Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room 

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.

Director:

Alex Gibney

Writers:

Bethany McLean (book), Peter Elkind (book)

Stars:

Kenneth Lay, Peter Coyote, John Beard

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Peter Coyote	...	Narrator
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Beard	...	Himself
Barbara Boxer	...	Herself (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself
James Chanos	...	Himself (as Jim Chanos)
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

Storyline

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Fortune reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, a multidimensional study of one of the biggest business scandals in American history. The chronicle takes a look at one of the greatest corporate disasters in history, in which top executives from the 7th largest company in this country walked away with over one billion dollars, leaving investors and employees with nothing. The film features insider accounts and rare corporate audio and video tapes that reveal colossal personal excesses of the Enron hierarchy and the utter moral vacuum that posed as corporate philosophy. The human drama that unfolds within Enron's walls resembles a Greek tragedy and produces a domino effect that could shape the face of our economy and ethical code for years to come.

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Plot Keywords:

california | accounting | suicide | president | manipulation | 

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Taglines:

It's Just Business

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2005 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Enron: Rise and Fall

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$76,639, 24 April 2005

Gross USA:

$4,064,421

Company Credits

Production Co:

HDNet Films, Jigsaw Productions, 2929 Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

Special thanks includes "all the `Deep Throats' - you know who you are!"

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Connections

References Get Smart (1965)

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Soundtracks

Capitalism
Written by Danny Elfman
Little Maestro Music
Performed by Oingo Boingo
Courtesy of A&M Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

A true Horror movie that warns all profit-mongers to stay in touch with their soul

In this haunting portrait on the overpowering dominance one's unchecked greed can escalate into, the complicated tale of Enron's rise and drastic fall is overwhelmingly fascinating, unusually entertaining, and at the same time illuminating in a way most Americans would not have the time nor inclination to do research about. Yes, surely there are liberties taken with political connections, omissions, statistics and editing to the fault of making this a disputable piece of "documenting" on several fronts, although what the film argues at the heart of the matter really plays no part in the few (and on no level of dramatic manipulation as a michael moore) questionable decisions that bring in partisan politics, only to alienate certain viewers. On the whole, this is a searing indictment not only of the main players in this largest corporate crime of our age, but of the passive environment in which this horrid philosophy was left to thrive, and ultimately right down to us citizens who are too apathetic to notice to care. This is the kind of film that can inspire one to be more socially conscious in a completely new manner, and addresses the millions out there in corporate America who still engage in this soulless form of diluted, self centered enterprise. It is for the sake of their own well being that this film be fully appreciated.