D. Maass,
Jan 25, 2008
Chicken Little has been vindicated: the economy is tanking. Even
President George W. Bush has had to drop his optimism and propose an
economic stimulus package. The Federal Reserve and Congress are
scrambling, and the political pundits have revived the catchphrase of
the original Bill Clinton campaign: "It's the economy, stupid."
But recessions (and depressions) are fantastic for future film
critics: No one makes films about economic boons, but the Great
Depression is one of Hollywood's favorite pet themes. So hunker down in
your Hooverville and prepare yourself for what's to come.
Wall Street (1987)
C'mon. Do I really need to recommend this one? The Oscar-winning epic
about ethics and insider trading, as boring as it might have sounded to
anyone who wasn't an investor, starred every actor of the 1980s who
looked good in Armani: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen
(though he played an airplane mechanic), Terrence Stamp, Sean Young and
Daryl Hannah. Maybe, looking back on it 20 years later, the film's
cheese factor ranks up there with The
Explorers, but it's still a must-see.
Barbarians at the Gate: (1993)
One of the first great made-for-HBO films, Barbarians tracks
the takeover strategy pursued by F. Ross Johnson (played by the always
charming James Garner) in gaining control of the corporation R.J.
Nabisco. Jonathan Pryce also guest stars in the film based on the book
by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar.
Rogue Trader (1999)
The same year Ewan McGregor starred in the horrendous Star
Wars: The Phantom Menace, the Scottish actor impressed British
audiences with his portrayal of Asian currency trader Nick Leeson. Set
in Indonesia, Leeson single-handedly bankrupts England's Barings Bank.
It's an oh-my-god, how-long-can-he-keep-up-the-lie film (think Shattered
Glass and The Talented Mr. Ripley) that's especially
important these days as Chinese investors gobble up more and more US
securities.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Mark Bourne said it better than I can in his review of the re-release of the classic John
Ford/Darryl Zanuck epic based on the most influential Dust Bowl novel
ever written. I'd say it's all in the editing, but you can't ignore
Henry Fonda's performance and John Steinbeck's journalism.
Cinderella Man (2005)
It's the boxing equivalent of Seabiscuit:
a down-on-his-luck boxer whose career bottoms out with the stock market
crash turns to menial labor and then returns to boxing as a
little-too-old heavyweight, capturing the imagination of the nation and
inspiring hope for the desperate classes. Ron Howard directs it, and
like anything Ron Howard directs, everyone is obligated to see it at
some point. That's just how it goes with Ron Howard. I think Congress
passed a law mandating it last year.
Roger & Me (1989)
Don't start with me. Roger & Me, no matter what the Ron
Paul supporters say, is the quintessential Michael Moore film. It
established his ambushing advocate style, revolutionizing documentary
filmmaking by proving that just because it's real life doesn't mean it
can't be heart-breakingly hilarious. Moore takes on General Motors,
which is one-by-one closing the factories and downsizing the workers
who made them the corporate monster that they are. Meanwhile, Michigan,
the home of GM, tries everything to kick start their economy, including
opening a theme park dedicated to the robots replacing workers. The key
scene in the film, as far as economics goes, is Ronald Reagan's visit
to a Michigan pizzeria, where he comforts workers, then abandons them
and in return someone steals the cash register. Keep in mind the
throw-down between Mitt Romney and John McCain before the Michigan
primary over whether some of these jobs would ever return.
Doctor Who: Episodes: Daleks
in Manhattan and Evolution of the Daleks (2007)
In this two-parter, the Doctor and Martha Jones journey to New York
during the depression and try to solve a series of kidnappings going on
in the Central Park Hooverville. As it turns out, the homeless are
being turned into pig-men by the Daleks, who in turn are trying to add
human DNA to their genes while building the Empire State Building. I
know what you're thinking. Can Dave actually get through a Rental Recs
post without referencing Doctor Who? The short answer is no:
I just bought myself season three, and I'm pushing it on everyone like
a crack dealer. Buy it, watch it, love it, come back for more. Thank
heavens the British writers aren't on strike.
