Movie Review: Chef, The Circle - The True Meaning of Success

Comparing Characteristics of Characters from: Chef, The Circle

     When we talk about a “successful” person, we are typically talking about someone who has got billions in their bank account, someone who has stared in multiple blockbusters, or maybe someone who has power over an entire nation. With a social value that most of the people share in the 21^st century, it seems like the word “success” equates with wealth, fame and power. However, after analyzing the characteristics of some of the characters in My Name is Khan, Chef, La La Land and The Circle, I begin to realize that what makes a successful person feel accomplished is not necessarily those achievements. Instead, the meaning of success truly depends on what kind of life you want to live, and often this includes a life of happiness and fulfillment.

     Nowadays, people are surrounded by a materialistic culture. We often find happiness with a specific title or object, such as buying a luxury limited edition watch and a latest iPhone. Therefore, people start to associate success with materialistic possessions. However, the truth is that if the meaning of a successful life is defined by wealth, fame and power, the happiness that it brings is not going to last long. The limited edition watch and the newest iPhone will soon be replaced by a more advanced and a more expensive one. Take Eamon Bailey from The Circle for example, he, a man with wealth, power and fame, is the representation of “successful” people in the movie. As the CEO of the world’s biggest technology company, Eamon seems to have everything that people in the society have been trying to pursue for their whole life. However, besides the happiness that he receives from material things, is he living a life with happiness and love? I doubt. By the end of the movie, it’s obvious that in order to achieve the position that Eamon has now, he certainly paid the price for his success. He has to give up a lot of things that most of individual commonly have. One of them is his conscience. As a result, I suggest that Eamon is living a life of ephemeral happiness which is not consider to be something that a successful person should have.

     Richard Branson once said, ”True success should be measured by how happy you are.” The real meaning of success is defined by personal happiness. It is the happiness that individual gets from not only materialistic possessions but also from family, work etc. Just like what Molly said to Carl Casper in Chef, “You are never going to be happy, cooking for someone else.” It is only when Carl forgets about the reviews and cooks the kind of food he likes that he starts to enjoy cooking and becomes the kind of person who considers to be success. It is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it that makes you a successful person.