New York City, otherwise known as the Big Apple, is the background for some of the most famous movies of all time, quite a few of which we had to see for this class. I remember the fist day of class reading through the syllabus and seeing movies from the 60s, 70s, and 80s and thinking to myself “Well… this is going to blow.”

However, after watching the first movie Wall Street by Oliver Stone and answering 21 questions in class I was more than surpised, my focus was captured. This movie was not only interesting, but really made me question and debate my life.

I had seen it with a friend, and the first question that came up between us mid-movie was, “If you were in Bud’s position, what would you have done? Would you have played dirty knowing you’d be rich and not get caught?” My friend couldn’t empathize more with Bud, because he agreed he’d do the same. I instead said that  I’d rather not have to live my life looking over my shoulder.

However, from that question, arose many more questions as well as observations. I hadn’t noticed how closely the poor and rich in NYC live, and in all my years here, I have no idea why. There was Greko, a mega rich stock broker who made himself rich at others’ expense. Then there was Bud’s father, the hard working union leader looking out for the airplane employees. In between the two was Bud, the man from a middle class family striving to become the elite.

I found it mind blowing how Stone was able to hand pick what made and didn’t make someone rich. According to the movie, to succeed and be profitable on Wall Street, one must live in Manhattan, because of course that’s where all the rich live. Yet only a borough away was Bud’s working class family’s residence in Queens.

Oliver also cast New York City as THE place to achieve the American Dream. Only there could Bud leave the working class and join the rich. Wall Street really made me take a look at New York City and it’s nature of it. It mad emergency think not only of NYC but of myself and it must have been one of my favorite movies of the semester.