ERE movies

JohnnyH · Post by **JohnnyH** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 1:58 am

Well, I'm thinkin' about grabbin' a six pack and watching a movie to recovery from the soul crushing 9-5...
I was thinking about some good ERE movies:
*Pursuit of Happyness: fantastic financial movie, all about DRIVE.
*Blood Diamond: the costs of mindless, programmed consumerism.
*Office Space: Why we all want to retire. Hilarious and insightful... Poor Peter just needed a plan and discipline.
*Idiocracy: more great Mike Judge. Again, commentary on consumerism... He must have went too far on this one as Fox tried to bury it.
... can you think of any other good, relevant movies?

NYC ERE · Post by **NYC ERE** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:02 am

Harold and Maude--check out her sweet trolley car house!

Post by **jacob** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:14 am

The Matrix - makes for a very nice analogy. Similar to Plato's cave.
Fightclub - for its anticonsumerist message.
The Office (US version) - for the character study.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:16 am

"Into the Wild" not funny, but great.
"Garbage Warrior", documentary
"Cable guy" ok, not very relevant, but hilarious and he might have lived in that van:)
"The Swiss Family Robinson"
That's good, I could go too long about movies.

HSpencer · Post by **HSpencer** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:23 am

@ JohnnyH and Jacob
Now I have an idea!!
First the book---the ERE book your working on.
Next: (tada) ERE- THE MOVIE!! (or at least documentary)?

Steve Austin · Post by **Steve Austin** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:31 am

ERE Movie, Scene 1:
"Kettlebells and Push Mowers...at the same time."

Post by **jacob** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:36 am

You could always just watch the "No Impact Man" movie. It's particularly interesting for those with spousal barriers. First the partner is resisting but goes along, but later she takes ownership as the projects "surprisingly" makes them better off.

KevinW · Post by **KevinW** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:24 am

Home Movie (2001 documentary)

WALL-E

Metropolis
Movies with postconsumer protagonists:

Star Wars (Jedi)

Star Trek

most Westerns

most kung fu movies

Marius · Post by **Marius** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:07 am

American Beauty (rejecting wage slavery and "success", figuring out what you really want to do)

Best line: "Look at me, jerking off in the shower — this will be the high point of my day. It's all downhill from here."
About Schmidt (moving on after a meaningless life/career, regret, retirement, priorities)

Best line: "Who is this old woman who lives in my house?"

RobBennett · Post by **RobBennett** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:45 am

1) Lost in America -- A couple has enough money to escape the rat race but they decide to spend the first night of their new freedom celebrating in Las Vegas. The wife loses the entire nest egg. The husband argues that she should no longer be permitted to use the words "nest" and "egg" together in the same sentence. Then he goes to the rural area they were headed to and asks for a job. They ask how much he made in his last job (in advertising). He says "100,000." They say, "Sorry, there's nothing in the $100,000 job box right at this particular moment."
2) The Graduate -- I think of this as a movie about consumerism vs. idealism.
3) The Big Chill -- I think of this as a sequel to The Graduate that tells how the battle turns out for most.
Rob

George the original one · Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:44 pm

"Mon oncle d'Amerique" - includes the many repeating patterns of modern life with references to how we're hardwired into our responses. Worth it just to see Gerard Depardieu act out his character's life while wearing a mouse suit

JohnnyH · Post by **JohnnyH** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:57 pm

Looks good George, thanks... Another ER related with Depardieu is "Jean de Florette." About a bureaucrat that takes big risks in order to retire... Really good movie.

aquadump · Post by **aquadump** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:45 pm

Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance.
A great movie to watch if you get side tracked thinking that that one item will make life so much better.

NYC ERE · Post by **NYC ERE** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 7:58 pm

"Mon Oncle" by Jacques Tati is a great satire of consumerism and technology obsession too.

Kevin M · Post by **Kevin M** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:28 pm

American Beauty has long been one of my favorites. And Fight Club, Office Space. I really want to watch Idiocracy.

aquadump · Post by **aquadump** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:33 pm

Office Space transformed into a horror movie for me. My name is Peter and my current boss is a spitting image of Lumberg, coffee mug and all. . .
Although not necessarily ERE, The World's Fastest Indian and Saint Ralph are two movies that motivate me. I second the Harold and Maude recommendation, too.

JohnnyH · Post by **JohnnyH** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 9:39 pm

World's Fastest Indian, very good... Shows how limited resources can be stretched to do amazing things.

AlexOliver · Post by **AlexOliver** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 10:31 pm

Revolutionary Road.

Frugal Vegan Mom · Post by **Frugal Vegan Mom** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 10:50 pm

The Office, Matrix, and Fight Club are all amongst my favorites.
I saw No Impact Man, but didn't love it. It's worth watching, but I forget exactly what rubbed me the wrong way, it was awhile ago.
There was one though I found on Netflix and loved - it was about a guy who started building eco-houses out of tires and recycled materials and wanted to start this community in...AZ?...somewhere out there....and was all about his long journey to start this community and the government obstacles he ran into. I'm sorry I can't remember the name, I'll have to search for it later but am about to leave the office now!
K
http://www.frugalveganmom.wordpress.com

Post by **jacob** » Thu Aug 26, 2010 11:34 pm

@Frugal Vegan Mom - Earthships?
I think the dissonant (I detected it too) problem with the No Impact Man project was that it was a project that was abruptly started (or at least that's what it appeared to be). Like; let's do all these things at once even though we have no experience. This also caused some relationship tension, since his wife didn't entirely seem to be on board from the get-go.
I think it would have helped a lot to wait several years and then do the movie.