You can only learn so much from case studies. Sure, the lessons may be grounded in the real world, with real people suffering real consequences. In the end, do these examples really stick with you? Do you mimic lines from a study to your friends? And do you occasionally return to a key person or decision in a study and think, “I can really see myself doing that.”
Sometimes, the best way to translate reality is through fiction. And no genre resonates more with people than cinema. Take the topic of business. Our work consumes over a third of our lives. For many, work is a community where they fulfill their life’s mission. In that world, you’ll find the great truths: The corrosive effect of power, money, and hubris; the fruits of hope, sweat and perseverance; the trade-offs and unforeseen results inherent to making decisions; and the ever-present opportunity for reconciliation and redemption.
Hollywood may embellish reality, but the behind-the-scenes business dealings in movies often reflect the real world all too closely. From Jordan Belfort to Howard Hughes, movie storytelling takes us inside deeply flawed, three-dimensional characters, whose key moments of achievement, betrayal, and epiphany remind us of our own potential and frailty. Whether we admire or loathe these characters, we remember them – and the cautionary lessons many represent.
Looking for some practical lessons that may get lost in a case study? Here are ten must-see movies that will amp up your business acumen with an up close and personal look at the temptations and ambiguities you’re bound to eventually face:
1) Wall Street
This has to be right at the top if you talk about must-watch movies for business students. The movie digs into everything a business hides behind the scenes. As a thrilling journey into Gordon Gekko’s life, it shows exactly how people barter their morals to become filthy rich and make it big on Wall Street, with principles like, “Money is everything,” and “Greed is good.” Take those lessons with a grain of salt!
2) The Insider
Al Pacino and Russell Crowe share the screen in this movie, which is reason enough to watch it, but it’s also a must-watch to know what ethics and integrity in business really mean. It’s a story of a man who is faced with an ugly choice of doing the right thing and risking his life, or keeping his mouth shut.
3) Tucker : A Man and His Dream
Searching for some inspiration to trigger your spirits before a leap into the world of entrepreneurship? This movie can be your unforgettable inspiration. Make yourself feel good while this movie works as an inspiration to your psyche by telling you exactly what it is like to follow your dreams…a bed of roses…but roses with spurs, where you have to make sacrifices.
4) Citizen Kane
Build a business tycoon image for yourself and see what you pay for it! Negotiating with your ethics is a choice many businesspeople will eventually face. This brilliant movie tells you what it’s like to build an empire and what dangers you are going to face in the process. Don’t let this classic miss your watchful mind!
The lesson is a bitter truth: Success can often come at a price, and at the top, life can be relatively empty.
5) It’s a Wonderful Life
This timeless black-and-white classic of Frank Capra is an illustrative lesson of the moral, financial and the practical! The most important lesson a business student needs to learn is that money can’t buy happiness and that real happiness lies not in your business or job, but in family ties, love and friends. It truly is a wonderful life!
6) Office Space
What do you do when you have soul-sucking 9-to-5 job? You probably never managed to make it as hilarious and scary as Peter Gibbons. This movie showcases office politics at its best. If not in the past or the present, you are definitely going to relate to this movie at least once in your life.
7) Smartest Guys in the Room
ENRON goes down in history as one of the world’s biggest business frauds, and you, as a business student, definitely want to know what actually happened and what mess was created. Get real life business lessons and learn the difference between doing things right and doing the right things!
8) The Godfather
You can’t afford to miss on this one! A must watch for all business students. The Godfather is a 70mm bible about why relationships and building networks are important, why helping people is good for business and why knowing about competition is non-negotiable.
9) Barbarians at the Gate
Knowing the reality of hostile takeovers and leveraged buyouts is an important lesson for passionate business student. So, here comes a real story and a real lesson! As a classic must-watch for business students, this movie will take you through the saga of a battle for power, a hostile takeover and a leveraged buyout.
10) Norma Rae
Why do unions operate as they do? Find an answer in this wonderful depiction of the determination of a single mother who fights to improve the working conditions of her textile mill.
What other films would you include in your must-see list of films for business students?
