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Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

  • 20052005
  • RR
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
18K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
Play trailer2:01
1 Video
33 Photos
  • Documentary
  • Biography
  • History

A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.

IMDb RATING
7.6/10
18K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Alex Gibney
  • Writers
    • Alex Gibney
    • Bethany McLean(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room - The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron")
    • Peter Elkind(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room - The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron")
  • Stars
    • John Beard
    • Tim Belden(archive footage)
    • Barbara Boxer(archive footage)
Top credits
  • Director
    • Alex Gibney
  • Writers
    • Alex Gibney
    • Bethany McLean(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room - The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron")
    • Peter Elkind(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room - The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron")
  • Stars
    • John Beard
    • Tim Belden(archive footage)
    • Barbara Boxer(archive footage)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 46User reviews
    • 52Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 3 wins & 11 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:01
    Official Trailer

    Photos33

    Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Kenneth Lay in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Mimi Swartz in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Sherron Watkins in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    James Chanos in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    George W. Bush and Kenneth Lay in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Gray Davis in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Loretta Lynch in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Kenneth Lay in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Max Eberts in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    Bill Lerach in Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Beard
    • Self - Former Enron Accountantas Self - Former Enron Accountant
    Tim Belden
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Barbara Boxer
    Barbara Boxer
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    George W. Bush
    George W. Bush
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    James Chanos
    James Chanos
    • Self - President, Kynikos Associatesas Self - President, Kynikos Associates
    • (as Jim Chanos)
    Dick Cheney
    Dick Cheney
    • Selfas Self
    Bill Clinton
    Bill Clinton
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Carol Coale
    • Self - Ex-Stock Analyst, Prudential Securitiesas Self - Ex-Stock Analyst, Prudential Securities
    Peter Coyote
    Peter Coyote
    • Narratoras Narrator
    Gray Davis
    Gray Davis
    • Self - Former Governor of Californiaas Self - Former Governor of California
    Reggie Dees II
    • Self - Young man the stripper dances in front ofas Self - Young man the stripper dances in front of
    • (as Reggie Deets II)
    Joseph Dunn
    • Self - California State Senatoras Self - California State Senator
    Max Eberts
    Max Eberts
    • Self - Former Spokesman, Enron Energy Servicesas Self - Former Spokesman, Enron Energy Services
    Peter Elkind
    • Self - Co-Author, 'The Smartest Guys in the Room'as Self - Co-Author, 'The Smartest Guys in the Room'
    Andrew Fastow
    Andrew Fastow
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    David Freeman
    • Self - Former Advisor to Governor Davisas Self - Former Advisor to Governor Davis
    Philip Hilder
    • Selfas Self
    Al Kaseweter
    • Selfas Self
    • Director
      • Alex Gibney
    • Writers
      • Alex Gibney
      • Bethany McLean(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room - The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron")
      • Peter Elkind(book "The Smartest Guys in the Room - The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron")
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Enron dives from the seventh largest US company to bankruptcy in less than a year in this tale told chronologically. The emphasis is on human drama, from suicide to 20,000 people sacked: the personalities of Ken Lay (with Falwellesque rectitude), Jeff Skilling (he of big ideas), Lou Pai (gone with $250 M), and Andy Fastow (the dark prince) dominate. Along the way, we watch Enron game California's deregulated electricity market, get a free pass from Arthur Andersen (which okays the dubious mark-to-market accounting), use greed to manipulate banks and brokerages (Merrill Lynch fires the analyst who questions Enron's rise), and hear from both Presidents Bush what great guys these are. —<jhailey@hotmail.com>
    • deregulation
    • reference to the fortune 500
    • reference to blockbuster
    • cfo
    • governor of california
    • 76 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • It's just business.
    • Genres
      • Documentary
      • Biography
      • History
    • Certificate
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Among the protesters who disrupt the meeting with Jeff Skilling at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club is Marla Ruzicka. The former Global Exchange activist founded CIVIC (Campaign for Innocent Victims of Conflict), which worked to help the victims of the war in Iraq. She died in Iraq on April 16, 2005, the victim of a suicide bombing.
    • Quotes

      Jeffrey Skilling: Oh I can't help myself. You know what the difference between the state of California and Titanic? And this is being webcast, and I know I'm going to regret this - at least when the Titanic went down, the lights were on.

    • Connections
      Featured in Independent Lens: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      What's He Building in There?
      Written by Tom Waits

      Jalma Music

      Performed by Tom Waits

      Courtesy of Anti/Epitaph Records

    User reviews46

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    corporate fraud reigns supreme
    When Enron filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2001, it was a shock to most Americans. But as "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" shows, it shouldn't have been. The documentary, narrated by Peter Coyote, traces the energy giant's origins - including CEO Ken Lay's childhood - to its rise as one of the largest corporations in the United States.

    What's really interesting is the intricacy of Enron's actions around the world, and how it pulled off all its shenanigans (aided, of course, by Kenny Boy's contributions to George W. Bush's first presidential campaign). Among Enron's more vicious acts was its manipulation of California's electricity in summer, 2001, and how Arnold Schwarzenegger let the company off the hook. Not to mention that Enron's collapse was accompanied by Lay's draining of the employees' retirement.

    Enron's downfall - followed over the next year by the implosions of Adelphia, WorldCom and Tyco - just goes to show the dangers of letting corporations run rampant. The whole way through, the documentary manages to be funny, just at the sight of what Enron was doing, abetted by Arthur Andersen.

    All in all, I definitely recommend "E:TSGITR".

    PS: In "Bowling for Columbine", Michael Moore proposed a TV show called "Corporate Cops" (based on "Cops!"), in which people like Ken Lay would get strip-searched.
    helpful•10
    0
    • lee_eisenberg
    • Jan 19, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 20, 2005 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • PBS
    • Languages
      • Romanian
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Enron: Những Kẻ Láu Cá
    • Production companies
      • Jigsaw Productions
      • 2929 Productions
      • HDNet Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,071,700
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $76,639
      • Apr 24, 2005
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,854,164
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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