# Business movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 16, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274 "2009-07-16T22:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/1 "2009-07-16T22:51:06Z")
I was trying to think of some business and finance-related movies, but was coming up dry - the only one I could think of is the classic _Wall Street_. Given the inherent drama and power struggles of capitalism, it seems curiously underexploited in film. Can anyone think of other business-related movies? For the purposes of this list, a “business-related movie” must have business as the source of its plot and dramatic tension, rather than having a workplace as its background setting. For example most of _The Office_ would not qualify, but the Michael Scott Paper Comapny arc would. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/2 "2009-07-16T23:00:32Z")
“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “The Solid Gold Cadillac” might qualify ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/3 "2009-07-16T23:02:37Z")
Executive Suite The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit The Hucksters ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/4 "2009-07-16T23:03:06Z")
[Boiler Room](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181984/) maybe? I’ve never seen it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/5 "2009-07-16T23:14:12Z")
_Glengarry Glen Ross_? Been a while since I’ve seen it, but I think it qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/6 "2009-07-16T23:14:34Z")
_Trading Places_, _The Secret of My Success_, _Boiler Room_ ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/7 "2009-07-16T23:19:27Z")
_Nine to Five_ ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/8 "2009-07-16T23:45:07Z")
**Other People’s Money Working Girl The Shop Around the Corner It’s a Wonderful Life Wolf The Apartment Two Week’s**(sic)**Notice** ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/9 "2009-07-17T00:37:21Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > \*\*Other People’s Money > \*\* (sic) **Notice** There’s a business professor where I work who shows this one every quarter. He says it’s one of the best movies made about business. Another very popular one with business profs I’ve known is [Barbarians at the Gate](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106356/), the movie version of the [bestselling book](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarians_at_the_Gate:_The_Fall_of_RJR_Nabisco)about the leveraged buyout of Nabisco. I have no business background and limited interest in the matter, but even I found the movie engaging. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/10 "2009-07-17T01:17:44Z")
What we need now is a new president who will inspire panic in the stockholder. Board Member 6: A puppet. Board Member 5: A proxy. Board Member 2: A pawn. Sidney J. Mussburger: Sure, sure. Some jerk we can really push around. The Hudsucker Proxy ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/11 "2009-07-17T01:43:56Z")
In a lighthearted, but not altogether incorrect vein: Thank you for Smoking A Fish Called Wanda ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/12 "2009-07-17T05:14:16Z")
I never saw Tucker, but I keep meaning to, isn’t it mostly about his (failed) business? ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/13 "2009-07-17T13:48:56Z")
Would [Deal of the Century](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085412/) qualify for the OP’s criteria? I remember seeing this movie on cable as a teen but I haven’t seen it since, so it’s been awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/14 "2009-07-17T13:51:03Z")
Uh… splunge! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v0I4OQi7CQ&feature=fvsr](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v0I4OQi7CQ&feature=fvsr) ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/15 "2009-07-17T14:07:29Z")
Network is another great one. Would Catch-22 count? ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/16 "2009-07-17T14:15:00Z")
Maybe _The Producers_? [Possible parallels to the world of Finance left as an exercise for the reader] ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/17 "2009-07-17T14:35:47Z")
\*Big Business \*(Bette Midler & Lily Tomlin) _Big_ _The Bonfire of the Vanities_ ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/18 "2009-07-17T15:33:41Z")
_The Godfather_ movies are about business. A kind of business. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/19 "2009-07-17T15:38:03Z")
> [@athelas](#): > > I was trying to think of some business and finance-related movies, but was coming up dry - the only one I could think of is the classic _Wall Street_. Given the inherent drama and power struggles of capitalism, it seems curiously underexploited in film. Can anyone think of other business-related movies? > > For the purposes of this list, a “business-related movie” must have business as the source of its plot and dramatic tension, rather than having a workplace as its background setting. For example most of _The Office_ would not qualify, but the Michael Scott Paper Comapny arc would. Glengarry Glen Ross Boiler Room _Those Two + Wall Street = The Holy Trinity of Business Movies_ ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274/20 "2009-07-17T15:48:26Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Network is another great one. Was waiting for someone to whip this out. Good call. EDIT: Giving it some thought … I think _The Pursuit of Happyness_ qualifies as well, although there is a lot more going on in the movie than just business. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/business-movies/503274.md?page=2)