Born Rich

The documentary Born Rich is an interesting analysis of how people are born into money. In this time of economic crisis, as many of us struggle to pay our bills on a regular basis, it is both interesting and maddening to hear about the problems of the super rich. There are certainly moments in this film where you realize that the absurd society in which these kids were born into has transformed them as they aged, and you feel bad for them.

They start out so innocent as they describe their childhoods, unaware of the massive wall that the upper class has built around them. And as they mature and grow into adulthood the money twists them and burns away all true moral value. And by the end of the film they are portrayed as snotty brats who complain that it's hard for them not to walk into a boutique in Hollywood and buy a $700 handbag. Or how the first two things they think of when entertaining the thought of marriage are: prenuptial agreement and divorce. Oh the challenges we face in life. It all makes for a sickening experience.

And the way they cling to their entitlement is quite interesting as well. One character in the film discusses going to college so that he can make something of himself. He talks about the day that he can rub his parents faces in the fact that he did something on his own and made something of himself. Which would mean something if he weren't attending an ivy- league school on his parents dime. The whole film reeks of self-gratifying posturing that these rich elitists immerse themselves in day after day. It is an interesting film however if you have the stomach for it.

-A. Leonhardt