Amistad.  Dir Steven Spielberg.  Dreamworks, 2007.

This film is so moving and concerns a critical piece of our history in this world.  Amistad is the name of a slave ship traveling from Cuba to the U.S. in 1839.  A tribal leader on the ship, Cinque, inspires a mutiny and takes over the ship with his fellow countrymen.  When the ship arrives in the United States, the slaves are imprisoned as runaways but one lawyer is willing to take on their case and argue for their freedom.  The case makes its way to the Supreme Court.  This movie is a must-see for everyone. 

Apollo 13.  Dir. Ron Howard.  Universal Pictures, 1995.

In this riveting movie, astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert fight a desperate battle to survive when a routine NASA mission goes awry due to an explosion inside the spacecraft.  Meanwhile, at Mission Control, astronaut Ken Mattingly, flight director Gene Kranz and a heroic ground crew race against time–and the odds–to bring them home.  You see people in the worst of times come together and endure extreme stress to fight for their lives.

Cool Runnings.  Dir. Jon Turteltaub.  Walt Disney Pictures, 1993.

Loosely based on the true story of the Jamaican Bobsled team’s debut in 1988, this comedy is so heart-warming and uplifting.  When laughed at by everyone in the Olympic community, the Jamaican Bobsled team keeps their heads held high and display an extraordinary amount of grace and pride.  A truly inspiring story for the ages.

Life is Beautiful.  Dir. Roberto Benigni.  Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica, 1997. 

This is my favorite film ever.  The movie starts out in 1939 and begins as a love story between the playful main character Guido and Dora, a local schoolteacher.  He wins over her heart and their love story is heartbreakingly beautiful.  When WWII breaks out, Guido and his child are shipped to a concentration camp and Dora–who is not Jewish–voluntarily follows.  Guido goes to great lengths to protect his child from the misery around them and creates an inventive imaginary other-life for them.  The movie is supremely uplifting and so funny at the same time that it’s so heartbreaking and sad. So so so good!

Stand and Deliver.  Dir Ramon Menendez.  American Playhouse, 1988.

This movie is great in so many ways.  It’s about a teacher who refuses to give up on the kids he has in his class.  He works in a tough neighborhood and doesn’t want to see his students inducted into the gang culture.  He is innovative and creative and tries unconventional teaching methods with his students.  His perserverence is definitely inspiring.

The Counterfeiters.  Dir. Stefan Ruzowitzky.  Magnolia Filmproduktion, 2007.

The Counterfeiters is the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936.  A group of Jewish prisoners in a concentration camp are solicited by the Nazis to run a secret counterfeiting mission that will aid the Nazis in the war effort.  The group of prisoners receives special treatment for their counterfeiting work, but face the ultimate moral dilumna of helping the Nazis against the common good of their fellow man.  It is a very interesting look at this kind of dilemna.

A Raisin in the Sun.  Dir. Daniel Petrie.  Columbia Pictures, 1961.

This movie is brialliant and based on the equally brilliant play that’s been on Broadway.  The main character is Walter Lee Younger–a young man struggling with his station in life.  He shares a tiny apartment with his wife, son, sister and mother, and feels like an imprisoned man.  When the family receives an unexpected financial windfall, the family learns many lessons about how to stand up to pressure and follow the path of what is right and brave.  The mother of the family does a beautiful job of teaching her family dignity and empowering her son to become a real man. 

Invictus.  Dir. Clint Eastwood.  Warner Bros. Pictures, 2009. 

This film showcases the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite the people of his country. Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid.  Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.  Nelson Mandela is one of the greatest role models for a leader the world has ever seen.

Music of the Heart.  Dir. Wes Craven.  Craven-Maddalena Films, 1999.

This movie is about the true story of a teacher who struggles against the board of education in order to teach underprivileged kids in a Harlem school the beauty of music through the violin. The teacher is played by the ever-brilliant Meryl Streep.  In her fight with the board of ed, she loses everything, but remains focused on winning the struggle so her students can learn the power and beauty of music.  This story is very heart-touching and teaches us how amazingly perserverent we can be in life.  

The Abilene Paradox.  CRM learning. 

This training video discusses all the ins and outs of the abilene paradox and how to avoid groupthink problems like it.  The abilene paradox refers to the phenomenon whereby all the members of a group agree to go along with a premise, despite their true preferences, to avoid “rocking the boat.”  This can lead to an agreed-upon plan that no member of the group actually is in favor of.  It is essential that workplaces foster the kind of environment where employees feel the freedom to voice their

Groupthink.  CRM Learning.

This instructional video thoroughly explains the concepts of Groupthink, using the Challenger disaster as an example.  The video explains all the warning signs that a Groupthink dynamic has been created and advises multiple ways to avoid becoming trapped in Groupthink in the first place.