17 Sep 2025 Money Lessons in Film
In the past, Beacon has had fun hosting a movie night at The Rialto Theater, conveniently located across the street from the Beacon house. Recently we have watched Back to the Future and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. After a brief hiatus due to theater renovations, we are excited to host another movie. On October 2nd, we will gather to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark together! Doors will open at 7pm and the movie will begin at 730pm. We hope you and your family will join us!
In light of this upcoming exciting event, I wanted to take a look at money lessons in film. The primary goal of movies is typically to entertain – that is the case for many of the favorites that we watch. However, if you pay attention, there are lessons that we can consider for our own lives, financial and not. Movies have the distinct ability to transport us into another world and feel as if we are participating in the action. While Raiders of the Lost Ark may not have as many lessons as the below movies, there certainly are a few takeaways you could have. Let us know what you think once you watch it with us!
The below movies are ones that we thought of in the Beacon office with a few money lessons.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
This inspiring true story of Chris Gardner highlights the importance of perseverance, sacrifice, and financial discipline. Struggling as a single father, Gardner endures homelessness while working toward a career in finance. The movie shows how careful budgeting, grit, and long-term focus can help overcome even the toughest financial setbacks.
Margin Call (2011)
A drama about the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. It takes place over 24 hours at a big investment bank, where a junior analyst discovers that the company is holding risky investments that could destroy it — and possibly the whole financial system.
The movie shows how top executives react: some try to save the company, others worry about their careers, and a few question the ethics of selling worthless assets to unsuspecting buyers.
It’s not heavy on financial jargon, and it helps viewers understand how greed, risk, and denial can lead to economic disaster. It’s a tense, thoughtful film about moral choices in a crisis.
A Christmas Carol (Various) / It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
While each of these could stand on their own, I combined the two movies that are great to view during the Christmas season. A Christmas Carol is the retelling of Charles Dickens’ 1843 story of the same name. It has been adapted many different times and most people likely have their favorite version. The 1951 version starring Alastair Sim is considered the most faithful adaptation. The Muppet Christmas Carol is a fun take as well if you haven’t seen it. Any good version of this film will show you a wise financial message on wealth and generosity.
It’s a Wonderful Life is not only one of the best Christmas movies ever made, but one of the best movies period (it is currently #21 on the IMDB top rated list!). A keen observer may notice that a quote from this movie may be in a Beacon employee’s office. Similar to A Christmas Carol, this movie shows a distinct difference between greed and stewardship. Clarence offers many nuggets of wisdom throughout, including reminding George Bailey that “no man is a failure who has friends” or that “each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
While there are many more movies that have financial messages that we can learn from, these were a few of the ones we have enjoyed in the Beacon office. No matter what movie you are watching, think about the ways that you can learn from and grow from the messages in the movie. There are plenty of examples of good financial insights in movies, but also plenty more of bad financial insights to avoid (think: The Wolf of Wall Street)! Either way, we hope that you are able to enjoy the ones you choose to watch.
The content above is for informational and educational purposes only. The links and graphs are being provided as a convenience; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by Beacon Wealthcare, nor does Beacon guarantee the accuracy of the information.
