Uncut Gems: Be Content with Your Lot
Uncut Gems (2019), image provided by The Advocate
“I made a crazy risk, a gamble, and it’s about to pay off.”
- Howard Ratner, Uncut Gems
in·sa·tia·ble
/inˈsāSHəb(ə)l/
adjective
(of an appetite or desire) impossible to satisfy.
"an insatiable hunger for success"
Adam Sandler’s character, Howard Ratner, is a Jewish jewelry store owner in New York’s business district. His business has been slow, and he is desperate to earn money. He takes a risk and purchases a rare opal from Somalia. We later discover that Ratner purchases the opal with money that he owes a violent gangster. He also owes money to several other people. In conjunction, Ratner is an impulsive gambler. He bets on various basketball games; his favorite team is the Boston Celtics. Uncut Gems masters the art of subtly. If your subconscious is paying attention, you will have no problem finding the hidden gems in this movie.
The term American dream was originally created by writer James Truslow in 1931. He described it as a land that provides equal opportunity, regarding ability and achievement, for everyone. Not realizing it, Truslow gave birth to greed. In an era of Instagram, YouTube, and now Tik Tok, the American dream is still for sale and it’s for anyone of any age. In 2018, an 11-year-old made headlines. He was making $11 million a year reviewing toys on YouTube. Today, most children understand the concept of money before they learn how to count it. After all, you can always hire someone to do that. Children are taught that too much candy is detrimental, but too much money is never enough. There were several times that Ratner had the opportunity to settle his debts, but he chose not to. Ratner’s insatiable hunger for success caused his untimely win and his ultimate loss, to which he simply responded, ‘this is how I win.’ For example, take the coronavirus pandemic. Before the pandemic, Americans took to social media complaining about their jobs. I was one of those people. Now, those same people would do anything to keep their jobs. Although the first coronavirus case was discovered on Dec. 1, 2019, Americans did not start taking necessary precautions until months later. Why? A pandemic means stopping productivity, which means a decline in income. We (Americans) are willing to put ourselves in danger for the sake of money.
Uncut Gems reminds me of the age-old fable, the crab, and the fox. One day, a crab grew disgusted with his environment and ventured further inland. He arrived only to be eaten by a fox. The moral of the story is, be content with your lot. There is nothing wrong with being hungry for success, but don’t let your appetite blind you from what’s currently on your plate.
