Response to classmates.
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studentsresponse.docx1. Finance in Movies and TV/Excel for Finance
Joseph Doss posted Dec 3, 2017 8:53 PM
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Financial movies are great tools for understand the complexities of the subject. However, these movies can skew opinions on certain financial methods undertaken by corporate entities. Stash.com compiled a list of the 10 most influential movies about finance and Wall Street. I personally have not yet watched one of the movies listed. The Big Short, Wall Street and the Wolf of Wall Street were numbers 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
My perception of finance on Wall Street, after reading the short narratives provided on Stashinvest.com, is that the “money world” consists of individuals with one goal: make as much capital as possible regardless of repercussions or collateral damage inflicted. Movies hint and insinuate that problems depicted on the big screen are rampant and glorious. However this is not the realistic case, just the appearance.
Conflict always attracts attention and controversy, but in the movie business this type of attention sells tickets and appeals to the masses.
I look forward to carving out some time this weekend and sitting down to watch one of the movies listed on the aforementioned site. Any suggestions from the group would be welcomed and appreciated.
References:
Stash. (2017, July 3). 10 Best Movies about Finance & the Stock Market of All Time. Retrieved from https://learn.stashinvest.com/best-movies-wall-street-stock-market
2. Mod 1 Week 1 - Finance Movie of choice
Robert Allen posted Dec 2, 2017 7:33 PM
Having not watched a lot of movies lately for various reasons - I would say that my impression of the finance world has come from a few separate movies. There's "It's a Wonderful Life", "Trading Places", and "The Family Man" that come to my mind first. All display slightly separate yet similar portrayals of life in finance or investing and the trade-offs that are required in certain situations.
Trading Places displays a comedic approach to the situation of the societal poles of poverty to ridiculous wealth and the power that some have when it comes to money and life. While most of the movie is the "scene setter" - in the end when the two main characters find a way to get back at the Duke brothers - that is when you really get to see the volatility and somewhat unpredictable environment of the stock markets and futures. It's a contained and somewhat uncontrolled chaos in "the pit" and results in huge swings of money one way or the other.
It's a Wonderful Life and The Family Man have similar plots of money and success and what it takes to be successful - but that comes at a trade-off of pouring your entire self into that world and what you give up in the process. It's been a few years since I have watched either movie - but both have the realization moments of what life would be like if they weren't there in the thick of it. Nicholas Cage gets to experience what life would have been as a regular Joe and not a hotshot investment guy. He goes from living the single life thinking he has it all - to seeing what life would have been like had he not left his girl back in college. James Stewart gets a similar lesson of what life would be like if he had never been there. Both men come to a realization of what is truly important and identify things they want to change in their lives.
I say this all to say that my impression of the finance world is one that requires a lot of sacrifices and trade-offs. From a young age, I was a guy that wanted lots of kids and be home every night. I don't think I could hack it in the hustle and bustle of Wall Street; while I don't have 6 kids (we smartly stopped at 3) and being in the Navy doesn't always have me home every night - I like family and "off time" too much to try and trade all of that for money and stress. Life is too dang short - I don't need a million dollars to be happy, just enough to live on for the rest of my life starting 9 years and 10 months from now (cough cough...retirement - but who's counting. LOL). Don't get me wrong - we need people that are willing to do it (just like in the Navy we need people who want to go to Japan so I don't have to), I just know that I am not built for that and it does give me a bit of respect for those that do it.
3. Trading Places- Classic Eddie Murphy--Week 1!
Stephanie Wagner posted Nov 29, 2017 10:27 AM
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Trading Places is a classic, 1980's comedy starring Eddie Murphy. The main line of the movie is a bet between brokerage firm siblings regarding human character and nature vs. nurture. BUT the background of the movie portraits brokerage trading in orange futures. This was the first movie I can think of where I realized that finance and the market were a thing. My mom would watch this movie for the comedy, and I was trying to figure out how the two guys getting back at the brokerage owning brothers knew what way the futures were going to go (I didn't pay much attention to fine details as a child).
The movie also closed off a lot of my thoughts about Finance and Trading because that all that I thought it was. A bunch of guys in a room yelling out numbers to try to make a "trade" (whatever that was) to get more money. I was not aware of the other areas of Finance or the variety of functions it has in the corporate world.
