"Independent Lens" Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Alex Gibney

Writers (WGA):

Bethany McLean (book) and
Peter Elkind (book) ...
(more)

TV Series:

"Independent Lens" (1999)

Original Air Date:

January 2005 (Season 8, Episode 22)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

It's Just Business

Plot:

Corporate audio and videotapes tell the inside story of the scandal involving one company's manipulation of California's energy supply and its, and how its executives wrung a billion dollars out of the resulting crisis.

Plot Keywords:

California | Manipulation | Bush | Business | Suicide

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Peter Coyote	...	Narrator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Beard	...	Himself
Barbara Boxer	...	Herself (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself
Jim Chanos	...	Himself
Dick Cheney	...	Himself
Bill Clinton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Carol Coale	...	Herself
Gray Davis	...	Himself
Reggie Dees II	...	Young man the stripper dances in front of (as Reggie Deets II)
Joseph Dunn	...	Himself
Max Eberts	...	Himself
Peter Elkind	...	Himself
Andrew Fastow	...	Himself
David Freeman	...	Himself
Philip Hilder	...	Himself
Al Kaseweter	...	Himself
Kenneth Lay	...	Himself
Jay Leno	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bill Lerach	...	Himself
Loretta Lynch	...	Herself
Amanda Martin-Brock	...	Herself
Bethany McLean	...	Herself
Mike Muckleroy	...	Himself
Reverend James Nutter	...	Himself
John Olson	...	Himself
Lou L. Pai	...	Himself
Kevin Phillips	...	Himself
David V. Porter	...	"David" a Quoted Enron Trader
Nancy Rapoport	...	Herself
Harvey Rosenfield	...	Himself
Marla Ruzicka	...	Herself (archive footage)
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Himself (archive footage)
Maria Shriver	...	Herself (archive footage)
Jeff Skilling	...	Himself
Mimi Swartz	...	Herself
Robert Traband	...	Himself
Sherron Watkins	...	Herself
Henry Waxman	...	Himself
Andrew Weissman	...	Himself
Colin Whitehead	...	Himself
Charles Wickman	...	Himself
Michael Lugenbuehl	...	J. Clifford Baxter (uncredited)

Directed by
Alex Gibney

Writing credits (WGA)
Bethany McLean		(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron") and
Peter Elkind		(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron")
Alex Gibney		(written by)

Produced by
Mark Cuban	....	executive producer
Alex Gibney	....	producer
Jason Kliot	....	producer
Kate McMahon	....	associate producer
Susan Motamed	....	producer
Joana Vicente	....	executive producer
Todd Wagner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Matthew Hauser		(as Matt Hauser)

Cinematography by
Maryse Alberti

Film Editing by
Alison Ellwood

Casting by
Carol Grant

Production Management
Kendall McCarthy	....	post-production supervisor
Gretchen McGowan	....	executive in charge of production

Art Department
Sanford Kinney	....	additional graphic artist

Sound Department
Lee Adkison	....	location sound mixer
Felix Andrew	....	location sound mixer
Martin Czembor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	dialogue editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Osmon	....	sound mixer
Mark Roy	....	location sound mixer
Steve F.B. Smith	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Ira Spiegel	....	sound effects editor
Shane Stoneback	....	sound recordist
Bill Ward	....	location sound mixer
Morgan Worth	....	location sound mixer

Visual Effects by
Ben Fine	....	animation
Ben Fine	....	digital artist
Christian Zak	....	film recording producer

Camera and Electrical Department
Greg Andracke	....	additional cinematographer
Jennifer Blinder	....	still photographer
Ben Bloodwell	....	assistant camera
Don Blust	....	additional cinematographer
John Casabom	....	assistant camera
Mark Clark	....	gaffer
Jon Else	....	additional cinematographer
Anton Floquet	....	additional cinematographer
Paul Goldhammer	....	second electric
Mark Goodwin	....	gaffer
Andrew Korner	....	second electric
Dain Martin	....	still photographer
George Mays	....	gaffer
Alan McIntyre Smith	....	gaffer (as Alan Smith)
Wyatt McSpadden	....	still photographer
Lyle Morgan	....	additional cinematographer
Kyle Rooney	....	assistant camera
Justin Seyb	....	best boy grip
Dan Strauss	....	assistant camera
Sherron Watkins	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Carol Grant	....	extras casting

Editorial Department
Aljernon Tunsil	....	assistant editor
Don Wyllie	....	editor: HDTV
David Kuther	....	additional editor: HDTV (uncredited)

Music Department
Steven DePalo	....	composer: additional music
Mariusz Glabinski	....	music editor
Chris Jordao	....	composer: additional music
John McCullough	....	music supervisor
Tracy McKnight	....	executive soundtrack producer
Ahrin Mishan	....	composer: theme music
Danny Willensky	....	musician: saxophone

Other crew
Courtney Andrialis	....	assistant: Mr. Kilot and Ms. Vicente
Claudio Barrientos	....	assistant: Ms. McGowan
Will Battersby	....	head of development
Andrew Beard	....	production assistant
Elissa Birke	....	research coordinator
Julie Burstein	....	production intern
Vivian Chan	....	production intern
Kristen Daly	....	production assistant
Shankar Desai	....	production assistant
Richard Dworkin	....	transcriptor
Jacqueline Eckhouse	....	production counsel (as Jackie Eckhouse)
Susan Elkins	....	location
Leigh Evans	....	production assistant
John B. Finn	....	consultant (as John Finn)
Morgan Gibney	....	production intern
Nick Gibney	....	production intern
Michael Hastings-Black	....	production assistant
Peter Kallish	....	titles: HDTV
Michael Margent	....	production intern
Robbie Meckna	....	production assistant
Noah Myerson	....	production intern
Daniella Nied	....	production intern
Eric Pilarcik	....	location manager: Los Angeles
Emma Pildes	....	production intern
Kristina Redick	....	office manager
Errol Reichow	....	location
Christopher Richardson	....	production assistant
Robin Simpson	....	pilot: aerial unit
Robert Stein	....	counsel: E&O
Shirley Thompson	....	on-air promotions
Mike Tristano	....	armorer
Fernando Vallejo	....	production intern
Ali Wasserstein	....	production coordinator
Crystal Whelan	....	researcher

Thanks
Gboyega Akinola	....	acknowledgment: archive footage provided by
Bankole Bello	....	acknowledgment: archive footage provided by
Doug Biro	....	special thanks
Kathleen Brennan	....	special thanks
Jim Jarmusch	....	special thanks
Alexandra Milgram	....	acknowledgment: archive footage provided by
Victor Orlov	....	special thanks
Tom Waits	....	special thanks

Angela Bassett

...

Host

Film Editing by
Brent E. Huffman

Production Design by
Desma Murphy

Production Companies

• HDNet Films
• Jigsaw Productions (in association with)
• 2929 Productions (as 2929 Entertainment)

Distributors

• Magnolia Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (2006) (UK) (theatrical)
• CinemaCafe Films (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Lionsgate (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Redbus Film Distribution (2005) (UK) (all media)

Other Companies

• ABC News Video Source  archive footage
• Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, Film Office  special thanks
• BBC Motion Gallery  archive footage
• Baker Institute for Public Policy, The  archive footage
• Big Foote Music  original score
• C-SPAN  archive footage
• CBS News Archives  archive footage
• CNN Image Source  archive footage
• Calpine-Delta Energy Center  special thanks
• Central Helicopter Service  aerials
• Clutch City Motorcross  special thanks
• Commotion Records  soundtrack
• Corbis  photographs
• England Insurance Company  production insurance
• Final Frame  special thanks
• Frame:Runner  HD finishing services provided by (as Frame: Runner NYC)
• Freed Films  special thanks
• Gamma-Presse  photographs
• George Bush Presidential Library  photographs
• Glue Editing and Design  special thanks
• Godfrey Films  source: motorcross footage
• HD-Cinema  special thanks
• HDNet Films  archive footage
• Houston Film Commission  special thanks
• Image Bank Films by Getty Images  archive footage (as Image Bank Film/Getty Images)
• JFA  accounting services
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• KTVU  archive footage
• NBC News Archives  archive footage
• Pacific Basin Institute  archive footage
• Pam Francis Photography  photographs
• Peninsula, The, Beverly Hills  special thanks
• Penn State Media Sales  archive footage
• Professional Dealers School  source: croupiers
• Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn  
• Rick's Cabaret, Houston  special thanks
• Righa Royal Hotel  special thanks
• Ronald Reagan Library  archive footage
• Sloss Law Office  production counsel
• Sound One  re-recording mixing
• Sound One  sound recording
• Studio Iodyne  animation
• Studio Iodyne  visual effects
• Technicolor  digital film recording
• The Houston Chronicle  photographs
• WGBH Media Library & Archive  archive footage
• Worldwide Photos  photographs (as AP/Wide World Photos)

Also Known As:

"Independent Lens": Enron: Rise and Fall (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some nudity.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | USA:R | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:PG (TV rating) | Germany:o.Al. | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Company:

HDNet Films

Trivia:

Among the protesters who disrupt the meeting with Jeff Skilling at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club is Marla Ruzicka, who was killed on 16 April 2005 in Iraq by a suicide bomber. She founded CIVIC (Campaign for Innocent Victims of Conflict) which worked to help the victims of the war in Iraq and she was a former Global Exchange activist.

Quotes:

Kenneth Lay: [Enron Executive Officer Ken Lay holds a meeting of investors after shady financial dealings of the company have recently been revealed] We're down to questions, and I've got a few of 'em here... I would like to know if you are on crack... If so, that would explain a lot, if not, you may want to start because it's going to be a long time before we trust you again.

Movie Connections:

Features Global Addiction (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

California

An American Tragedy

This film is a profoundly entertaining chronicle of American corporate power run amok. Profound because as it dramatizes the rise and fall of Enron, the film casts a longer shadow over the still largely unchanged corporate environment that spawned this smoke and mirrors company. Entertaining due to clever use of storytelling devices, imagery and soundtrack, despite what looks to be a low budget.

The film's strength is in its portrait of the massive "group think" inside and outside of the corporation that supported Enron's rise. It is astounding and chilling to look back on the cheer leading role played by banks, financial media, accounting firms and government. And though Enron, the film, may be weak on explaining how the company built itself up from a simple gas pipeline business to a post-modern corporate megalith, it was probably a wise choice to leave detailed descriptions of the financial manipulations to the book of the same name. The film, does though, miss an opportunity early on to provide a basic explanation of the central paradox of Enron -- earning heaps of money by exploiting commodities trading and accounting methods, while losing heaps of money in real world ventures. Enron set up its first commodities trading desk to capitalize on inside knowledge of the gas business, and then tried to replicate this model with water, broadband, electricity, etc. In actually a trading firm, Enron evaded investment firm regulations by portraying itself as an industrial firm.

Yet, despite some shortcomings, the storytelling is powerful, especially the eye-opening dramatization of Enron's role and the political manipulations behind the California energy-crisis. After viewing the suffering of average Californians, juxtaposed against the callousness of Enron's West Coast energy traders, it felt good to see Kenneth Lay walking in handcuffs.

More than once, the phrase, "this can happen again," echos in the film. It has happened before -- leveraged buyouts, the Savings and Loan crisis, the burst Internet IPO bubble, the 1920s Stock Market crash. A new financial vehicle generates untold riches for some, goes bust, and millions, sometimes billions ... disappear. Enron, the film, is the textbook on how one corporation recently stole from investors, employees and its "customers."

Ask why do we keep on letting this happen.