Jean Paul Getty Sr. was the founder of the Getty Oil Company in 1942, and named the richest living American by Fortune magazine in 1957. In 1966 the Guinness Book of Records listed him as the world's richest private citizen. How would such a man react to the kidnapping of his grandson?
source: YouTube
Before I go on spoiling the plot of the film (you've been warned), I would really recommend you go watch the film first if you haven't yet seen it. What's funny is that the film's production was mired with problems that are still dominating the news headlines today. We're heading towards an economic recession that's predicted to be worse than the one we suffered in 2008, while the insanely rich will still see their profits and wealth grow, widening the wealth-gap even more, and this film portrays perfectly that gap in the juxtaposition of the moneyless and helpless mother trying to get her son back, and the insanely rich grandfather oil-tycoon who refuses to pay even one cent for his grandson's release. And Christopher Plummer wasn't even to play the role of this stingy grandfather; Kevin Spacey landed that role, but was traded in at the last minute when sexual misconduct allegations were made against him. And to top it off, it was later reported that Mark Wahlberg (who plays the role of the ex-CIA advisor and negotiator for J. Paul Getty Sr.) had been paid $1.5 million to Williams's $1,000 for the reshoots, which sparked a debate on gender pay gap in Hollywood.
This is the story of the 2017 film All the Money in the World, directed by Ridley Scott. I saw the film at the cinema when it was released and watched it again a few days ago in the comfort of my own home, and I must say I really like it. Not only because of the strong roles by Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty and Michelle Williams as his ex-daughter in law, but because of its message about money, capitalism and morality. The film follows the events during and after the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, the son of Gail Harris (played by Michelle Williams) and J. Paul Getty's son John Paul Getty Jr. The kidnapping takes place in 1973, two years after these two had been divorced over John Paul Getty Jr's drug addiction; Gail Harris isn't part of the Getty empire anymore and raises her children, Getty Sr's grandchildren, on her own without any financial support.
The film, after a few flashbacks showing J. Paul Getty's rise to riches and the early years of his grandchildren under his financial wings, focuses on the clash between Gail Harris and J. Paul Getty Sr., as well as the ordeals of John Paul Getty III in the hands of the kidnappers. Even if Christopher Plummer got the role just a month before the film's release, he does a great job as the stingy, greedy and extremely frugal tycoon. The audience gets a good insight in the man's psyche, for example when he's asked of he really is the world's first billionaire and if he's ever counted how much money he has, he answers "if you can count your money, you're not a billionaire," to the delight of the assembled news reporters. Later his advisor, who's been helping Gail Harris get her son back, has a discussion with him, once again asking for the ransom money right after the tycoon got message that his profits went up once again. The tycoon answers that he can not give the money, because he fears losing his fortune if the oil-embargo is lifted and oil-prices drop down. The advisor then asks "when will you have enough to feel secure?" The answer is just one word: "More."
A glimmer of hope arrives in the life of Gail Harris when she receives a phone-call from one of Getty Sr's lawyers informing her that he's finally willing to contribute to the payment of the ransom. However, when she arrives in London, she learns about Getty Sr's harsh conditions: she's to turn over custody of her children to Getty's son, whom she had divorced because he's a drug addict, and the contribution is limited to only 1 million dollar, which is the maximum tax-deductible sum. J. Paul Getty Sr. explains during the film, to his advisor played by Mark Wahlberg, how he'd never been able to build the same relationships with other people like ha had with things; he was an avid collector of all kinds of art and we even see him buying a painting for 1.2 million dollar. We also see him reveal a miniature of a mansion he's building in California which must be worth millions as well. But he refuses to fork over the 4 million dollar needed to buy his grandson's freedom. The 4 million was negotiated down from 17 million, and John Paul Getty III has been held captive for months by now. Only when the kidnappers send one of Getty III's ears, and after Getty Sr. gets scolded by his advisor does he finally yield and agree to pay the 4 million.
After a few scenes with the kidnappers leaving instructions about the trade, and John Paul Getty III being chased by them because the police were informed, we're treated to a happy end with mother and son (minus one ear) reunited. Shortly after that (in 1976) we see Getty Sr. dying in his estate, surrounded by the priceless art-pieces he'd collected over decades, and Gail Harris once again getting a phone-call from his lawyers;
When Getty dies in 1976, Gail is tasked with managing her children's inherited wealth until they are of age. The company was set up as a charitable trust, which meant that Getty's income was tax-free but also not spendable. He had invested much of it in paintings, sculptures and other artifacts, most of which now reside in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
source: Wikipedia
Seems like a happy ending, right? Well, maybe. In reality, John Paul Getty III was permanently affected by this kidnapping and he developed a drug and alcohol addiction during the years that followed. In 1981, he drank a Valium, methadone, and alcohol cocktail which caused liver failure and a stroke, leaving him quadriplegic, partially blind, and unable to speak. Getty III died at his father's estate at Wormsley Park, Buckinghamshire, on February 5, 2011, aged 54, following a long illness. He had been in poor health since his 1981 drug overdose.
All the money in the world can't buy you happiness or love. That's one of the messages I get from this story. But also: you have to have the "right" personality traits, or better yet: lack the right personality traits to gain all the money in the world. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that sociopathy and psychopathy, as well as narcissism and megalomania are far more prevalent among the world's richest people. Christopher Plummer portrays perfectly this attitude in the role of J. Paul Getty who in real life was seen as an extremely frugal person as well. Gail Harris comments during the meeting in London something like "how wonderful that you can file the ransom for your grandson's life as a tax-deductible," and we, the audience see the tycoon smiling. We hear him admitting that he has better relationships with things than with humans, citing that things are "always what you expect them to be." In any case, I highly recommend this film, not just for its entertainment value (opinions on which may vary), but for the strong character roles and the lessons it teaches us about how we relate to money and to each other.
ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD - Official Trailer (HD)
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