One of my favorite movies is La La Land, which came out in 2016. In this movie, the two main characters, Mia and Sebastian, live in Los Angeles, and both have different goals they hope to achieve. Mia aspires to be a successful and famous actress, while Sebastian loves jazz and hopes to open his own jazz club. These different goals that the characters have represent their personal American Dreams. Instead of the American Dream that involves immigrants coming to the United States in order to have a better life or the man who wants to climb the corporate ladder, this movie demonstrates the American Dream of those willing to chase after what they are most passionate about.
While the movie does not provide much information about where the two characters come from, it is known that Mia is from Boulder City, Nevada. Therefore, she is someone who had to move from her familiar hometown and leave her family in order to chase after her American Dream, which is what many people have to do.
However, what I most like about this movie in terms of comparing it to the American Dream is how it provides a realistic view of what the process of achieving your goals may be like. For most of the movie, Mia works at a coffee shop and goes from audition to audition. Sebastian is a struggling pianist who can hardly pay his rent. At one point in the movie, Mia is ready to give up everything and move back to Nevada after five years of not achieving anything in Los Angeles. She demonstrates the struggle that comes with trying to achieve your American Dream. I feel that many people think of or many movies demonstrate the American Dream as a steady incline of success. However, in real life, highs, lows, and outside factors may hinder one’s success.