Many excellent movies have been made about entrepreneurs and the pioneering spirit they embody. These movies can encourage, exhilarate and, of course, entertain us.
For all the aspiring entrepreneurs out there who are looking for some movie inspiration while cozying up with some popcorn, here are the top 13 flicks about the entrepreneurial experience.
Wall Street
The iconic Wall Street centres on an ambitious young stockbroker, Bud Fox, and a charismatic and ruthless investor, Gordon Gekko. Fox, who is desperate to succeed, idolizes Gekko, who operates under the mantra “Greed is good.”
Fox becomes absorbed in the financier’s glamorous lifestyle, only to get entangled in a vicious web of insider trading. The film is a cautionary tale of how the pursuit of power can lead us down an unethical path. While it’s easy to be lured by greed, it’s never worth it to sell one’s integrity for the sake of money and ambition.
Based on a true story, Erin Brockovich follows a struggling single mother who finagles her way into a job as a file clerk for a law firm. She begins investigating a case that eventually leads to a class-action lawsuit against a multibillion-dollar company. Through the course of the investigation, she learns some hard truths and faces plenty of hurdles.
Against the odds, she helps to win the largest settlement ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit. Erin Brockovich embodies female empowerment and underscores the importance of being independent-minded and unafraid to stand up for what you believe. It can also be a great inspiration to female entrepreneurs who face a male-dominated corporate world.
Widely accepted as one of the best films ever made, The Godfather, at its core, is a story about a small family business growing into a large and powerful organization in New York, while fighting off the opposition.
The movie offers insight into what it takes to become one of the most influential and dynamic family businesses in the country. In the movie, Vito Corleone grants favors and helps people with their problems, highlighting the importance of relationships and building networks in any business. The Godfather will make you think about competitive strategies, alliances, mergers and business diversification.
JOY
In business, you must always be ready to fight battles on multiple fronts, and the more successful you are, the more others will want to tear you down and get a piece for themselves. These are among the many lessons behind this biographical film about New York native Joy Mangano, who went from single mother to millionaire in the 1990s.
She got her start by inventing the Miracle Mop, a self-wringing mop that required less effort to use than traditional mops. Joy details the ups and downs Mangano faced with her fledgeling business. The movie shows how belief in yourself, your product and your business are key if you’re going to survive and succeed.