Motivation and right attitude are very important for any entrepreneur! A well-chosen movie can inspire one to new achievements and show how to reach the goals. Specially for you, we have selected 10 films that are an absolute must for modern entrepreneurs! Grab your popcorn…
1. “Joy”, 2015
Directed by: David O. Russell
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper and others.
This is a film based on real events. In the center of the story – a housewife Joy Mangano, the inventor of a miracle mop with a self-squeezing function. She is a real start-upper of her time, because she builds a business around an idea that no one else believes in, overcoming financial difficulties, family troubles and betrayal, Joy does not stop believing in her entrepreneurial potential. This film teaches that every business idea must be tested not only by the world of commerce, but also by the circle of closest people. The main thing is to be ready for this!
2. “War Dogs”, 2016
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, Ana de Armas and others.
The story of two friends from Miami who managed to beat out a contract for $300 million in the Pentagon for the supply of weapons and military ammunition. The only problem is that they have never been engaged in this kind of business and, of course, their guns do not fire; bulletproof vests and helmets do not protect; and the shells have long expired. Why is it happening in such a way? It is simple: the goods are made in China and delivered by someone weird and it is not clear how. However, the most surprising thing is that this film is based on real events…
3. “Moneyball”, 2011
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman and others.
The movies about achievements in sports motivate no less than the stories of entrepreneurs and businessmen. The main character of the film – sports manager Billy Bean must create an effective baseball team, but the budget allocated to him is limited. As a result, Billy finds an unexpected way out: instead of buying expensive players, he decides to create a team of those who have only one strong side in the game, but it is much cheaper. His idea works, because he acts as a pioneer businessman and in a situation where there are not enough resources, he simply changes the rules.
4. “Tucker: the man and his dream”, 1988
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen, Martin Landau and others.
A very old film, which, at the same time, has not lost its relevance! The main idea of this picture is simple: if you follow your dream no matter what, you will achieve an outstanding result in any case. The main character of the film – the inventor Preston Tucker-changes the idea of what a car should be and tells his story. The film also shows us that the easiest way to find a great business idea is just to look at the familiar thing from a different angle. By the way, today many of Tucker’s inventions are still used in everyday life!
5. “The wolf of Wall Street”, 2013
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie and others.
You have probably already watched this movie with Leonardo DiCaprio in the main role! In general, it is difficult to find a person who has not watched this film. However, have you ever thought of what this film can teach aspiring entrepreneurs? Of course, this is a story about big ambitions and huge money that make people crazy, exposing their greed and selfishness. But at the same time, this film is about how important charisma and personal charm are for an entrepreneur. Jonathan Belford, whose memoirs this film is based on, admitted that it was largely due to this quality that he managed to get a foothold in the Forbes lists.
6. “Wall Street”, 1987
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah and others.
Another film from the distant 80’s, which, at the same time, has retained its relevance today. In the center of the film there is a young broker Bud Fox, who is confident that everything in this world has its own price and everything can be bought and sold. He is determined to become the best, and in order to achieve this, he finds the best mentor. As a result, Bud plunges into a world where only one law works: “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good».
7. “Jerry Maguire”, 1996
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Starring: Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, Cuba Gooding Jr. and others.
The main character of the film is going through hard times – he was fired and after that he came to the conclusion that he does not want to work for the company anymore. What should he do in this situation? Start his own business, even though sometimes Jerry doesn’t believe in success. He doesn’t know where to start, and former colleagues become enemies and trip him up. Watching the hero will be especially useful for a novice entrepreneur in order to learn: it is not easy in the very beginning, but it is worth it.
8. “The Intern”, 2015
Directed by: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo and others.
A very kind film that tells us two stories at once: the widower Ben Whitaker, who gets a job as an Intern at a clothing company on the Internet; and the entrepreneur Jules Austin, who founded the company from scratch and now finds herself in a situation when she does not see her child for months, loses her husband and stops believing in herself. This film reminds us that business can become a matter of a whole life, but it is not the whole life.
9. “A Hologram for the King”, 2016
Directed by: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tom Hanks, Omar Elba, Sarita Choudhury and others.
The hero of this film – entrepreneur Alan Clay – was able to fulfill a dream: he created his own business, bought a house, married a beautiful girl and raised a daughter. However, over the years, his life began to change and business problems appeared… as a result, Alan lost his family, home, car and was left with huge debts, plunged into a deep depression. The hero decides to get a grip and go to Saudi Arabia to sell his latest development to the reigning king, as this is his last chance to improve his life…
10. “Ford vs Ferrari”, 2019
Directed by: James Mangold
Starring: Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Caitriona Balfe and others.
The film is set in the mid-sixties of the last century. The main character is Carroll Shelby, an American automobile designer who was approached by Ford’s management. The autoconcern wants to create a completely new sports car that can compete with Ferrari cars and win the last victory on the race track. Many believe that this idea is impossible. But not Carroll. He is convinced that high-speed car is not enough to win races and one of the main components of winning is a first-class driver. Shelby finds such a person and convinces him to take part in the race to compete together for the victory…
BONUS: “The men who built America” (TV series), 2012
This series in the genre of mockumentary tells about the entrepreneurs who made America and the world what they are. The main idea of the series is that the biggest discoveries are always motivated not by a thirst for money, but by a desire to create something bigger and change the world.
Publication author
