Playing with FIRE – Documentary Review

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I recently got the chance to attend a screening of the brand new documentary, Playing with FIRE, in the Bay Area. I initially heard that this documentary was in the works back in August 2017 when ChooseFI interviewed one of the producers, Scott Rieckens. Along the way there were plenty of teasers and words of affirmation from the community that this documentary was the real deal. At long last, it was completed and began having showings throughout the country. I had been anticipating it for those two years, and even with my high expectations it didn’t disappoint!

What is Playing with FIRE?

Playing with FIRE is a documentary that follows Scott, his wife Taylor, and their 2-year-old daughter Jovie, discovering the financial independence movement and the quest to change their lifestyle. They started off as your typical upper-middle class American couple, living in a nice beach house near San Diego, California. They drove fancy cars, went on luxurious vacations, and seemed to have it all. However, something was missing. As they continued grinding away at their 9-to-5 jobs, they continued living paycheck-to-paycheck with no room for error. Scott got to the point where he was wondering if there was something more to life, a way to have more freedom to spend with his wife and daughter.

Eventually, Scott discovers the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement through a Tim Ferriss podcast with Mr. Money Mustache. In that moment, his life was changed, and he raced home to pitch the idea to Taylor. Initially, she was skeptical, and the movie follows along their journey as her mindset slowly shifts to match Scott’s enthusiasm.

Ultimate Relatability

What jumped out to me the most through the whole film was the relatability. Sure, not everyone lives in a beach house in San Diego or moves back in with their parents to save up money, but the Rieckens are a very likable and relatable family. The audience can see Taylor’s skepticism and concerns, and is right there with her. As they begin making cuts to their lifestyle: downsizing the BMW to a Honda, selling their San Diego home, moving in with their parents for a few months, and then ultimately settling in a modest home in Bend, Oregon, you feel the emotions through Taylor and Scott.

Will their plan actually work? Will downsizing and becoming more intentional with their money lead to more freedom and more time to spend together? Throughout the journey they display hope and persistence that is inspiring to the audience. Along the way the film features interview snippets from some of the top minds of the FIRE movement including: Mr. Money Mustache, Vicki Robin, Mad Fientist, JL Collins, Millennial Revolution, Choose FI, and many more.

Perfect for Both Experts and Beginners

There is something for everyone in this movie, both people who have never heard of FIRE before and those already along the journey. It’s a great introduction to what financial independence is, what living an intentional lifestyle looks like, and the benefits that can be achieved by making small changes to how you think about money. My favorite scene in the whole movie was when Scott and Taylor sit down and go to invest money in index funds for the first time.

They have just opened up a Vanguard account, and they call a representative for assistance. The automated voice asks what they want help with, and they both timidly reply, “investing in VTSAX.” I love this, as I went through almost this same exact scenario. I knew investing was important, I wanted to get started, but I had no idea what I was doing. It was really cool to see them take this first step in their investing journey, and it shows that no one has it all figured out. It’s all about taking that first step and continuing to learn along the way.

It may not always be easy, and we see this throughout the Rieckens’ journey, but financial freedom is something that is worth pursuing for everyone. It strongly resonated with me, as achieving financial independence is our biggest long-term goal. There is no one size fits all approach, it’s up to you to figure out what you truly value, what you want your life to look like, and take these principles to make it happen.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the film lived up to my high expectations and I can’t wait to see it again! Even more impressively, my whole family enjoyed it even though some of them aren’t normally interested in personal finance type topics. My brother gave it high praise, saying that going into the theater he was expecting to rate it as a 4 out of 10, and afterwards he said it was an 8 or 9! I loved getting to share this with my family and it was awesome to have my friend Tri to FI join us at the screening as well. I would highly recommend this film to anyone, even those who aren’t interested in personal finance. There are lessons in it for everyone, and it will definitely impact your life in a positive way.

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