The American Dream

A Look at The American Dream 

Recently I was looking for films about the American Dream and I could find almost nothing. So, I created this list based on the films of what I did find, the films that I use or have used to make and measure my version of The American Dream combining them with descriptions friends, family, and other people writings. 

First, I must state that The American Dream is different to different people, but my interpretation is it is usually about having a certain level of success and comfortable lifestyle with the end goal of freedom, having a family, ownership of a house, land, car with success in a career.

I started this list at the end of WWII because I feel like things got really good for America and the American people and the core idea of the modern American Dream came to be. 

What is here is a sampling of storylines of people living or trying to achieve The American Dream in different decades. 

The 1940’s and 1950’s 

This period of time was about the end of WWII, returning to normal life and home ownership. 

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Based on the book Glory For Me by MacKinlay Kantor [First Published in 1945] Three men of different social economic backgrounds are returning to their hometown of Boone City from WWII become friends as they face the challenges of returning to post war life and American society.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
George Bailey has dreamed of traveling the world and doing important things however he has had to choose between doing what he wants and or being responsible and helping family, friends, and community. He gives up what he desires. When he is close to committing suicide, an angel shows him what the world would be like without him.  

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
Based on the novel Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House by Eric Hodgins [First Published in 1946] The Blandings family wanting more room to buy a house and some land out in Connecticut. Upon learning that the house is unlivable the Blandings tear it down and build a custom house. Unforeseen setbacks add expense and delayed move in dates.

My Blue Heaven (1950)
A married song and dance team is unable to have children become determined to adopt a child. While going through the process adopting and raising the child thy try to change their act from stage and radio to Television.

Leave It To Beaver (1957-1963) 
The Cleaver Family is an all-American Family of four living in the suburbs. The parents Ward and June try to raise their boys Wally and Bever to be good productive members of society. When Bever or Wally get into trouble Ward and June help them resolve the problem and teach the boy's a moral lesson. 

The Last Angry Man (1959)
Based on the novel The Last Angry Man by Gerald Green [First Published in 1956]. Woodrow Trashed is a Television producer tasked with making a docuseries about ordinary people. He selects Dr. Samuel Abelman a decided GP that serves a poor area of Brooklyn, New York and dreams of owning his own single-family home.

1960's 

With the help of Television, the 1960's American Dream revolved around the nuclear family, home and car ownership and having a certain lifestyle with material goods. 

A Raisin In The Sun (1961/2008)
Based on the play A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry [First Published in 1959] A Black family struggling to make a living get an unexpected windfall in the shape of an insurance check. The members of the family disagree on how to use the money to better their lives until outside prejudices unite the family in a common dream.

The Jetsons (1962-1963)
Cartoon about an average nuclear family living in the future with lots of modern futuristic convinces and misadventures. 

How To Successes In Business Without Really Trying (1967/1975)
Inspired by the book How To Successes In Business Without Really Trying: The Dastards Guide To Fame and Fortune by Shepherd Mead [First Published in 1952].  J. Pierpont Finch is a window washer that finds a book called How To Successes In Business Without Really Trying and uses it to guide him from the mail room to an executive position in a matter of weeks. 

The Sweet Ride (1968)
Based on the novel The Sweet Ride by William Murray [First Published in 1968]. An older tennis Pro, a surfer, and a musician have a bohemian lifestyle in a house in Malibu, California.  When they become involved with a mysterious woman their lives become complained with by a biker gang, and a movie producer.

Mad Men (2007-2015)
Starting in 1960 the series is about the professional and personal lives of the people working at a smaller ad agency on Madison Avenue New York City. The show mainly focuses on Don Draper a genius with a troubled past and a need to have The American Dream. 

1970's  

In the 1970's I believe The American Dream shifted to living the life, you want even if it does not fit an ideal image, saving the small-town America and upward mobility. 

The Brady Bunch (1969-1974)
Two widowers each with three children and one live-in housekeeper marry creating a large family. The family lives in a suburban area and they have various adventures.

The Boatniks (1970)
Ensign Tom Garland of the US Coast Guard has been assigned to station in southern California that constantly rescues wealthy civilian pleasure sailors. There is also a side story about three jewel thieves trying to recover some stolen jewels that were lose near the naval station.    

The Landlord (1970)
Based on the novel The Landlord by Kristin Hunter [First Published in 1966] Elgar Enders is from a wealthy family. He plans to participate in the fad of buying a rundown building and remaking it into an upscale luxury home. The building he buys is in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York. First, he has to evict the people living there, however once he gets involved with the tenets his plans change. 

Cold Turkey (1971)
A cigarette company has come up with a publicity stunt $25 million to any town that can give up smoking and tobacco for 30 days. Reverend Clayton Brooks and the 4,000 residents of the dying town of Eagle Rock, Iowa take on that challenge to save their dying town. 

The Adventures of the Wilderness Family (1975)
The Robinson are family living in Los Angles but decide to leave their urban life for the rural outdoors hundreds of miles from another living person. The family faces many dangers from the wildlife, the elements, but by pulling together if they survive it all. 

The Jeffersons (1975-1985)
The newly wealthy Jeffersons move on up to a luxury apartment on the upper east side enjoy the good life and sometimes clash with their neighbors. 

That 70’s Show (1998-2006)
Set in Point Place, Wisconsin during the 1970’s Eric Forman and his friends grow up and have life experiences as the decade progresses. 

1980's

In the 1980's to me it seems like an updated ideal image based on the 1950's and 1960's version of The American Dream along with career success and building wealth quickly came to define The American Dream.  

Family Ties (1982-1989)
Steve and Elyse Keaton are liberal ex-hippies in Regan Era America in a traditional suburban family situation with children that do not share their values. This is especially true of their oldest son Alex P. Keaton a passionate conservative republican. 

The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
The home life of the successful Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, lawyer Clair Huxtable and their four children.  

Risky Business (1983)
Joel Goodson is a rich kid living in the Chicago North Shore area following his parents plans to do well in school and attend Princeton University. One weekend his parents need to go out of town and Joel starts a series of misadventures that result in his parent's belongings being damaged or stolen including his father's Porsche 928. To fix his problems he needs money fast so with the help of his friends and Lana a prostitute he has fallen in love with. He makes his house into a pop-up brothel. This is also the night the Princeton recruiter shows up for an interview. 

Quicksilver (1986)
Jack Casey is a stockbroker that makes a costly mistake and becomes a bike messenger for Quicksilver Speed Delivery. When his friend Hector needs money to open his own food cart business but cannot obtain a loan Jack is convinced to go back to trading where he is more successful than they imagined. Jack also takes on a dangerous drug dealer and finds love with a coworker. 

Baby Boom (1987)
A successful businesswoman inherits a baby from a distant relative. To give her new family a better life she buys a house sight unseen Vermont. It is of course a fixer upper. Once there she fixes up the house, starts a successful business, and finds love. 

The Secret of My Success (1987)
Brantly Foster is an ambitious new grad that is excited about business and is looking for a big break. He gets a job in the mail room of a big company in New York. Seeing how poorly the company is run and finding an opportunity to make himself an executive at the company, he creates an alter ego, Carlton Whitfield. He is very successful and improves the company’s operations. This gets him noticed by the CEO, how long until he is discovered?

Wall Street (1987)
Bud Fox is a stockbroker that wants to be a top trader and work with his hero Gordon Gekko. After a lot of work Bud gets a meeting with Gordon where he performs a small act of insider trading. Impressed with this Gordon mentors Bud and teaches him how to manipulate the stock market and insider trading. Getting everything, he wants until his family and community are at risk of being hurt and must choose between his mentor or his family. 

Working Girl (1988)
Tess Mcgill is a secretary going to business school at night and is trying to advance her career. When her boss is injured during a ski trip she poses as her boss and teams up with an investment banker to prove she has what it takes. It goes well until her boss returns. 

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Based on the memoir The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner [First Published in 2006]. Set in San Francisco in the early 1980’s Chris Gardner invested heavily in bone density scanners however they did not pan out as well as he hoped putting a strain on his marriage. When he loses his car, house and wife he takes a chance on an internship with a stockbroker firm. He works hard and in time he changes his life and becomes successful.   

1990's 

In the 90's The American Dream became less conservative but still influenced by past decades while adding leaving the suburbs and living in spacious apartments in large metro areas.   

Mr. Destiny (1990)
Larry Burrows blew a game winning hit in a baseball game in his teens resulting in living in a middle-class life. He is obsessed with what could have been. On his 35^th birthday he offered the life he would have had if he had not missed the ball to the live the life that could have been. While he has the things, he wanted out of life the person he became and the price he paid for that life is not what he thought it would be. 

Home Improvement (1991 – 1999)
A sitcom about a home improvement host, his family, friends and neighbors living in a nice suburb of Detroit, Michigan. The show's humor often revolves around tools, cars, home projects, family issues and a rivalry with Bob Vila of This Old House.

For Love or Money (1993)
Doug Ireland is a Concierge at a luxury hotel in Matthan that has a goal, a plan and a dream of building his own luxury hotel on Roosevelt Island in New York. Putting all of his money to this project when he finds investor Christian Hanover shows interest in the project Doug is willing to take on the unofficial job of managing Christian's mistress Andy Hart. In doing this Doug falls in love with her and may lose his project to save the girl from a businessman that uses everybody. 

Friends (1994-2004)
The personal and professional lives of six friends in their 20's while they live in New York City and try to achieve their dreams. 

King of the Hill (1997-2010)
Hank Hill assistant manager and propane salesman in Arlan, Texas lives his American Dream as best he can while dealing with a society that is changing and the wild antics of his friends and family. 

Sex and the City (1998-2004)
Inspired by the book Sex and The City by Candace Bushnell [First Published in 1996]. Four close female friends in their 30's living in New York City gather and talk about their professional, personal, sex lives as they navigate womanhood in the 90's.  

2000's 

Tech start-ups, social networks internet fame became The American Dream for a lot while economic factors made not losing what you built and having steady employment were factors in this decade. 

Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
Based on the book Fire In The Valley by Paul Freiburg and Michael Swaine [First Published in 1984]. This is the history of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and how they made the computers, programs and technology that changed modern society. 

Fun With Dick and Jane (2005)
Remake of Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) Dick and Jane Harper are a well-off family living in an affluent suburb. After Dick gets a promotion to VP of his company Jane quits her job to be a housewife. Suddenly Dick's company goes out of business and the family becomes bankrupt. The couple become criminals to regain their lifestyle. When they see their former friends and coworkers struggling, they go after the CEO of Dick's company to restore the pensions and benefits that had been embezzled by the top executives.   

iCarley (2007-2012)
Carley Shaw along with her friends Sam Puckett, and Freddie Benson create their own web show earning them fame and fortune. 

The Social Network (2010)
Based on The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal by Ben Mezrick [First Published in 2009]. In 2003 Mark Zuckerberg creates the site Facemash during a bought of anger after the site is taken down. Mark is sought after by people wanting to create social networks. However, Mark Zuckerberg creates his own network with his friend Eduardo Saverin thefacebook.com.  As it grows in popularity Mark Zuckerberg becomes a billionaire while changing and expanding the network into Facebook.com. 

2010 - 2023

2010 to today (2023 when I wrote this) I feel like having Freedom, being debt free (student loans being a big part of this), being able to provide for one’s family, achieving life events/growing up, understanding how and why America and society changed so suddenly is The American Dream. 

Last Man Standing (2011-2021)
Mike Baxter is co-owner of an outdoor sporting and fishing stores bases out of Colardo. He travels the world, owns classic cars and lives with his wife and three daughters and a grandson in a large house in the suburbs. The less-than-ideal parts of his life come from his daughter's romantic choices, parenting, that society is less conservative and his neighbors.  

The House (2017)
When the Johansen's daughter is about to go to college when they learn that the full scholarship, they were counting on has been canceled they team up with a neighbor to run an illegal casino to pay for their daughter to go to college. 

Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019)
Sheila and Joel Hammond are a married couple that work as real estate agents while raising their daughter in Santa Clarita, California. When Sheila becomes a zombie, the family pulls together to find a cure and keep their life they built for themselves. 

At Home In Mitford (2019) 
Based on the novel At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon [First Published in 1994]. Writer and artist Cynthia Coppersmith goes to Mitford to find inspiration and to do something with a house she inherited. While nest door neighbor Reverend Tim Kavanaugh has a large puppy that has decided to live with him taking in a boy whose family is deployed. The two of them find friendship and romance in this perfect small town. 

Picture A Perfect Christmas (2019)
Based on A Family Under The Christmas Tree by Terri Reed [First Published in 2016]. Professional Photographer Sophie Griffith goes to see her grandmother over Christmas. Not having much to do she helps as the nanny to the next-door neighbor Davis who is the guardian of his nephew. They celebrate Christmas, fall in love, and create a family in a beautiful town. 

Emily The Criminal (2022)
Emily has a lot of student loan debt and difficulties with obtaining gainful employment. She gets involved in credit card scams making good money getting out of debt. She gets deeper in the Los Angles criminal underworld. 

Vengeance (2022)
Ben Manalowitz is a New York writer that wants to expand his career to include podcasting. His pitches are about explaining what America is today. When he gets a call about the death of an ex-hookup he goes to West Texas and sells a podcast idea on the mystery of her death and explaining the current red, blue divide. As he investigates, he loses his preconceived ideas about culture, life and Texas.