Hollywood's Obsession with Ambition

We tell many stories about ambition, but do they give us the full picture?

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[jackhansen]

One of the most ironic things about Perfect Days is the fact that it was commissioned by Uniqlo. They wanted to make an ad about their new Tokyo Toilets project and Wim decided to make the most beautiful, conscious movie of 2023, an antithesis to consumerism and grind culture.

[FishareFriendsNotFood]

"If our minds are always stuck where we could be, we miss out on being where we are." What a great lesson!

[qqleq]

Today I drove nine hours from Paris to Amsterdam. I had three hitchhikers (via an app). A Syrian refugee, a French animator who is also a 40 year long Buddhist and a young woman from the Netherlands living on an ecological farm. For nine hours, I had discussions with three completely different people. All the themes that you touch in this videos we touched today in my car to great length through different cultures. And after the ride this was the first video that was suggested to me on my timeline. A very beautiful coincidence.

I love your work on YouTube, keep up the good work. I think that anyone interested in film should be interested in life, just as you are.

[WillyShakes]

People believe that they have to validate their existence by "achieving something".

[kellymanchester]

Didn't expect to have an existential crisis from watching this.

[MossMwaura]

Watching from Kenya,
Sometimes, ambition is just a means to survive for others, a path to escape the horrors some of us are born into. A way to hope and dream, working hard, hoping you will make it out of the tunnel in one piece.

[hotdogbowl]

This reminds me of something my violin teacher told me years ago, when I was describing feeling pressured to go back to college by my employer, who wanted me to eventually be a CPA. I was feeling ashamed for not wanting to go because I really didn’t care about going further and becoming a CPA. She made the point that our society has become too obsessed with being outstanding and “what’s wrong with wanting a simple, small life?” It really changed how I felt and realized there’s nothing wrong with me and I don’t have to want to be the next best thing. This video is the perfect exploration of that. Thank you, Thomas. It made me tear up.

[Xeothoughts]

Man... every time the Bear comes up I think about how it *really* is not a comedy.

[erdelegy]

The 2016 film Paterson is about a bus driver and poet named Paterson who lives in Paterson, New Jersey. The movie was written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and stars Adam Driver as Paterson and Golshifteh Farahani as his wife, Laura. The film explores the triumphs and defeats of daily life, and the poetry that can be found in the smallest details.
Paterson's daily routine is simple: he drives his bus route, writes poetry in a notebook, stops at a bar for one beer, and then goes home to Laura. Laura's world is constantly changing, with new dreams that come to her almost every day. The film also explores the energy that keeps a city's lifeblood going, the closeness and loneliness of couplehood, and how spare time activities can define who we are.

[jrosen]

"All the dude ever wanted was his rug back"-Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski
The ultimate ode to the nobility of the unambitious

[MysteryFanGirl]

This is something my brother and I spoke about multiple times specifically when we went to Japan 🇯🇵 last year. He suddenly passed away last May and his words “I’m proud of you, for who you are” made me realize the importance of being true to yourself, not defining your worth by what society believes is successful and how being present is more important than always running for the next step.

[Ellary_Rosewood]

I have my ambitions in life of course, but I also understand that real life is happening all the time. Sure, I'm working hard towards my goals and creating the life I want to live, but not at the expense of enjoying my day to day life. This is where gratitude and being present really comes into play. In our modern society, so many of us are so stressed, worried, and trying to rush through life. It only makes time go faster. We need to SLOW DOWN. Take time to just sit outside, put your back up against a tree, take deep breaths, and simply enjoy the magic of existence. Notice all the beautiful details that surround you, from the feeling of wind on your face, the sound of birds singing, and the cold wet grass between your fingers. For me that's what life is really all about. It's being connected to everything. Realizing that this life is so short and so fleeting. Don't forget that and rush through life. Chase your dreams, yes, but enjoy the journey. ❤️

[chlintonkuang]

The core message of the Pixar movie Soul is that appreciation & ambition can and must coexist if we are to live a good life. There is a way to use gratitude for the life you currently live to build your ideal life. In the same way that you don't have to berate your past self for living in a certain way, you can appreciate and also acknowledge that there is room to grow. A life of peace & prosperity is indeed noble; A life where you shouldered the burden you were capable of holding is equally noble

[Coldpizza]

As a 20 year old, who’s finding himself more lost in the world of monetary gain every day, I can’t express to you how much I needed this video. Thank you.

[senaarth]

literally watching this in my lunch break after a mental breakdown because i am trying to finish college and also having a job and can’t handle it anymore

[TheHeadClanker]

It's so bizarre that I was having a similar debate in my own head about this all week after recently watching Perfect Days. It's easily one of my favorites films in years because it feels like a break from the constant and unrelenting goal-achieving motif that so many movies and popular TV shows focus on. It's one of those movies that I feel touching my soul because for years I have tried to focus on the present instead of comparing myself to others. Appreciating the little moments in daily life brings me more joy than focusing on big life goals or aspirations because they're not tangible in that moment.
Your channel is easily my favorite on Youtube. Each video is a work of art, so please keep up it up Thomas. Now is now.

[SL-]

I’m an old wise man so just hear me out. The difference between ambition and greed is so razor thin that it is impossible to distinguish the difference when you see it. These characters that Hollywood continues to feed us as ambition is just really greed we’re watching. It’s so disgusting to watch. They want more fame, they want more recognition, they want more money, they want more awards and it just doesn’t stop. They set such high living standards based on a human construct. If you notice the common denominator with these characters is, at the cost of happiness, a never ending pursuit to have MORE of “whatever” than the other guy or gal. The Hollywood viewer walks away feeling like their life is a failure for not being ambitious enough. Greed is disgusting. So sad. Life is not a competition. Let’s start a happiness revolution!

[Legalizeasbestos]

It’s no surprise filmmakers mostly make movies about chasing your dreams in the face of relentless doubt ending in success. It’s because that’s the life of a successful filmmaker. It’s the only thing they know.

[Tonoborus]

I think the most influential (notorious?) non-ambitious film character of my generation is 'the Dude'. That probably says something. The Dude abides.

[ryanroehrig]

I think Episode 6 absolutely solidifies this question. Tina’s story colliding with Michael Carmy’s brother is just an amazing moment of Michael realizing the beauty in a simple care of our family. He speaks about a building filled with people following dreams. He said it was depressing and that moment is so palpable. It hit me as truly a beautiful message