Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
93%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: NA
A concise, entertaining documentary about the spectacular failure of Enron.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is like watching a train wreck in slow motion, but with more suits and ties. The documentary does an excellent job of exposing the greed and corruption that led to one of the biggest corporate scandals in American history. It’s both infuriating and entertaining, with moments that will make you want to scream at the screen. But don’t worry, you won’t be alone – the audience in the film did it too. Overall, it’s a must-watch for anyone interested in the dark side of corporate America, or just looking for a good reason to yell at their TV.
Production Company(ies)
American Zoetrope Zoetrope Studios,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
2005
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 53m
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Language(s):Romanian, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 2005 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 17, 2006
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, documentary, corporate corruption, Enron Corporation, illegal schemes, California energy crisis, underhanded dealings, high-paying jobs, modern corporate corruption, box office performance, budget, directed by Alex Gibney, written by Alex Gibney, produced by Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot, Susan Motamed, reviewed by Martin Hoyle, Victoria Segal, David Ansen, Christy Lemire, Rene Rodriguez, Bill Muller, Cole Smithey, Jim Lane, Doris Toumarkine, Joe Utichi, John A Nesbit, Pablo Villaça, starring Peter Coyote, executive produced by Mark Cuban, Todd Wagner, Joana Vicente, MPAA rating R, some nudity, language, Magnolia Pictures, financial scandal, corporate greed, stock options, mark-to-market accounting, Jeff Skilling, Bethany McLean, documentary film
Worldwide gross: $4,854,164
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,397,665
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,058
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 806,725
US/Canada gross: $4,071,700
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,205,203
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,747
US/Canada opening weekend: $76,639
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $116,797
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,877
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Alex Gibney – Director, Producer, Writer
Mark Cuban – Executive Producer
Todd Wagner – Executive Producer
Joana Vicente – Executive Producer
Director(s)
Alex Gibney
Writer(s)
Alex Gibney
Producer(s)
Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot, Susan Motamed
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (119) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (116) | Rotten (3)
Gibney’s film never forgets the human side: the macho execs nearly killing themselves on boys’ vacations with motorbikes, sky-diving and general risk-enhanced bonding; the suicide of one, the scapegoat imprisonment of another.
October 7, 2018
Martin Hoyle
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
… Enron: the smartest guys in the room pinpoints a moment when corporate morality was shredded like so many tonnes of incriminating documents in a big business run by small, small men.
September 26, 2017
Victoria Segal
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
Audiences jeered and shouted at the screen in outrage. It has that kind of impact, without resorting to any of Michael Moore’s below-the-belt tactics.
November 1, 2007
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
Alex Gibney takes a notorious tale of corporate greed and plays it as Greek tragedy, Texas-style.
June 25, 2005 | Rating: 3/4
Christy Lemire
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
TOP CRITIC
Deft, entertaining and infuriating documentary about one of the most egregious cases of corporate corruption in American history.
June 10, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
A meticulously researched and ably handled chronicle of one of the largest corporate scandals in American history.
May 26, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
This essential documentary skillfully maps out the shady “mark to market” accounting device that the men who called themselves “the smartest guys in the room” used to commit corporate fraud on a colossal scale.
May 9, 2009 | Rating: B+
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
A fun and demoralizing roller-coaster ride that will whet appetites for the Lay and Skilling debut in court as The Most Nervous Guys in the Room.
March 1, 2007
Doris Toumarkine
Film Journal International
May 6, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus
goes a long way to explain exactly why Enron imploded
January 31, 2006 | Rating: B+
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews
Fascinante do início ao fim, expõe o caso Enron e todas as suas complexas implicações de maneira didática e bem-humorada, funcionando, ainda, como um fantástico estudo sobre a natureza humana.
January 4, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
Pablo Villaça
Cinema em Cena…
Plot
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features narration by Peter Coyote.
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