Liam Dann: Forget the angst and shoot for the stars

Which Hollywood star should New Zealanders emulate when contemplating their economic future?

It's a question that arose this week after visiting US academic Professor Sebastian Edwards accused of us of behaving like Woody Allen in fiscal matters.

And, before you say it, Edwards wasn't suggesting Kiwis are involved in any of kind unconventional familial relations - on either a physical or metaphoric level.

He was talking about Allen's popular on-screen persona: pessimistic, neurotic and self-absorbed.

Edwards had the good grace to acknowledge that Allen's characters also emerge as "sweet and lovable" but of course they are almost always deeply flawed.

They have good jobs, nice apartments in New York and beautiful girlfriends but, despite that, they are consumed with worry about the smaller details of life.

He might have added that the characters are also smart, funny and extremely self-aware.

But his point is a fair one. The New Zealand economy is solid and generally performs well, Edwards said. But Kiwis seem convinced that the future looks bleak.

Edwards has hit the nail on the head with regards to the long-running debate in business circles about a lack of confidence holding back economic growth.

Most often we look across the Tasman and compare ourselves with our brasher, wealthier Australian neighbours.

Kiwis working in Australia regularly highlight the joys of an environment that is apparently devoid of PC hand-wringing, committee-driven decision making and an apologetic world view.

Actually you only have to read the Australian media to know they don't live entirely in an angst-fee utopia.

Nevertheless, the perception of Kiwis as Woody Allen types versus Australia's blockbuster action hero persists.

So should we be thinking more like Mel Gibson or Arnold Schwarzenegger? Let's not start on the personal issues there. But also that kind of hard man "act first think later" attitude is distinctly un-Kiwi.

We are, if nothing else, a bit cooler than that. Perhaps that's where we are letting ourselves down as we fidget and fuss about the state of the nation. Woody Allen was surly and witty but he was never cool.

So how about Hollywood's coolest couple, Brad Pit and Angelina Jolie? No, too much style not enough substance.

George Clooney? Too much of a lone wolf - these days at least. Jeff Bridges? Too wild and weird. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes? Just too weird.

No, we need to think bold and glamorous thoughts about our economic future but we would be foolish to give away the darker, self-reflective traits that define our national character.

Let's instead look to the rare breed of Hollywood stars who tread the fine line between commercial glory and art house credibility.

New Zealand needs to think like Johnny Depp or Scarlett Johansson. Or follow the lead of a Jake Gyllenhaal, Elijah Wood or Kate Winslet.

These are the kind of actors that owe a debt to Allen for the ground he paved in the 1970s, forging a place for smarter American movies.

They are celebrities who can carry a blockbuster but have the depth to play grittier, more memorable roles.

Like these celebrities the New Zealand economy will excel if it can achieve the twin-engine approach to prosperity.

Agriculture and tourism are our blockbuster earners and nothing is going to change that in a hurry.

But these industries alone can't create the economy we are striving for. They certainly can't create the jobs that urban New Zealanders hope will keep their children and grandchildren growing up close to home.

We need to back our art house exporters if we are to make a bigger mark in the world.

So sure, let's heed what Edwards is saying and give the Woody Allen angst a rest. The problems facing us aren't so subtle we are likely to forget them.

Let's remember that we've got a tech sector full of clever kids writing world-beating software and a scientific community developing specialist medical equipment and plenty of other thing we've never heard of.

When you look at his incredible productivity you have to wonder whether the real Woody Allen ever let his angst-ridden alter ego hold him back.