Top 5 Business Movies

by Andy Brudtkuhl on October 17, 2008


My top 5 business movies of all time… What are yours? Let us know in the comments…


Office Space

1. Office Space

“We don’t have a lot of time on this earth. We weren’t meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements.”


Wall Street

2. Wall Street

“Most of these Harvard MBA types – they don’t add up to dogshit. Give me guys that are poor, smart, hungry – and no feelings. You win a few, you lose a few, but you keep on fighting.”

“The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms – greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge – has marked the upward surge of mankind, and greed – you mark my words – will not only save Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you. ”


Boiler Room

3. Boiler Room

“I read this article a while back that said that Microsoft employs more millionaire secretaries than any other company in the world. They took stock options over Christmas bonuses. It was a good move. I remember there was this photograph of one of the groundskeepers next to his Ferrrari. Blew my mind. You see shit like that, and it just plants seeds, makes you think it’s possible, even easy. And then you turn on the TV, and there’s just more of it. The 87 million dollar lottery winner. That kid actor that just made $20 million on his last movie. That internet stock that shot through the roof. You could have made millions on it if you’d just got in early. And that’s exactly what I wanted to do: get in. I didn’t want to be an innovator. I just wanted to make the quick and easy buck. I just wanted in.”

“Now, you all look money hungry, and that’s good. Anybody tells you money is the root of all evil doesn’t fuckin’ have any. They say money can’t buy happiness? Look at the fuckin’ smile on my face. Ear to ear, baby. You want details? Fine. I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet. What’s up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you could possibly imagine. And best of all, kids, I am liquid.”


Pirates of Silicon Valley

4. Pirates of Silicon Valley

“This is amazing. Not just amazing, it’s historic. It should be taught in all the history books. Hung and framed in the National Gallery or something, because this is the instant of creation of one of the greatest fortunes in the history of the world. I mean, Bill Gates is the richest guy in the world because of what started in this room. And you wanna know what else? It wasn’t exactly smoke and mirrors, but we didn’t have anything! I mean, not a damn thing! Here we were, this two-bit little outfit, telling IBM we had the answer to their problems. The DOS? The Disk Operating System? To make all those zillion IBM computers compute? We didn’t remotely own anything like what Bill was selling them. Nada. Zip. ”


Glengarry Glen Ross

5. Glengarry Glen Ross

“A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing.”

“Put. That. Coffee. Down. Coffee is for closers.”

“That watch costs more than you car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see pal, that’s who I am, and you’re nothing. Nice guy? I don’t give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You wanna work here – close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can’t take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit? You don’t like it, leave.”

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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

Kenneth Younger October 17, 2008 at 10:37 am

“Thank you for Smoking” — tough to label it as a strict business movie (it is about a lobbyist), but main character Nick Naylor does demonstrate how to effectively SELL something (whether it be a product, or in his case, the idea that you should smoke).

Reply

Andy Brudtkuhl October 17, 2008 at 10:48 am

@Kenny – Great selection. I LOVE that movie…

“I don’t have an M.D. or Law degree. I have a bachelors in kicking ass and taking names.”

“Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk. Everyone has a talent.”

Reply

Kelly October 17, 2008 at 11:13 am

1. Empire Records
2. Office Space
3. Waitress
4. Secretary
5. Anchorman

Reply

Andy Brudtkuhl October 17, 2008 at 11:35 am

@Kelly – Great additions! I’ve never seen Waitress but I’ll definitely have to agree with Empire Records (love it) and Secretary!

Reply

Cory Garrison October 18, 2008 at 9:53 am

Andy,

Speaking of top 5, ould “High Fidelity” count as a work movie? If so, it’s definitely in my top 5.

Reply

Rush Nigut October 19, 2008 at 8:00 pm

Three to consider:

1. Citizen Kane
2. Jerry Maguire
3. Trading Places

Reply

Andy Brudtkuhl October 20, 2008 at 8:31 am

@Cory – I’d take High Fidelity… Great Movie!

@Rush – Great choices as well!

Reply

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