FIlms or Television Shows that Most Accurately Depict Your Job

[lawrocket 3]

I used to think "A Few Good Men" was a cool movie. Then I went to the military and saw some things I didn't like, but the movie was still all right.

Then I went to law school and started practicing. The movie sucks. Due to my career, I just cannot suspend disbelief at it. The awesome scenes with Tom Cruise ranting and raving in court during questioning of Nicholson's character just leave me thinking, "Fuckin' guy would have been remanded to custody for contempt pretty early on."

Most law movies, shows, etc., just leave me frustrated. The witnesses are always there to see what the other witnesses are saying, and are indignant. Matters go from consultation to trial in minutes (even in the shows, it is depicted as days, instead of the months or years it takes). Rarely is the everyday drudgery involved, and the depictions are just about always wholly inaccurate.

There is a movie, though, that is what I consider to be the most realistic depiction of a trial lawyer's existence. There are problems with it (the witness in the courtroom, the general flow, but it is almost "This is Spinal Tap" with its reflection of realism.

I speak of "My Cousin Vinny." The movie reflects the shit that just happens in court. There is a lot of creative license. There is argument in his questioning about the grits ("guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove.") And other little nuanced things.

I know this line, too:

Quote

It's a procedure. Like rebuilding a carburetor has a procedure. You know, when you rebuild a carburetor, the first thing you do is you take the carburetor off the manifold? Supposing you skip the first step, and while you're replacing one of the jets, you accidentally drop the jet, it goes down the carburetor, rolls along the manifold, and goes into the head. You're fucked. You just learned the hard way that you gotta remove the carburetor first, right? So that's all that happened to me today. I learned the hard way. Actually, it was a good learning experience for me.

But much of it is pure realistic satire.

Quote

I bought a suit. You seen it. Now it's covered in mud. This town doesn't have a one hour cleaner so I had to buy a new suit, except the only store you could buy a new suit in has got the flu. Got that? The whole store got the flu so I had to get this in a second hand store. So it's either wear the leather jacket which I know you hate, or this. So I wore this ridiculous thing for you.

And he gets sanctioned.

Perhaps my favorite exchange is"

Quote

Vinny: I object to this witness being called at this time. We've been given no prior notice he would testify. No discovery of any tests he's conducted or reports he's prepared. And as the court is aware, the defense is entitled to advance notice of all witness who will testify, particularly those who will give scientific evidence, so that we can properly prepare for cross-examination, as well as give the defense an opportunity to have his reports reviewed by a defense expert, who might then be in a position to contradict the veracity of his conclusions.
Judge: That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.
Vinny: Thank you, sir.
Judge: Overruled.

No attorney with any real experience hasn't had that situation happen. You get somethign you should win and you don't.

But it's also a reflection of other things. You can prepare all you want, over-prepare if necessary, and during the course of trial, a new angle pops up that can cinch it. When he saw the tire marks, he knew that it was his key to victory. It's happened to me. It seems to have happened to others to whom I've spoken.

If you want to get an idea about the confusion of trial, and how sometimes things are just stacked against you, check out the film.

But I'd like to know what shows give a fairly accurate depiction of your job, and why.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[NickDG 23]

I think, "Deadliest Catch" accurately portrays being an AFF Instructor.

Except they get more money . . .

NickD

[beowulf 1]

None, not one single movie has ever portrayed a Systems Administrator correctly. If they did everyone would bored to tears. None of them have ever been remotely close.

[quade 4]

Quote

None, not one single movie has ever portrayed a Systems Administrator correctly. If they did everyone would bored to tears. None of them have ever been remotely close.

This is true of MOST portrayals of MOST jobs in TV and Film.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[beowulf 1]

yeah

Even the hacker films are way off. The closest to reality is probably War Games. All the rest are just stupid. I couldn't stand Swordfish. It's just too stupid.

[millertime24 8]

I would have to say "Scrubs". We tend to get into our share of jackassery around here.

Muff #5048

[pyrodude 0]

I have yet to ever see a film that accurately portrays what goes on in an operating room, and there have been scores of movies and hundreds of scenes that attempt to go there. It makes me wonder if they ever bother to hire a physician consultant who actually practices medicine, or if they heed their opinions at all.

[gravitysurfer 0]

Currently unemployed but 'Office Space' used to nail it pretty accurately.

aloha.

[lawrocket 3]

Quote

I have yet to ever see a film that accurately portrays what goes on in an operating room,

I saw a scene on "Scrubs" a few years back where the attending and the resident were arguing about who gets to choose. The attending, being the atending, won, and Erasure was put on the stereo.

I've been in OR's a couple of times. It's more like people gathered around a car working on the engine. The radio on, the chatter. All that's missing is the beer.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[millertime24 8]

Quote

Quote

I have yet to ever see a film that accurately portrays what goes on in an operating room,

I saw a scene on "Scrubs" a few years back where the attending and the resident were arguing about who gets to choose. The attending, being the atending, won, and Erasure was put on the stereo.

I've been in OR's a couple of times. It's more like people gathered around a car working on the engine. The radio on, the chatter. All that's missing is the beer.

Apperantly you haven't seen a tibial rod removal. That usually leaves enough blood spatter on the ceiling to piss off the calmest of housekeepers. Ah yes, and military ortho docs are some of the most foul-mouthed hot-tempered individuals Ive ever met.

Muff #5048

[BikerBabe 0]

yup, mine was a mixture of The Pentagon Wars and Office Space.

which is why i no longer do that for a living...

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[skydiver30960 0]

The problem is, nothing that ANYBODY does is as cool as it seems. If it was, they wouldn't have to pay us to do it, we'd just do that for free.

Then, consider the fact that people watch movies and TV with their precious free time. SO, how can we convince people to spend (waste) their free time watching stories about stuff that is, inherently, boring? Well.. just gotta jazz it up a bit.

I'm an ICU RN, and I work with what are (to me) pretty cool patients. On the continuum of human existence, these people are definitely TOWARDS the "clinging by a thread" end of the spectrum. But even my job gets pretty humdrum. It's a small fraction of our patients that are AT the point of clinging by a thread. So my job, just like every other one that's portrayed as "extreme" or "exciting" is just a lot of humdrum with an occasional moment that meets the hype.

Elvisio "drug pusher" Rodriguez

edit for apostrophe abuse

[ryoder 1,590]

Quote

yup, mine was a mixture of The Pentagon Wars ...

Oh, that was a classic!

Quote

Madame Chairwoman: I ask you General, filling the fuel tanks with WATER before a test to check the combustibility of those tanks, that wasn't devious?

Major General Partridge: If the tanks had been filled with fuel, there's a good chance the vehicle would have exploded.

Congressman #1: Isn't that the point?

Major General Partridge: If the vehicle had exploded, we wouldn't be able to run additional tests!

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[skydiver30960 0]

Quote

I've been in OR's a couple of times. It's more like people gathered around a car working on the engine. The radio on, the chatter. All that's missing is the beer.

Why do you think they always knock you out?

Elvisio "otherwise the patient would want to pick the tunes" Rodriguez

[FreeflyChile 0]

Quote

I used to think "A Few Good Men" was a cool movie. Then I went to the military and saw some things I didn't like, but the movie was still all right.

Then I went to law school and started practicing. The movie sucks. Due to my career, I just cannot suspend disbelief at it. The awesome scenes with Tom Cruise ranting and raving in court during questioning of Nicholson's character just leave me thinking, "Fuckin' guy would have been remanded to custody for contempt pretty early on."

Most law movies, shows, etc., just leave me frustrated. The witnesses are always there to see what the other witnesses are saying, and are indignant. Matters go from consultation to trial in minutes (even in the shows, it is depicted as days, instead of the months or years it takes). Rarely is the everyday drudgery involved, and the depictions are just about always wholly inaccurate.

There is a movie, though, that is what I consider to be the most realistic depiction of a trial lawyer's existence. There are problems with it (the witness in the courtroom, the general flow, but it is almost "This is Spinal Tap" with its reflection of realism.

I speak of "My Cousin Vinny." The movie reflects the shit that just happens in court. There is a lot of creative license. There is argument in his questioning about the grits ("guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove.") And other little nuanced things.

I know this line, too:

Quote

It's a procedure. Like rebuilding a carburetor has a procedure. You know, when you rebuild a carburetor, the first thing you do is you take the carburetor off the manifold? Supposing you skip the first step, and while you're replacing one of the jets, you accidentally drop the jet, it goes down the carburetor, rolls along the manifold, and goes into the head. You're fucked. You just learned the hard way that you gotta remove the carburetor first, right? So that's all that happened to me today. I learned the hard way. Actually, it was a good learning experience for me.

But much of it is pure realistic satire.

Quote

I bought a suit. You seen it. Now it's covered in mud. This town doesn't have a one hour cleaner so I had to buy a new suit, except the only store you could buy a new suit in has got the flu. Got that? The whole store got the flu so I had to get this in a second hand store. So it's either wear the leather jacket which I know you hate, or this. So I wore this ridiculous thing for you.

And he gets sanctioned.

Perhaps my favorite exchange is"

Quote

Vinny: I object to this witness being called at this time. We've been given no prior notice he would testify. No discovery of any tests he's conducted or reports he's prepared. And as the court is aware, the defense is entitled to advance notice of all witness who will testify, particularly those who will give scientific evidence, so that we can properly prepare for cross-examination, as well as give the defense an opportunity to have his reports reviewed by a defense expert, who might then be in a position to contradict the veracity of his conclusions.
Judge: That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.
Vinny: Thank you, sir.
Judge: Overruled.

No attorney with any real experience hasn't had that situation happen. You get somethign you should win and you don't.

But it's also a reflection of other things. You can prepare all you want, over-prepare if necessary, and during the course of trial, a new angle pops up that can cinch it. When he saw the tire marks, he knew that it was his key to victory. It's happened to me. It seems to have happened to others to whom I've spoken.

If you want to get an idea about the confusion of trial, and how sometimes things are just stacked against you, check out the film.

But I'd like to know what shows give a fairly accurate depiction of your job, and why.

Have you tried the opening statement from that movie in court yet?

[pyrodude 0]

Foul mouthed and hot tempered orthopods are definitely found outside the military too. An old anesthesiologist I knew years ago wanted to develop a blood test to give to newborns to see if they would grow up to be orthopods. If it was positive you could crush their heads like eggshells and leave them on the beach at low tide.

[millertime24 8]

Muff #5048

[turtlespeed 226]

There are very few movies or even sitcoms that can capture the true incredulity of the unprofessionalism that is the construction industry today. The unions, however unlikely, have a better grasp of it than most.

This is a general statement, and it is not to include all subcontractors that I work with, although it DOES encompass the majority, and not the simple one either.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[aresye 0]

Tears of the Sun

No I am not a SEAL, but the movie does portray naval aircrewman pretty well, and shows a lot of real aircrewman, as the helos that were used in the movie were from an HSL squadron I believe.

Skydiving: You either learn from other's mistakes, or they'll learn from yours.

[jtval 0]

Point break describes my job to the tee.

My photos

My Videos

[PhreeZone 20]

Which part? The surfing, the chasing the bank robbers or the cheesy dialog?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Squeak 17]

Quote

Point break describes my job to the tee.

Are you a Surfing Bank robber

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[FreeflyChile 0]

Quote

Which part? The surfing, the chasing the bank robbers or the cheesy dialog?

I think he's referring to the 4 minute freefalls.

[kallend 2,156]

All the Indiana Jones movies accurately depict the life of a college professor.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[happythoughts 0]

Quote

yeah

Even the hacker films are way off. The closest to reality is probably War Games. All the rest are just stupid. I couldn't stand Swordfish. It's just too stupid.

For mainframe systems, you get 4 chances to guess the password, per day. If you are actually the user and mistype 4 times in one day, you have to call the "help" desk to get it reset in some places.

For the old unix systems, it used to be as easy as a quick download of the etc/passwd file. Then, just run the passwords against an encrypted "best choice" dictionary - pets names, kids names, major/minor deities, sexy personal nicknames.

Now, everything is so difficult.

It is stupid how movies say, "Get into the FBI database? Give me 15 seconds... Bing!"

Of course, it is all make-believe... so I just enjoy the flagrant display of boobies in geek movies.

The biggest fiction in all geek movies - that chicks secretly dig smart guys if they "just get to know me". (The "Stalker" theme). Hence all the "nerd/cheerleader" movies.