Born Rich

This one is for Rachel who convinced me to Netflick the movie Born Rich. It is a documentary by the heir to the Johnson and Johnson fortune. Basically, this kid interviews all of his insanely rich friends and puts it together to let all of us lay-people get a glimpse of what it is like to not need or want for anything. Well, at least that's what I think he wants to do. I don't agree with other critics that say he was setting out to make you feel sorry for the uber rich, but I do agree with those that still don't feel sorry for them! I apologize for the lack of names in the following comments, but honestly, these people aren't that important to look up.

Something I did not consider until this film was the concept of "uber" rich. We're not talking about people that are destined to sit behind a desk and pretend to do a job and collect a paycheck. These kids don't even have to do that. The money is there and they will get it, at their parent's discretion. Some of them have to do "something" with their life, others are in school, some shop (one of the girls was hilarious about this), and ALL of them party.

The best thing about this film is what the "actors" got out of it. The movie is probably better than I will give it credit for because Johnson made his friends look at their lives and talk about it. Good for him. One of the guys tried to sue him to get his part out of the movie, but lost. He was one that came off as a spoiled, snobby, show-off, better-than-the-poor-kid kid. The most insightful comment I remember was from Ivana Trump. She thought it was interesting that people cared about her and what she did when it was her father that was rich. Can a rich kid actually think about someone other than herself? Good for her.

I came away with the knowledge that kids are products of their parents. We all know this, rich or poor. This Jamie Johnson's father is a decent guy, and so is he. He didn't even know he was rich until he was in the 4th grade. His class was in the library and a kid in his class found an article in Time mag about the 400 richest families. I think Johnson is really just trying to decide what to do with his life and decided to make a few movies. Another kid, Hornblower, is an heir to the Vanderbilt fortune and was VERY down to earth, and completely likeable. He rides on the Subway everywhere and laughs about the time he first took his mom on it. His great-great-great...somebody designed, built, and ran Grand Central Station. But, like he points out, "it's not like I make money from it." And, as much as I completely hate Donald Trump, his daughter is very articulate, seems nice, and did not have that big rich chip balancing on her shoulder. On the other hand, those with chips were pathetic. One girl was trying not to live in her big sister's shadow (oh, you poor girl), and I hope this S.I. guy gets a really good shrink that can make him feel better about how detached his father was/is. Do I even mention the 2 "aristocrats" from Europe? I better not...aside from their fabulously dreamy accents, they belong in the trash. You saw The Man in the Iron Mask? It's the King all over again. Any thing, any woman, any way you want it.