Born Rich (2003 film)

Born Rich
DVD cover
Directed byJamie Johnson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyNick Kurzon
Edited by
  • Nick Kurzon
  • Steven Pilgrim
Music byJoel Goodman
Production
companies
Wise and Good Film, LLC
Distributed byHBO
Release date
  • January 19, 2003 (2003-01-19) (Sundance Film Festival)
Running time
  • 75 minutes (Sundance)[1]
  • 67 minutes (television)[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150,000[3]

Born Rich is a 2003 documentary film about the experience of growing up in wealthy families. It was created by Jamie Johnson, an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, and filmed primarily between 1999 and 2001. The film consists primarily of Johnson interviewing 10 other young heirs. These interviews are offset by Johnson's exploration of his own experience and family as he comes into a large inheritance on his 21st birthday. He seeks out how to be a productive person, avoiding the dysfunction that he sees affecting many of the very rich.[3][4] The film explores the taboo the ultra rich have against talking about their wealth. Johnson believes this secrecy about wealth causes the wealthy to be dysfunctional,[4][5] and exists because the discussion of their wealth challenges the notion that America is a meritocracy and their right to have their wealth.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Frilot, Shari. "Born Rich". Sundance03 Film Guide. Sundance Institute. Archived from the original on 2003-02-16. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  2. ^ "HBO Schedule: Born Rich: America Undercover". HBO Documentary Films. Archived from the original on 2004-10-13. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  3. ^ a b Cash, William (2003-11-07). "The Rich Kids Are Different; When 23-Year-Old Billionheir Jamie Johnson Made a Film about His Superrich Set, New York Society Was Divided. Ostracised by the Bluebloods, Celebrated by the Media, Manhattan's Most Scandalous Scion Gives His First British Interview to William Cash". The Evening Standard. London, England. Archived from the original on 2016-09-23.
  4. ^ a b Chaplin, Julia (2003-10-12). "Biting the Silver Spoon That Feeds Him, on Film". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference fortune-Serwer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "'Born Rich'". Los Angeles Times. 2003-10-27. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference npr-atc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference seattleTimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).