Ricardo Daly
The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.
Kinley
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Geraldine
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
D' Francis
Born Rich was made in 2003, long before the fascination of rich people and dialogue on income inequality even began. This film is sure to bring up political controversy, but I don't even view it in a political sense: rather a human one. In the wide cast of wealthy heirs (of beautiful girls and awkward looking guys from New York City) interviewed, you get a different spectrum. All of them were spoiled rotten but some of them are respectful and others are arrogant and disdainful. Luke "I can buy your family" Weil is the obvious villain.It turns out that most of them didn't even know they were rich until they turned 18, as money was a subject their parents were reluctant to talk about. Does money buy happiness? I guess you'll find out. But like Ivanka Trump said, wealthy people are still people and they - while having an easier life - feel pain just like everyone else. Jamie's directing skills in his debut aren't anything special and it sometimes looks like a homemade film. But the content itself is good and that's what matters.
osm5
I liked this a lot, and I was prepared not to,Sure, he had unusual access to heirs and heiresses because he is one himself, but why the heck not? Use whatcha got. Grow where you're planted.Sue me, but I love hearing rich folks tell their stories. I thought the film was well put together. Not just the interviews, which were insightful, but the post work with old photos of the founding fathers and a sensible timeline. I like the "when did you first realize you were rich" segment, that progressed to issues like marriage and prenups.The whole film was well produced and edited, well photographed and very interesting. We ended up discussing it a lot afterward. My favorite takeaway, the director's father, "why would you work if you didn't have to?"One of us said, "I think they were trying to say it was hard not having something to strive for." But my husband and I heard something different, that they were grateful for having their life taken care of, the basics of survival at any rate, and were dealing with other issues like loneliness, which hadn't occurred to me, that this is really a small club.I'm fascinated by the fact that Jamie's father is an artist and I'm trying to find his art. A scene featured a painting over the fireplace that might have been his, but the studio scene made it clear that the father did not want his art on this film. I liked the painting I saw, and it made me curious about his paintings. If anyone knows where I can see his art, please email osm5@fastmail.fm thanks.
jmvo
I heard about this movie and have been wanting to see it for quite a while. I actually date someone who, as he puts it, is a member of 'the lucky sperm club'. He is dating outside of his social class - don't tell the rest of them! This is a very revealing and true to life account. The stories I hear about these families and their 'lucky' offspring are unbelievable. First hand I can tell you that these kids are searching for meaning and purpose almost more than the rest of us are. Many of them struggle with having that much money and how to be responsible with it. Also, many of them were raised by nannies and sent to boarding school and crave a connection with their parents who never had time for them. They don't know how to trust or love someone. Money doesn't replace any of that. Mock them, feel sorry for them, envy them - whatever you want.....but they are real people. And some of them are quietly going about living meaningful, productive lives. But don't tell anyone they are dating outside of their social class!
hexepatty
I saw the film last night, as it is featured for March (2005) on HBO On Demand. I'm so pleased I watched it. Mr. Johnson satisfied my morbid curiosity and fascination with the heirs to great wealth. Nothing shocked or surprised me frankly.I was bored w/ the Euro-Trash Toy Boys... (Cody - from another universe. I mean, come on: time should Pretty Much be spent on Cultivating one's self if found fortunate enough to be born into privilege? And that Viscount/Baron from Germany. He was another pill.) Luke Weil, well enough has been said on him that I should not waste a keystroke more on him. He makes his own case for why folks are disgusted by the idle heirs of fortunes.I was sad for the Whitney/Vanderbilt kid (Hornblower??). He looks like a tragic, scarred young man. I suspect he probably would have been that way whether rich or poor.My favorites were Johnson himself, Ivanka Trump and the Newhouse young man. These three make no pretenses to be anything but themselves: young folks with big bank and huge legacies to live up to or shoulder the burden of. I trust them to make something of their lives that will do something for others, even if it is limited in scope with how it will impact others.But overall? I'm glad they all stick to the same gene pool. Best to keep them separated...Great documentary. Hope he makes more! Hope he doesn't listen to his Dad who recommended he collect historic documents for a living?!?!
