Awakening from the American Dream: The End of Escape in American Cinema?

Three films dating from the 1940s to the 1990s, each capturing an aspect of the American dream of escape--"It's a Wonderful Life," "Avalon" and "American Beauty"--are examined. Incapable of rest and satisfaction with what they have achieved, Americans in effect fal...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Perspectives on political science 2002-01, Vol.31 (2), p.96-103
Main Author: Deneen, Patrick J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Community Relations
Cultural Values
Industry
Life Satisfaction
Males
Motion picture industry
Municipalities
Political science
Political theory
United States of America
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Three films dating from the 1940s to the 1990s, each capturing an aspect of the American dream of escape--"It's a Wonderful Life," "Avalon" and "American Beauty"--are examined. Incapable of rest and satisfaction with what they have achieved, Americans in effect fall into a form of enslavement, enslavement to a pursuit without end.
ISSN:1045-7097
1930-5478
DOI:10.1080/10457090209604077