Born Rich Review Score: 6/10 | Date Posted: October 22nd 2004 In: DVD Reviews Born Rich Review by Vince D’Amato Starring: Jamie Johnson, Luke Weill, Ivanka Trump Directed by: Jamie Johnson Released by: Shout! Factory The Documentary: Our director and host is Jamie Johnson, the wealthy young heir of the Johnson & Johnson family fortune. Yes, Johnson & Johnson, as in baby shampoo and Band-Aids. Questioning his place in the small world of rich kids – all whom have inherited their great wealth and basically will never have to work a day in their lives – Jamie Johnson decided to embark on this personal life question in the form of a cheaply-shot documentary. At first look, what came to my mind was the recent glut of absurd reality shows like The Apprentice; The Benefactor and Growing Up Gotti – or shows where fame-mongering rich folks exploit themselves, their lives, the people around them, and often total strangers. Apparently, that’s what a lot of Born Rich’s participants were envisioning as well – so what we actually get is a handful of barely-legal heirs and heiresses speaking on-camera about their views of their own lives and wealth. Surprisingly, this documentary is filled with candid and seemingly honest interviews about growing up rich – how outsiders perceive these kids, their school life, and yes, their worries. They worry about making something of themselves, showing their family up (or giving them the proverbial bird) and also some I never really thought about… Fear. Fear of losing their money – and ultimately, having to cope as a working member of society, which is something they were never taught. This concept, foreign to these kids, would be frightening through their eyes. As a side-note, the best interview segments were of the extremely intelligent Cody Franchetti, a textile heir who got himself into high-end tailoring. Although Born Rich was likable and had a good mix of interviews – and decent work by Jamie Johnson – ultimately, this was not necessarily educational. Nor, after seeing the outstanding Super Size Me, was it particularly entertaining. Just… fairly interesting. The DVD supplements: There is an audio commentary and some deleted scenes. Nothing too great here.

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