It's always delightful to have the opportunity of doing something useful and pleasant at the same time, particularly when it comes to the educational aspects that require time, effort and dedication. As part of the maib edu project, we aim to bring financial education closer to people of all ages by making it simple, easy and interesting.
Thus, we have prepared three films regarding subject matter, film genre and message, which teach important lessons about money management and the ethical and psychological aspects behind financial decisions.
The Money Pit (1986)
The Money Pit is a romantic comedy that intertwines love and financial hardship, starring Tom Hanks and Shelly Long as the lead characters. The film follows a cute couple who buy a crumbling mansion at a discount after losing their Manhattan apartment. Before long, the youngsters realise that renovation expenses are getting out of hand and are having difficulty coping with the cost and prioritising the necessary work.
The film is created in the style of the 1980s, with specific humour and imagery in keeping with the trends of the time, which gives it a unique charm. The Money Pit tells a story that is quite typical and familiar to the audience, which aims to draw the audience's attention to the impotence of calculated financial decisions. The film teaches us to consider future expenses when investing, plan our budget correctly, and remember that unpredictable situations can always occur. Although the film's description gives the impression that its main storyline is about financial matters, the comedy is light and uninsistent, giving viewers plenty of room for interpretation and their own conclusions.
Margin Call (2011)
Margin Call is a 2011 movie about the 2008 global financial crisis. Margin Call follows a group of key people in an investment bank who meet in a meeting 24 hours before the crisis begins. The officials had a long night of revelations that showed up a harsh view of each pursued greed and self-interest, leading to the market crash.
The film traces how people take advantage of a flawed and unethical system and shows how a culture dedicated to money leads to financial and personal loss. Margin Call urges the audience to learn from the mistakes made by big companies that dictate the market, which can also be considered in more minor and seemingly insignificant financial decisions.
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
Rebecca Bloomwood is a budding fashion journalist living and working in the famous and modern New York City. With a passion for the fashion world and an impeccable aesthetic taste, the young woman becomes addicted to shopping and accumulates a substantial financial debt.
In an attempt to get out of debt, Rebecca enters a contest for a magazine advice section and ends up going through several adventures full of life lessons. Confessions of a Shopaholic is a light romantic comedy that tackles materialism, financial literacy and the psychological factor behind financial decisions. Those of us who follow the content published on maib edu are already aware that Rebecca does shop compulsively and can imagine the potential cause of her behaviour. If you missed the compulsive shopping piece, you could read it here: Compulsive shopping and financial education | maib.
Another interesting aspect that the film touches on is the behaviour of the easily influenced consumer and the expectation that new things will make their lives happier, even when they can't afford them. At the same time, Confessions of a Shopaholic shows without filters the feeling of instant regret after compulsive shopping, tracing the whole cycle of this problematic behaviour.
What movies deal with financial topics that have made an impression on you?
