BA 101 Hildula: Home

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Below are the movies recommended for your BA 101 assignment. The PCC Library has some available to stream, other titles are available via DVD, and some other titles that we can get for you from our partner libraries (known as SUMMIT). Many of these titles are also available via streaming services you might subscribe to such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or other. Please contact me if you have questions.

Movies on DVD from the library

Office Space by Twentieth Century Fox presents a Mike Judge film ; produced by Michael Rotenberg, Daniel Rappaport ; written for the screen and directed by Mike Judge When white-collar peon Peter Gibbons decides he's had enough and neglects his job, he is quickly promoted to upper management.
The Merchant of Venice by presented by the British Broadcasting Corporation ; producer, Jonathan Miller ; director, Jack Gold Blending tragedy and comedy, this play presents contrasts and ambiguities, the complexities of which lie in the character Shylock, its captivating villain. Is he a villain, a buffoon, or tragic hero?
Citizen Kane by Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles ; direction-production, Orson Welles. Alone at his fantastic estate known as Xanadu, 70-year-old Charles Foster Kane dies, uttering only the single word Rosebud. So ends the odyssey of a life, and begins a fabulous tale of the rise to wealth and power, and ultimate fall, of a complex man.
It's a Wonderful Life by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Frank Capra ; additional scenes by Jo Swerling ; produced and directed by Frank Capra. George Bailey is not having a good day. His life in the sleepy little town of Bedford Falls has been thrown off track, perhaps never to recover, leading him to a bridge and serious contemplation of suicide. It's up to an angel named Clarence to convince George that his life has been one of worth and that it's still worth living. After taking a long look at George's life, the angel offers a portrait of what life in Bedford Falls would be like if George had never been born.
Enron : the Smartest Guys in the Room by written and directed by Alex Gibney Chronicles the rise of Enron Corporation and its disintegration following scandal. Examines the morality of corporate philosophy. Focuses on key Enron executives Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, and Andy Fastow.
The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola ; screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, director ; produced by Albert S. Ruddy. It is the late 1940s in New York and "Don" Vito Corleone is the head of a powerful Mafia "family." His youngest son Michael had defied Vito by enlisting in the Marines to fight in World War II. Michael has returned with no intention of continuing the family business, but after several assassination attempts on his father's life, Michael wants revenge on the men responsible. He is groomed as the new don, leading the family to a new era of prosperity, then launching a campaign of murderous revenge against those who once tried to wipe out his family.
Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet ; produced by Jerry Tokofsky and Stanley R. Zupnik A powerful story of desperation and betrayal set in the world of real estate. Times are tough in a New York real-estate office; the salesmen (Shelley Levene, Ricky Roma, Dave Moss, and George Aaronow) are given a strong incentive by Blake to succeed in a sales contest. The prizes? First prize is a Cadillac Eldorado, second prize is a set of steak knives, third prize is the sack! There is no room for losers in this dramatically masculine world; only "closers" will get the good sales leads. There is a lot of pressure to succeed, so a robbery is committed which has unforeseen consequences for all the characters.
Erin Brockovich by Susannah Grant ; directed by Steven Soderbergh Erin Brockovich is a feisty young mother who convinces attorney Ed Masry to hire her and promptly stumbles upon a law case against a giant corporation for water pollution. Erin's determined to take on this powerful adversary even though no law firm has dared to do it before. The two begin a legal fight that will bring a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees.
The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin, directed by David Fincher On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history, but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.
Up In the Air by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner ; directed by Jason Reitman Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert who flies all over the world on business. Just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles, and meeting the frequent traveler woman of his dreams, his company grounds him. When Bingham goes on his last cross country firing expedition, he will learn that life isn't about the journey, but about the connections made along the way.
The Big Short by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay; directed by Adam McKay The financial meltdown from the perspective of a number of players: Michael Burry, a bizarre autistic-like stock-picking genius, and the first to realize that the market's housing boom is based on a "house of cards" sham; Mark Baum, self-loathing fictional character whose firm picks up insider trading information from a wrong number phone call; Jared Vennet, a smart-aleck broker who confirms the ominous suspicion; and Charlie Gellar and Jamie Shipley, small-time players who hit it big.
Catch Me If You Can by Steven Spielberg, director Follow Frank W. Abagnale, Jr. as he successfully passes himself of as a pilot, a lawyer and a doctor - all before his 21st birthday!
Lord of War by Andrew Niccol Chronicles the rise and fall of Yuri Orlov, from his early days in the early 1980s in Little Odessa to selling guns to mobsters in his local neighbourhood, and through to his ascension through the decade of excess and indulgence into the early 90s
The Devil Wears Prada by Aline Brosh McKenna ; directed by David Frankel Miranda is the editor of "Runway" magazine. She is a terror to everyone who is around. Her first assistant strives to please her, but can't quite pull it off. Enter Andy, a young woman who knows nothing of the fashion industry and has never read the magazine. Nonetheless, Miranda, hires her as a second assistant. When Miranda demands that she obtain the next unpublished Harry Potter manuscript, it forces Andy to dig it up in order to please her boss. With the help of one of the magazine's fashion editors, she gets a complete makeover and a new security. As she is whisked away to Paris with Miranda, Andy faces all of the glamor that could be hers and is forced to make the decision of where she wants to be in her life.
Thank You For Smoking by Jason Reitman A charismatic spin-doctor for Big Tobacco struggles with the twin demands of being successful at his job and acting as a good role model for his son.
Tucker: A Man and His Dream by Arnold Schulman and David Seidler ; directed by Francis Ford Coppola Tucker is an engineer and showman who has a vision of the car of the future. Against formidable odds he raises the money and builds a fleet of them, only to have his factory shut down by Detroit's Big Three auto manufacturers.
Boiler Room by Ben Younger When a street smart young man is recruited into a hot, new, aggressive stock brokerage, it seems like a dream come through. But the dream goes very sour very quickly.
Julie and Julia by Nora Ephron Julie Powell is a frustrated insurance worker who wants to be a writer. Trying to find a challenge in her life, she decides to cook her way through Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' in one year, and to blog about it. As Julie begins to find her groove as a cook, and her voice as a writer, the project takes on a life of its own. The project provides the struggling young woman with her life's purpose, to her very pleasant surprise. Julia Child has an amazing love affair with her dashing husband, Paul, all while embracing life and French food. Julie lovingly celebrates the life of one of American food's most influential and beloved figureheads.
Margin Call by J.C. Chandor Set in the high-stakes world of Wall Street, Margin Call is an entangling thriller involving the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. When an entry-level analyst unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster.
The Intern by Nancy Meyers Ben Whittaker is a 70-year-old widower who has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site.
Wall Street : money never sleeps by Allan Loeb and Stephen Schiff ; directed by Oliver Stone Following a lengthy prison term, Gordon Gekko finds himself on the outside looking in at a world he once commanded. Hoping to repair his relationship with his daughter, Winnie, Gekko forges an alliance with her fiancé, Jake. But Winnie and Jake learn the hard way that Gekko is still a master manipulator who will stop at nothing to reclaim his rightful place at the top of Wall Street.
The Insider by Eric Roth; directed by Michael Mann When former executive Jeffrey Wigand is fired by his employer, one of the largest tobacco companies in America, Wigand agrees to become a paid consultant for a story by veteran 60 minutes producer Lowell Bergman, regarding alleged unethical practices within the tobacco industry. But what begins as a temporary alliance leads to a lengthy battle for both men to save their reputations and more.
Barbarians at the Gate by Larry Gelbart ; directed by Glenn Jordan The 80's ... It was a time when everybody was making the big bucks. When F. Ross Johnson decides to buy out the Nabisco shareholders and take over his company, no one is prepared for what hits the fan. What follows is a down-to-the-wire battle to see who's really king of the Wall Street jungle.
The Company Men by John Wells Bobby Walker is living the proverbial American dream: great job, beautiful family, shiny Porsche in the garage. When corporate downsizing leaves him and co-workers Phil Woodward and Gene McClary jobless, the three men are forced to re-define their lives as men, husbands, and fathers. Bobby soon finds himself enduring enthusiastic life coaching, a job building houses for his brother-in-law that does not play to his executive skill set, and perhaps there is more to life.
Joy by David O. Russell A wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, pave the road in this intense emotional and human comedy about becoming a true boss of family and enterprise facing a world of unforgiving commerce.

Streaming movies from the library

Informant by directed by Jamie Meltzer ; producers, George M. Rush, Stephen Bannatyne Informant is a fascinating portrait of Brandon Darby, a radical left-wing activist turned FBI informant. In 2005, Darby became an overnight hero when he traveled to Katrina-devastated New Orleans and braved toxic floodwaters to rescue a stranded friend. Soon after, he co-founded Common Ground, a successful grassroots relief organization. But over the next few years, he began hiding a shocking secret. After two young protestors were arrested at the 2008 Republican National Convention, Darby revealed he had been instrumental in their indictment as an FBI informant. Today, having renounced his left-wing past, he is a tea-party darling who writes regularly for the right-leaning website Breitbart.com. The only film with access to Darby since his public confession, Informant meticulously constructs a picture of his life - before and after the many death threats he has received - through interviews and tense reenactments starring Darby himself. Darby's version of events is accompanied - and often contradicted - by acquaintances and expert commentators, posing complicated questions about trust and the nature of reality. As David Hanners of St. Paul Pioneer Press suggests, "When you interview people about Brandon Darby, you realize that everyone has a different idea of who he is." In addition to trying to unlock the mystery of Brandon Darby, Informant offers a powerful insider look at the hidden use of informants in contemporary America - an especially timely issue in light of the recent leaks about government surveillance.
The Merchant of Venice by directed by Trevor Nunn, with Henry Goodman as Shylock. The BBC presentation of the acclaimed Royal National Theatre production, directed by Trevor Nunn, adapted for television. A multi-award winner set in the 1930s with a Berlin film noir look, the production nonetheless preserves every one of Shakespeare's words.
Citizen Kane by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles ; directed by Orson Welles. Flashbacks tell the tale of a multimillionaire newspaper magnate's complex life, career and relationships.

Available through streaming service only (Netflix or other)

FYRE: the Greatest Party That Never Happened by Chris Smith The Fyre Festival was billed as a luxury music experience on a posh private island, but it failed spectacularly in the hands of a cocky entrepreneur. An exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival.
Baby Boom by Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer J.C. Wiatt is a New York City businesswoman who is married to her job and has a relationship with Steven, a successful investment broker. J.C.'s life takes an unexpected turn when a relative suddenly dies and makes her the caretaker of a baby girl
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker by Nicole Asher An African American washerwoman rises from poverty to build a beauty empire and become the first female self-made millionaire. Based on a true story.

DVDs to order through Summit

Norma Rae by Martin Ritt ; screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, Jr. Norma Rae, a textile worker in a small Southern town, discovers that she has a social conscience when a labor organizer arrives at her mill to establish a union.
Catch Me If You Can by Jeff Nathanson ; directed by Steven Spielberg Based on the autobiography of a brilliant young master of deception and the FBI agent hot on his trail. Frank W. Abagnale, Jr. passed himself off as a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor all before his 21st birthday.
The Lord of War by Andrew Niccol Chronicles the rise and fall of Yuri Orlov, from his early days in the early 1980s in Little Odessa to selling guns to mobsters in his local neighbourhood, and through to his ascension through the decade of excess and indulgence into the early 90s
The Devil Wears Prada by Aline Brosh McKenna ; directed by David Frankel Miranda is the editor of "Runway" magazine. She is a terror to everyone who is around. Her first assistant strives to please her, but can't quite pull it off. Enter Andy, a young woman who knows nothing of the fashion industry and has never read the magazine. Nonetheless, Miranda, hires her as a second assistant.
Thank You For Smoking by Jason Reitman Nick Naylor is a sexy, smart and charismatic spin-doctor for Big Tobacco who will fight to protect American's right to smoke. At the same time he is trying to maintain the idea of a perfect role model for his 12-year-old son. When Nick incurs the wrath of a senator bent on snuffing out cigarettes, Nick's powers of "filtering the truth" will be put to the test.
Tucker: A Man and His Dream by Arnold Schulman and David Seidler Tucker is an engineer and showman who has a vision of the car of the future. Against formidable odds he raises the money and builds a fleet of them, only to have his factory shut down by Detroit's Big Three auto manufacturers.
The Founder by Robert Siegel ; directed by John Lee Hancock Tells the true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.
Big Night by Stanley Tucci & Joseph Tropiano ; directed by Stanley Tucci & Campbell Scott The story of two brothers whose Italian restaurant is on the brink of bankruptcy. Their only chance for success is to risk everything they own on an extravagant feast for bandleader Louis Prima. But their big night is complicated by a lovers' triangle, a sneaky restaurant rival, and the perfectionist tendencies of chef Primo.
Beauty Shot by Kate Lanier and Norman Vance, Jr. ; story by Elizabeth Hunter ; directed by Bille Woodruff Gina Norris is in Atlanta making a name for herself at a posh Southern salon with her cutting-edge hairstyles. But when her flamboyant, egotistical boss takes it one criticism too far, she leaves his salon to open a shop of her own.
Boiler Room by Ben Younger Seth runs a small-time casino operation out of his apartment. With his streetwise business smarts, he's recruited to join the city's newest and hottest stock brokerage firm, and quickly takes to his new job's instant riches and fast-life pleasures. When he wins the eye and heart of Greg's ex-girlfriend, everything seems too good to be true.
The Intern by Nancy Meyers Ben Whittaker is a 70-year-old widower who has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin
Chef by Jon Favreau A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.