It was a long summer, but now the kids are back in school, the leaves are changing, and the Georgia Bulldogs are rolling. We have swapped the summer reading books out to create a fall movie list of some of our team’s favorites. So get the popcorn poppin’ because we’ve got some great ones.
Remi’s Pick: The Peanut Butter Falcon
Remington Hasty, Client Service Associate
Starring Dakota Johnson and Zack Gottsagen, The Peanut Butter Falcon is the story of a young man with Down syndrome who escapes from an assisted living facility and forms a bond with a wayward fisherman running away from trouble. Remington loved it.
“This movie just makes you feel good. It has some good humor and a lot of feel-good moments that just make you smile. I loved this movie. I think I watched it three nights in a row when I first saw it.”
Rafael’s Pick: King Richard
Rafael Rondino, Investment Associate
A former tennis star in Brazil who later played for Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, it’s not surprising to see Rafael fired up about the story of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams.
“The reason I love this movie is because it shows you what the Williams sisters went through to become successful. They came from nothing and did not have the support or resources, but they loved the sport so much. It is just an incredible story about the most successful women’s tennis player in history. The movie shows their perseverance, commitment, dedication, and love for the sport and how their father had so much influence on their game.”
Inessa’s Pick: Midnight in Paris
Inessa Loyevska, CPA, Controller
Who said accountants had to paint within the lines? Inessa sure doesn’t, and her movie choice proves that. She picked Midnight in Paris.
“While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée’s family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight. This film is largely about nostalgia and daydreaming. If you had a chance, what era and place would you visit? For me, it would be the Italian Renaissance in the 15th Century.”
James’ Pick: Where the Crawdads Sing
James Lewis, CFP®, MBA, Senior Investment Advisor
James chose Where the Crawdads Sing, the story of an abandoned girl who raises herself in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina and becomes the main suspect in a local murder.
“Book or movie. It has everything. The ultimate combination of love, loss, abandonment, murder, conspiracy, and vindication. What more could you want or need? It’s great whether you read the book or not. But the movie makes more sense if you read the book.”
Matt’s Pick: Interstellar
Matt Clark, Business Development Manager
As Business Development Manager, Matt’s job is to identify investment strategies that fit the needs and lifestyles of our clients. So it’s somewhat fitting that he chose Interstellar, the story of astronauts searching the universe for a planet with the resources necessary for human inhabitants to exist.
“What a fantastic portrayal of the effects of relativity on space exploration in a great story of striving beyond our own existence to save the human race! I am fascinated with the vastness and unknowns that make up our universe, and Interstellar encapsulates a lot of those wonders and mysteries. What a thrilling ride from beginning to end!”
Mike’s Pick: A River Runs Through It
Mike Parsons, CFA, Family Office Advisor
This beautiful film, directed by Robert Redford, was released in 1992—the sweet spot of Mike’s formative years. “Couple that with my love of the Mountain West and fly fishing, and it’s easy to arrive at my pick, A River Runs Through It. I have a brother, and we’ve always loved the outdoors, and watching it as a kid, I can remember wishing that we could live the idyllic rural Montana life that the Maclean brothers enjoyed. In fact, I still wish that sometimes! On-screen, Norman (Craig Sheffer) and Paul (Brad Pitt) mature into two very different people, which brings its drama, but ultimately their love for one another and fly fishing are a common bond too powerful for differences. In many ways, I can relate. It’s a special movie.”
Perhaps you can see why Mike is our company’s Family Office Advisor.
Jeff’s Pick: Almost Famous
Jeff Keane, Partner, Director of Business Development
Jeff’s pick is set in the early 1970s and tells the story of an aspiring journalist who through luck gets an assignment to write for Rolling Stone Magazine. Music lovers will appreciate the humor and wit of this well-crafted film and heartwarming story!
Betsy’s Pick: You’ve Got Mail
Betsy Cleary, Client Service Associate
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are so charming in this 1998 classic film that not even the outdated sounds of a dial-up modem can break the suspension of disbelief. Perhaps that’s why Betsy loves it so much.
“One of my all-time favorite movies to watch in the fall is Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail. It has all the charm of a late 90s rom-com. The story is centered around two business rivals who are actually anonymous pen pals. It’s set in New York City during fall & winter and has always been one of my favorites!”
Brynne’s Pick: Harry Potter (entire series)
Brynne Simms, Client Service Manager
The Harry Potter series needs no introduction, though Brynne may have to fight some of our other employees for the title of “biggest fan.”
“I would say any of the Harry Potter movies would be my go-to for fall. I do not have time to watch movies these days, but if I did, that would be an easy pick. I read all of the books as a kid, so the movies really brought it all to life for me. I’m always into the details, so I love how they made you feel like you could experience the magic from your seat. A little nerdy secret about me, a few friends and I binge-watched all the Harry Potter movies for two days straight. We finished the first Deathly Hallows movie just in time to drive to the theater to catch the midnight premiere of the last one.”
Everett’s Pick: Top Gun: Maverick, Star Wars
Everett Wilkerson, CFP®, Investment Advisor
We don’t know how many Certified Financial Planners have a degree in photography, but it can’t be a very high percentage. That’s Everett for you—quirky. On the one hand, he gives top-notch financial services and investment advice. On the other hand, he spent five months working as a janitor in Antarctica. When we asked him to talk about his favorite fall flicks, he hit us with some short but sweet zingers. “The new Top Gun. Why? It’s badass and has excellent live cinematography.” He then added, “Star Wars. All of them! Don’t ask why. Feel the FORCE!”
Hannah’s Pick: Inception
Hannah Kaplan, People Strategy Manager
Hannah loves Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Marion Cotillard. “The 2010 mind-bender from my favorite director, Christopher Nolan, combines edge-of-your-seat action and stellar performances to tell a truly mesmerizing and introspective story. Capped off with a contentious ending, you’ll be desperate for a second screening!”
Miller’s Pick: Pulp Fiction
Miller Majors, Investment Associate
It took a while to get there, but we have our first selection from the Tarantino oeuvre.
“My favorite movie of all time is Pulp Fiction, a true Quentin Tarantino masterpiece that is most certainly not for the faint of heart. My favorite part of Pulp Fiction is the dialogue and character development. Much like my favorite TV show Seinfeld, the characters in Pulp Fiction spend a large chunk of the movie talking about nothing! These conversations are incredibly important as they give incredible insight into each character’s thoughts and feelings rather than purely to advance the plot, which makes every single character an authentic person and completely engrossing as a result. Interesting characters spouting witty dialogue and great use of non-linear storytelling. Now I’m hungry for a Royale with cheese.”
Joel’s Pick: The Last Waltz
Joel Dean, CFP®, Director of Investment Associates, Investment Advisor
Joel’s pick is from legendary director Martin Scorsese.
“Everything Scorsese touches is gold to me, but I’ll recommend his documentary chronicling the final concert of The Band. The immortal rock group is one of my favorite acts (you can find one of their vinyls on my office wall), and their last show included giants such as Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Dr. John. As it says in the beginning: ‘This film should be played loud!’”
Ryan’s Pick: The Life Aquatic
Ryan Ely, Senior Investment Advisor, Investment Committee Director
A Wes Anderson film makes an appearance courtesy of Ryan.
“This is a movie I saw in theaters with my Dad and brother during Christmas 2004. We still watch it together every holiday season and crack jokes about it all year long. A classic, quirky comedy. And if you like music, the entire soundtrack is basically a David Bowie anthology . . . sung in Portuguese.”
Harris’ Pick: Goodwill Hunting
Harris Lowe, CFP®, Investment Advisor
Harris is a fan of the vehicle that catapulted Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to stardom.
“I love it because it is a great coming-of-age movie showing what you can accomplish when you are pushed out of your comfort zone.”
Pat’s Pick: Avatar: The Way of Water
Pat Malloy, CFP®, Senior Investment Advisor
Pat gets bonus points for picking a movie that hasn’t yet been released.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Avatar: The Way of Water. The first one was such a success, and I’m looking forward to learning how the story continues.”
Marisa’s Pick: Alita Battle Angel
Marisa Harris-Phang, Video & Audio Producer
A fun fact is that Marisa does all the cinematography for Capital Investment Advisors, so we take her opinion seriously in these matters. Her choice is another James Cameron movie.
“Here’s a James Cameron-backed project that’s perfect for fans of science fiction. The story of Alita—a teenage girl with a robotic warrior’s body—is based on a popular Japanese comic series from the 90s. The real gem in this film is the visuals—the technology used to bring Alita to life is incredible. Unfortunately, this project wasn’t marketed very well, so it wasn’t able to draw the crowds to the theaters. But I think it’s still worth a watch!”
