Life Lessons from the Ocean's Trilogy

When Steven Soderbergh thought of putting together a remake of the classic 1960’s Rat Pack film, Ocean’s Eleven, he couldn’t have anticipated how successful it would turn out to be. The movie not only grossed $450 million – thus making it the fifth highest grossing movie of 2001 – it led to two successful sequels (Ocean’s Twelve in 2004, Ocean’s Thirteen in 2007) and a further remake (2018’s Ocean’s Eight). It also helped establish the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon as leading men as well as breathe new life into the careers of old timers like Carl Reiner and Elliot Gould. The movies mostly center on different heist jobs been pulled by Danny Ocean (Clooney) and his multitalented crew. Although Danny and his crew are on the wrong side of the law, it’s clear they are motivated by more than just greed. We root for them because in them we see qualities we admire and standards we aspire to. This is a list of some of the biggest lessons from the Ocean’s trilogy.

There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother

When Danny gets out of jail in Ocean’s Eleven, the first thing he does is finds out where Rusty (Brad Pitt) is. The scene where they reunite over a poker game is one of a handful of iconic scenes in the trilogy as the viewer gets to see one of the most intriguing partnerships in modern cinema. Over the course of the three movies, Rusty and Danny converse, scheme and plot in such a natural fashion you’d believe they once shared a womb. Good friends don’t only make life’s journeys more tolerable, they also offer an almost familial level of support.

Planning is Everything

Part of what makes these movies so enthralling is watching Ocean’s crew find ways to defy the substantial odds against them to succeed. In each movie, they come up against a foe with more resources, more power and more malevolence than they can muster combined. And yet with good planning they find a way to defy the odds. They not only do preliminary planning (usually with only Danny and Rusty), planning in the middle (with the whole crew) and last minute planning (with any up to date changes). It’s not just important to plan but to update your plans as necessary.

A good reputation is worth its weight in gold

When Danny all but confirmed he was behind the sabotaging of Banks’ opening night at his new casino, Bank (Al Pacino) threatens him with revenge. The smirk on Danny’s face is priceless as he posits that he knows all the people Bank would send after him and they like him better. It’s never explicitly stated how deep his network of connections are, but it’s certainly clear that the people that do know him think the world of him and are willing to help him in whichever way they can. In life you’re always going to need help from others and as such, it’s pays to carry yourself well and treat people with respect.

Think outside the box

It would have been impossible for the Ocean’s crew to accomplish even half of what they accomplished without the ability to think outside the box. It didn’t matter if they had to simulate earthquakes, impersonate a SWAT team or even raise a building several inches higher. They were always able to consider every option as viable regardless of how crazy it sounded.

Love conquers all

The Oceans films are certainly big on style and glitz which make them very rewatchable. But what might be missed is that they all have heart behind the heists. Ocean’s Eleven was about Danny trying to win his ex-wife (Julia Roberts) back from Benedict. Twelve was about Rusty not only reconnecting with an old girlfriend, Isabela (Catherine Zeta-Jones), but reuniting her with her father. Thirteen was about the entire crew bandying together for the sake of Reuben, one of their own. While making money and staying alive were huge motivations, it’s clear that love is also a significant factor. Life is truly not worth living without it.

Diversity is the spice

When Danny and Rusty came together to build the team that would be known as Ocean's Eleven, they carefully deliberated on the scale of their task and made sure to recruit accordingly. Maybe it was a coincidence that the best choices for the individual roles were of different races and backgrounds, but it certainly made for a more interesting movie for the viewer. It also shows what is possible when people of different orientations and experiences can accomplish when they share a common goal.

Life is a gamble

I started this list by stating the first thing Danny did upon his release was seek out Rusty, but technically the first thing he did was violate his parole – he wasn’t supposed to leave the state. Then he managed to convince the recently assembled crew to work on stealing from Terry Benedict, a powerful and dangerous man. In Oceans Thirteen, they decided to take on an even more powerful and ruthless foe in Willy Bank. Part of the thrill of watching (and rewatching) the Oceans series is seeing these guys live on the edge, cheating death or capture with every move. Life is all about taking or not taking chances and it’s in our best interest to opt for the former.

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