You'd
think it would be really hard to feel bad for a kid that's born into wealth, but
the insightful documentary Born Rich attempts to show that money isn't everything.
Making
this movie all the more intriguing is it's director, Jamie Johnson. He is one
of the young people that the film is essentially about. As one of the heirs of
the famed Johnson and Johnson company, Johnson tries to make sense out of what
it's like to be young and born into wealth.
As
the movie clearly states, there are certainly perks to being part of a wealthy
lifestyle, but there are also pressures, and Born Rich displays, quite candidly,
what it's like to have money.
Through
interviews with various wealthy young men and woman (who have last names like
Bloomberg and Trump), Johnson poses many questions about the pros and cons of
wealth, and even talks to his own father about such matters in front of the camera.
Born
Rich is extremely interesting, and while there are certainly egos and and holier
than thou attitudes on display in this picture, there are also those who are humble
and have the good sense to know that money can't buy you everything.
I
applaud Johnson for pursuing some kind of a creative outlet even though he certainly
has enough money to sit around and do nothing for the rest of his life. Hell,
he could have afforded to go out and make a big budget Jerry Bruckheimer style
flick, but he chose something far more intimate and informative.
I
thought going into this picture, that I might not be able to identify with it.
While I'm not wealthy, I have dreamt of wealth. After watching Born Rich, I can
honestly say that having money is something that definitely appeals to me, but
I'd much rather build a fortune from scratch, that way I always have a past to
keep me grounded. The subjects in Born Rich don't really have that luxury, and
while it's easy to say you don't feel sorry someone who has lot's of money, this
insightful documentary might change your opinion a little bit.
