remember this film solely for Alec Baldwin’s rousing speech and its emphasis on the best and worst faces of working under pressure. Remember: always be closing!
Life as We Know It (2010): After up-and-coming restaurateur Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) and ambitious network sports director Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) agree to go on a blind date set up by their close friends, they find that the only common ground between them is a mutual dislike of one other and their love for their friends’ daughter, Sophie. When a terrible accident and an estate planning oversight (think: a lack of adequate life insurance and communication) unexpectedly thrusts the bickering and unprepared couple into parenthood, they must find a way to juggle their career ambitions and put their differences aside.
