8/3/2019 30 Must See Movies

1/6

30 Must See Movies for B-School Students1) Gung Ho | 1986Starring: Michael Keaton, Gedde Watanabe, George WendtJoseph Thomas: This movie was made when Japan was showing the world how to make better

products. The movie is about the clash and eventual reconciliation of cultures. Both cultures

are overdrawn a bit, but the movie is thoughtful.

2) Norma Rae | 1979

Starring: Sally Field, Beau BridgesJames W. Dean Jr.: Leadership doesn't just come from the top. Norman Rae is a single mother

whodespite great personal riskfights to unionize her textile mill to improve terrible

working conditions

3) Patton | 1970Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young.Robert F. Bruner:A profile of the most aggressive American general in World War II. This movie

prompts deep reflections on the emotional intelligence that must underpin true leaders

4) Moonstruck | 1987Starring: Cher, Nicolas CagePaul Danos: The character Cosmo Castorini has the "hard sell" down pat, saying to a naive

young couple:

"There are three kinds of pipe. There's what you have, which is garbageand you can see

where that's gotten you. There's bronze, which is pretty good, unless something goes

wrong"

8/3/2019 30 Must See Movies

2/6

5 ) Herb and Dorothy | 2008Starring: Herb, Dorothy Vogel

Judy Olian: The beauty of maniacal focus: how a couple of modest means amassed one of thegreat modern art collections in America

6 ) The Secret of My Success | 1987Starring : Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, Richard JordanBob Dammon:A great comedy about a young Midwesterner (Michael J. Fox) traveling to the big

city to begin his corporate career

7) Something Ventured | 2011Starring: Bill Bowes, Herbert BoyerRich Lyons: It's about the history of the VC industry and Silicon Valley.It did a fine job of communicating what the founding actors of VC are really like. One gets the

feeling that if this hadn't been captured like this today, it might never have been captured in

this first-person way

8 ) Man in the Gray Flannel Suit | 1956Starring: Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones9) Repo Man | 1984Starring: Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez, Tracey WalterThomas W. Gilligan: Determined professionals relentlessly pursue legitimate commercial

objectives in a morally and technologically ambiguous world.

10) Inside Job | 2010Starring: Matt Damon, William Ackman, Daniel Alpert

8/3/2019 30 Must See Movies

3/6

Judy Olian:A post-mortem of the most significant global economic crisis in decades, pointing toshared culpability across many institutions, government and organizations

11) Trading Places | 1983Starring: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph BellamyBob Dammon:A humorous story of greed, deception and redemption. It is always great when

the good guys win

12) The Wizard of Oz | 1939Starring: Judy Garland, Frank MorganJames W. Dean Jr.: This famous classic showcases Industrial Age perfection in the Emerald

City

13) House of Strangers | 1949Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Susan Hayward, Richard ContePaul Danos: House of Strangers shows how microfinance worked in the ghettos of New York in

the 1920s and '30s. The Gino Monetti character's banking success is based on lending

money to neighborhood people with just a handshake, but that kind of "collateral" does not

pass muster with the new breed of bank regulators

14) Animal House | 1978Starring : John Belushi, Karen Allen, Tom HulceThomas W. Gilligan: One of the best documentaries ever made on how to structure

management training and leadership-immersion programs

15 The Social Network | 2010Judy Olian:A must-see primer on how the millennials think, invent, and connectand how

bumpy the ride can be from rags to riches

8/3/2019 30 Must See Movies

4/6

16) The Godfather | 1970Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan

Paul Danos: Michael Corleone, in ordering execution for a top lieutenant's switching loyaltysays, "Tessio was smarter," indicating that it did not surprise him that Tessio would be the

first to switch allegiance to a new leader when the old leader was past his prime

17) Wall Street | 1987Starring: Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, and Tamara TunieBob Dammon: For me, the story is about a character (Charlie Sheen) who is torn between the

moral and ethical upbringing he received from his father (Martin Sheen) and the allure of

wealth and power as embodied by Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas)

18) 12 Angry Men | 1957Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, and Martin BalsamJoseph Thomas: This is not really a business book, but it is a wonderful depiction of group

decision making, consensus-building, and persuasion, all crucial in business. For years, this

movie was utilized in one of our courses at Johnson

19) Up in the Air | 2009Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, & Anna KendrickJudy Olian: Reminds all leaders that organizationsno matter how complex or technologically

advancedare about people, not "thingss"

20) Tunes of Glory | 1960Starring:Alec Guinness, John Mills

8/3/2019 30 Must See Movies

5/6

Robert F. Bruner: How does a leader "take charge?" This movie raises a host of lessons aboutleading. It also offers rich insights about the psychology of managerial bullies. Dramatic

kudos to Alec Guinness, who plays the bully

21) Barbarians at the Gate | 1993Starring: James Garner, Jonathan Pryce, Peter Riegert22) Risky Business | 1983Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano23) Citizen Kane | 1941Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy ComingorePaul Danos: The office party scene has dancing girls and bands and ends with "The Charlie

Kane Song," where the new leader is not only lampooned, but CEO Kane himself joins in

the chorus and shows a different side of himself to the troops

24) It's a Wonderful Life | 1946

Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel BarrymoreJoseph Thomas: The small Savings and Loan officer, George Bailey, lambastes the money

bags character, Mr. Potter, with... my father didn't think so. People were human beings to

him

25) Other People's Money | 1991Starring: Danny DeVito, Gregory Peck, Penelope Ann Miller26) A Small Act | 2010Starring: Chris Mburu, Hilde Back27) A Christmas Carol | 1984

8/3/2019 30 Must See Movies

6/6

Starring: George C. Scott, Frank FinlayJames W. Dean Jr.: The film addresses the most fundamental question of what business is

about. Is it simply profits or some broader purpose? As Marley answers the question:

"Mankind was my business! Their common welfare was my business!"

28) Working Girl | 1988Starring: Melanie, Griffith, Harrison Ford

29) Invictus | 2009

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge

30) Too Big to Fail | 2011Starring: James Wood, John Heard