Giving Thought

Episode 43 is an Oscars special! We explore philanthropy at the movies: what films there are about philanthropy (if any), what insight they can offer, and some ideas for future films that could be made. Topics covered include: Why aren’t there any genuinely great portrayals of philanthropy or the big questions it raises on film? Fictional philanthropists in movies The philanthropist as plot device or cinematic shorthand Do comic book adaptations offer the most insightful portrayal of philanthropy issues in the movies? Is Tony Stark (Iron Man) an example of the challenge of doing good with tainted money? What does X Men’s Charles Xavier tell us about enlightened self-interest? Is The Marvel Avengers: Civil War storyline really about the tension between philanthropic liberty and democratic accountability? Does Black Panther highlight the challenges of issue-based vs place-based identity in philanthropy? Is Thanos an effective altruist? Pitching some of the great philanthropic stories we could tell on film: