Independent Lens - Season 8 - Eps 22: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Enron dives from the seventh largest US company to bankruptcy in less than a year in this tale told chronologically. The emphasis is on human drama, from suicide to 20,000 people sacked: the personalities of Ken Lay (with Falwellesque rectitude), Jeff Skilling (he of big ideas), Lou Pai (gone with $250 M), and Andy Fastow (the dark prince) dominate. Along the way, we watch Enron game California's deregulated electricity market, get a free pass from Arthur Andersen (which okays the dubious mark-to-market accounting), use greed to manipulate banks and brokerages (Merrill Lynch fires the analyst who questions Enron's rise), and hear from both Presidents Bush what great guys these are.
About Independent Lens
Title: Independent Lens
First Air Date: 1999-08-09
Last Air Date: 2024-11-11
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 6.833/10 (from 12 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 26
Total Episodes: 510
Network: PBS
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: ITVS
Synopsis
This acclaimed Emmy Award-winning anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers and featuring unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history.
Cast
Stanley Tucci
