The CPA crowd has been abuzz in recent weeks about the return of one of the accounting industry’s few and favorite Hollywood heroes: Ben Affleck’s Christian Wolff who headlines “The Accountant 2.”
For the uninitiated, in certain finance circles Affleck’s original 2016 thriller — dubbed the favorite film of accountants by The Wall Street Journal — enjoys a similar type of draw as that which the Watergate drama “All the President’s Men” has for journalists.
As the sequel hit theaters on April 25, the finance profession’s love for the movie lit up a Reddit accounting thread. “Crazy to think i(sic) was just a baby staff accountant fresh out of college when this first came out and now im(sic) a big boy manager,” recalled one writer on the social media platform. “I was in high school when it came out and it made me want to become an accountant. Now I’m an audit senior,” another responded.
Asked to explain the industry’s love for “The Accountant,” another Reddit writer asserted that Affleck’s character is similar to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and at the same time, that the film is ground breaking for the accounting profession in the sense that it puts accountants in a positive and heroic light rather than as nerdy, meek or worse, representing them as thieves.
“The Accountant shows the world that there’s more to you, as an accountant, than meets the eye,” the poster said in the accounting thread. “When you attend your next high school reunion or are stuck making small talk while in line at your local Chipotle and someone asks ‘So, what do you do for a living’ you can say, with all the confidence in the world, ‘I’m an accountant.’”
Full disclosure, while I’m a business journalist and an Affleck fan, I somehow completely missed “The Accountant” when it first came out. Back then I was at another publication covering the kind of commercial-backed securities that helped bring on the Great Financial Crisis. The movie that hit the closest mark there was “The Big Short” in 2015.
This week I decided to see for myself why “The Accountant” resonated with so many accountants. I watched the two movies back to back, including an impromptu date night with my husband complete with popcorn since the sequel is only in theaters.
Long story short, I was bowled over by the first movie and simply enjoyed the second. Why? Leaving aside the many beatings and killings Affleck’s highly intelligent and flawed accountant dishes out to seemingly morally-bankrupt bad characters, I was drawn in by the the humanity that the original film reflected, especially in the workplace.
It shows Affleck, who has autism, haltingly guiding a financially struggling farming couple with their taxes, actress Anna Kendrick playing a junior accountant whose fallen asleep head down on a conference room table after staying up all night working, and the two accountants bonding over what drew them to the work that many view as arcane.
“I like the balance of it. You know, I like finding things that aren't obvious. Plus, my dad was an accountant. He actually, you know, he had the whole shtick. The, you know, the little amortization book, and the green eyeshade, and the, like, dorky pocket protector,” Kendrick’s character says, leading to an awkward moment as Affleck lifts his jacket to show he has a pocket protector.
In another scene, it shows Affleck kicking into high gear and taking charge as he begins a job with a company that’s hired him to check its books as it prepares to go public. This occurs after an anomaly (trying to avoid giving away too much of the movie) in the company’s records has been found by Kendrick’s character.
“I'll need to see all those books for the past 10 years. Bank statements, complete list of clients and vendors. Hard copies printed out, my eyes only,” Affleck tells the CFO. The finance chief then asserts there’s no missing money while also acknowledging he’s been with the company for 15 years. “I need the books for the past 15 years,” Affleck quickly retorts without missing a beat.
In contrast, the sequel’s window into the accounting world is nearly closed out and Kendrick, the colleague and love interest, is missing. Instead the second movie is more focused on the relationship between Affleck and his brother. What both films share, is drama, energy, humor and chemistry — and a chance to peak into the world of wealth and mystery that accountants sometimes travel in. For instance, Affleck’s character has amassed an art collection that includes a Renoir and a prized Jackson Pollock painting that he doesn’t want to sell.
But — even though the sequel does less to showcase the day-to-day world of accounting — I would argue that the accounting industry stands to benefit if the franchise is a success and continues on with more movies. Action, mystery, money and people who really connect with one another on screen and off make for an attractive package.
A film showcasing the promise that accounting jobs could offer some of that has power. It will go a lot further toward tackling the accounting shortage and advancing the industry’s current effort to “tell a more compelling story about accounting careers” than any number of wonky webinars or after-school programs. Affleck just needs to get Kendrick back in the next picture.
