Film Review: The Joneses

The Joneses directed by Derrick Borte (Echo Lake Productions, Premiere Picture, R, 96 minutes)

Starring: Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, Ben Hollingsworth, Gary Cole, Lauren Hutton.

The Hype 

I’m anti-hype, or what my sister-in-law would call “hipster”. When the band, Mumford & Sons, wasn’t popular, I loved them. Now that they’re huge and trendy (at least here in Seattle), they’re no longer my favorite. Additionally, I bought a Nintendo Wii instead of the Xbox. But, American consumerism, and our economy as a whole, is based on hype, and what’s popular. In the satirical commentary on American consumerism, The Joneses, everyone looks to a picture-perfect family to discern what to buy.

The Joneses (played by David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth) are good looking, friendly, affluent, and always seem to stay ahead of the fashion curve. Everyone in the neighborhood wants to be like them.

But, in the first few minutes of the plot, the audience notices something is different about them; they aren’t really a family; they’re a huge marketing ploy by a large corporation. Husband and wife don’t sleep in the same room, and the children act more like adults than angst-ridden teens. They instead, are moving into the neighborhood to try to sell as much cutting-edge fashion, cars, golf equipment, or whatever to their new neighbors.

The Perfect Sale 

Steve Jones (David Duchovny) is the worst salesman in the family. He only sells moderately well, displaying his golf clubs to the local golf fetishists. He also is beginning to hate his family life. He realizes his life is a sham, and feels somewhat repulsed by his trivial and shallow lifestyle. He wants a real family and a real wife, with real children; he doesn’t want a shallow scam put forth by a large corporation. Perhaps his conscience protests too loudly and affects his influence.

Kate Jones (Demi Moore), as the family team leader only seeks to increase their overall referral rate for sales. She is, in short, a cold-hearted, single-minded individual. She entertains her female neighbors brilliantly, and manages to sell all the girly products out there. She’s the saleswoman of the century; she also lacks a conscience, only seeking to make the money she wants.

The children, Jennifer (Amber Heard) and Mick (Ben Hollingsworth), also sell well because they wear cool stuff. You can watch the fashion shift in their fictitious neighborhood drastically as the teenagers exert more influence on their angst-ridden counterparts. But, they begin to feel a sense of inner worthlessness. Their cynicism begins to show, and their inauthentic lives begin to fall apart.

Artistry and Conviction 

While this movie is far from perfect, and lacks the conviction that a more artfully considered movie would provide, the message remains clear, and director Derrick Borte did a good job with the cast, all things considered (Demi Moore never really does it for me). The noose tightens around The Jones’ inauthentic lives, and their complicated emotions unravel in an elaborate, emotion-filled way.

The message that is portrayed is clear—in our society you have to play to your Joneses. Whatever influence it may be, whether family, commercial, or other, there is always an outside influence telling society what is cool and important. You may choose to ignore the hype, but generally you’re susceptible to it whether you know it or not.

In the end, this movie is a great idea; it tells of the pitfalls of consumerism through a drama. But, I think the film fell short because it isn't as artfully and intentionally executed as it should have been. Nonetheless, I think The Joneses is worth a view.

Verdict: 3 out of 5
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Posted by: Andrew Jacobson

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Book Review: Ecological Intelligence

Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything, by Daniel Goleman (New York: Broadway Books, 2009. 288 pp)

As a psychologist, Daniel Goleman writes and lectures to students and working professionals on brain and behavioral sciences. Born in California in 1946, Goleman split his time as an undergraduate between Amherst College and the University of California at Berkeley, receiving a B.A. from Amherst in anthropology. Through a scholarship from the Ford Foundation, Goleman attended the clinical psychology program at Harvard and pursued doctoral research on meditation as an intervention in stress arousal. Goleman’s post-doctoral grant from the Social Science Research Council later became his first book, The Meditative Mind. Taking a job with Psychology Today, Goleman became interested in full-time writing, publishing articles with The New York Times and writing books, including the widely popular Emotional Intelligence. Goleman lives with his wife in Massachusetts.

90%

Money, the most awkward subject in church. Some pastors decide to forgo any mention of it for fear of molding the sermon into a money grab; others discuss money constantly, reminding their parishioners of tithing as a duty to God. In both instances, the debate resides around the tithe, typically understood as a charitable contribution of 10% of all income.

But what about the other 90%?

Setting aside debates about whether a tithe ought to be the standard or a minimum, Christians all too often utilize the remaining funds in the marketplace without much thought about the biological, ecological, and social ramifications of their purchases.

Naturally, many Christian leaders would shy away from exerting control over a congregation’s finances. But I am not proposing that a pastor give his or her flock a list of what to buy. Instead, I believe it is important that Christians be reminded that what they purchase counts. Each item in the shopping cart represents a vote for that product.

Whether or not we want to admit it, Christians buy products from some pretty nasty companies. Luckily, though, many virtuous companies do exist — companies that are selling good products for health, society, and the globe that have been produced in humane ways. If Christians consider purchasing in this manner, it is possible that they can add further change to the world in addition to charitable donations.

Hidden Impacts

With these ideas in mind, Daniel Goleman’s book Ecological Intelligence discusses the importance of knowing the effects concerning the things we buy. If you realized that buying the cheaper pair of shoes not only meant that you continue to promote child slavery but also that you are wearing a product that leaks toxic chemicals into the air, wouldn’t you think twice about purchasing the product?

Of course, Ecological Intelligence focuses primarily on the environmental side effects of the things we buy. Yet Goleman also expands his spotlight to uncover the hidden impacts on health, the environment, and society as a whole.

Radical Transparency

Goleman suggests that consumers demand radical transparency in the market place. As it stands, a disconnect lies between consumer and producer. We don’t know exactly where food, clothing, and toys come from. With subsidies imparted through big-business lobbying, the open market is not actually open. Thus, business finds means by which to hide certain health, environmental, and societal costs.

Source: Roadside Pictures

Radical transparency, on the other hand, suggests that business lifts the veil off its operations and supply chain. Under this scenario, a consumer is capable of rationally deciding the best product, based on open information. Goleman adds,

For companies, radical transparency can create a vibrant new competitive playing ground, one where doing the right thing also means doing better (82).

The current cultural climate around the globe offers a ripe scenario for this sort of transparency. More specifically, social networking allows almost instantaneous communication between extensive populations. If a business ethically falters in this environment, word will spread quickly. Moreover, websites such as www.goodguide.com supply customers with a smart-phone application, providing power in the hands of consumers to obtain a better sense of companies and products.

It seems to me that most Christians would seek to do good in the world when presented an opportunity to do so. Ecological Intelligence offers practical ways in which people can navigate the health, environmental, and societal factors of purchasing products. The Christian Church is a beacon for the poor and disinherited. Many Christians give generously to charity and mission organizations. But we can do so much more! Our groceries, clothing suppliers, and houses give us further opportunities to choose the best products for our own health, the environment, and society.