The One Percent (2006)

In this hard-hitting but humorous documentary, director Jamie Johnson takes the exploration of wealth that he began in Born Rich one step further. The One Percent, refers to the tiny ... See full summary »

Director:

Jamie Johnson

Writer:

Nick Kurzon

Stars:

Nicole Buffet, Chuck Collins, Steve Forbes

Cast

Credited cast:
Nicole Buffet	...	Herself - Granddaughter of Investor Warren Buffett
Chuck Collins	...	Himself - Great Grandson of Oscar Meyer
Steve Forbes
Cody Franchetti	...	Himself - Italian Baron
Milton Friedman	...	Himself - Nobel Laureate
Bill Gates Sr.	...	Himself - Father of Microsoft Founder
Eddie Bernice Johnson	...	Herself - Chair Congressional Black Caucus 2001-03
Gretchen Johnson	...	Herself - Jamie's Mother
Jamie Johnson	...	Himself
Jim Johnson	...	Himself - Jamie's Father
Adnan Khashoggi	...	Himself - Arms Merchant
Claude Kirk	...	Himself - Former Governor of Florida
Greg Kushner	...	Himself - Lido Wealth Conference Director
John Lewis	...	Himself - US Representative (D)
Roy Martin	...	Himself - President, Martin Lumber Co.

Storyline

In this hard-hitting but humorous documentary, director Jamie Johnson takes the exploration of wealth that he began in Born Rich one step further. The One Percent, refers to the tiny percentage of Americans who control nearly half the wealth of the U.S. Johnson's thesis is that this wealth in the hands of so few people is a danger to our very way of life. Johnson captures his story through personal interviews with Robert Reich, Adnan Khashoggi, Bill Gates Sr., and Steve Forbes, during which both Johnson's and his subjects' knowledge and humor shine. And he's not afraid to butt heads with Milton Friedman, the economist who coined the term "the trickledown effect." He also shows how the other half lives, using real-world examples of the wealth gap: he takes a tour of a dilapidated housing project in Chicago, rides around with an enlightened taxi driver, and sees the human toll of the unfair economics of the Florida sugar industry. Johnson's film is at its most powerful when it reveals ...

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Plot Keywords:

interview | archive footage | self interest | political corruption | wealth disparity | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 2006 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wise & Good Film

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Himself - Kinko's Founder: One day I'd like to go to the Moon and look at the planet Earth and say, 'Wow, there's part of my portfolio.'

User Reviews

The film maker should watch his own movie

The government did not respond quickly enough in LA, and creates subsidies and tariffs where none are needed - but let's give them more money?

The film maker interviews inheritors of wealth and not wealth creators and the guilt of his own inheritance is the only concrete/coherent idea in the film.

Milton Friedman asks the film maker what he has read of Milton's; the interviewer/film maker states - "the required excerpts in school"...

The filmmaker misses what may be his true goal: an understanding of why wealth creation is and should be encouraged and why disparity in wealth is a function of many economic systems - but capitalism/free markets is the only to raise the standard of living for all even with the large gaps between rich and poor.

Unfortunately - like his first film - this film comes across as an apology for inheriting wealth and the inheritor having no purpose. At least this dude made a film - but he should have heeded the family advisor's advice to "read, research, do your homework"... He did not.