Today, I watched the movie, The Company Men, which lasted for about 2 hours. I found that movie quite interesting, mainly because of the handsome actor, Ben Affleck. Just kidding! I love the story line and it gives out an important message which I will state in the end of the blog post.
The drama is about a company named GTX, a multi-billion dollar shipbuilding company in Boston going down, due to the economic downturn. It starred three men (all three in different high levels of position in the company) and how they take their (unemployed) situation in their own ways, as affected by the economic downturn.
Bobby (Ben Affleck) lost his job and seemed to be too proud to give up his luxuries or to take up a lesser paying job. He refused to adapt to changes as he lost his six figure job. From the drama, I could see that he was eager to find a job after being unemployed. However, he did not want to adapt to changes to take on job which could not pay his required sum of salary. He seems like a very optimistic person because he thinks that he could find new work in no time.
As months go by, he finally accepted his situation (not easy to get a job) and had to change his lifestyle so much that he sold his Porsche and home to pay mortgages, bills and expenses. He then worked for his brother-in-law when he had no other way. Which I find quite impressive because he finally stopped caring about his 'rich image' and stepped out of his comfort zone to do something entirely different from his old job. It is always good to try something new, right? He became a carpenter, which he had to hammer nails and lift heavy tools. Even if he didn't have any experience in being a carpenter, he is still willing to learn. In my opinion, it is a type of courage that people should have, despite all the hardship he has been through. I also noticed that he learned to be grateful for the little things and started to pay more attention to his children.
Phil (Chris Cooper) is 60 years old and he had worked for GTX for 30 years. He started on the factory floor and got his way up to the current important position in the company, then, got fired. In this drama, he finds himself outmatched by younger candidates and had commit suicide after he realised that he couldn't get a job in that age. In my opinion, life always have a way. If he is willing to accept different kind of job with lower pays and cut down expenses, he would still be able to survive. He gave up too easily just because of a fall. What about borrowing money from friends and relative to support his bills? There is always solution to everything.
In terms of the company, is firing so many employees really worth it? It may look more favourable in the balance sheet (less wages & salaries) and might be able to help with the rise of share price. However, is there no other way to save the company? The one that surprised me was when Gene, the first employee of GTX and the best friend of the CEO (James Salinger) was also fired from the company.
There are some things that I have learned from the drama:
1. There is always a way if you can adapt to changes and to step out of the comfort zone.
2. Hardships will pass, courage lives on.
3. Unemployment can brings death by a thousand small cuts rather than one major one.
4. What an outplacement is. I never knew what an outplacement was until I watched the movie.
5. People should always have time for their families and not only be grateful when things happen.
6. James Salinger, the CEO of the company, said that "business is not charity". It hit me up. Yes, there is no guarantee to be secured in a job forever. We always have to be prepared for sudden situation like this (getting fired).
Link of the drama:
https://elp.northumbria.ac.uk/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_274611_1&content_id=_4038879_1
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