Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

The original Wall Street movie released in 1987 and follows an impetuous young trader who is eager to hit it big fast. How does that same attitude contribute to the characters actions in the sequel? Is greed still a motivation?

One of the characters in the movie accuses the media of selling fear. Do you agree with this assessment? Why do some news programmers adhere to the quip, “if it bleeds, it leads?” How do panic and rumors impact the market in this movie? What do the brokers tell their investors?

Jacob believes that everyone has a certain amount of money that, if acquired, would make them content to focus on their family, philanthropy and other good things in life rather than seeking more dollars. Does that seem to apply to any of the characters in this film? Do you have a number that would satisfy you? Why do needs and wants often seem to grow in proportion to a person’s income?