Leadership Movies

 I recently watched the Mel Gibson movie We Were Soldiers about America taking the Vietnam War baton from the French. Setting aside the dubious use of death and violence as entertainment, I enjoyed the film and appreciated its portrayal of a culture of which I'm certain Hollywood has very little understanding. I don't mean the culture of Vietnam, but the culture of honor and leadership that has been central to the militaries of the West for centuries. That culture now appears to be suffering a quick and grotesque death, partly caused by the intrepid degeneracy of Hollywood, but that's what actors do: pretend to be something they're not. Every now and then, though, Hollywood gets it right and produces a film that showcases the best of humanity: moral, humble, confident, God-fearing, and self-sacrificing.

(Interestingly aside: in recent decades Mel Gibson has been the writer, directory, producer and/or lead actor in a high percentage of those films.)

Entertainment will always reflect the character of the culture that spawns it, but it can also have a powerful influence on that culture. A positive feedback loop, for good or ill.

Below is a list of movies and TV series that I think showcase great leaders and leadership. It will start small, because I can only think of a couple right now, but I'll add more when I think of them or encounter them. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments. 

It's not an accident that most of them have military themes. Stories about leadership are much easier to come by in very high stress, dangerous environments.

Your mileage may vary, so check reviews and ratings, and possibly screen everything here before letting your children watch them. No movie is perfect and your standards are certain to differ from my own in many important respects. 

• We Were Soldiers: Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Barry Pepper, et al
• The Lost Battalion: Ricky Schroder, Phil McKee, Adam James, et al
• 12 Angry Men: Henry Fonda, Lee Cob, Jack Klugman, et al
• Enders Game: Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, et al
• Guardians of the Galaxy, vol 3: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, et al
• Glory: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, et al
• Dune Part Two

I started watching Stargate Atlantis, and after 6 episodes, it seems a great counterpoint to the list above. Lots of examples of terrible leadership except for Robert Patrick's character, Colonel Sumner, in episode 1. Maybe. As I continue watching, it's apparent that this is one of those shows in which all the characters take turns being ridiculously stupid.