The Theme Of American Culture In American Dreamz By Paul Weitz

American Dreamz

“Imagine a country where the president never reads the newspaper, where the government goes to war for all the wrong reasons, and more people vote for a pop idol than their next president (Breznican )”. In American Dreamz a political and entertainment satirical movie, Paul Weitz paints a grim picture of the American society. The movie was produced against the backdrop of the bush administration and the corruption in the entertainment industry, particularly the American idol.

The film ‘American Dreamz’ reveals American culture in the twenty first century in a number of ways.

One of the cultural attributes revealed was the competitive nature of Americans. “With this mentality Americans are more likely to accomplish impressive

He loved to sing and dance in the western way. It was his secret fantasy. As he was playfully rehearsing, the crew from American Dreamz came looking for his cousin Iqbad, but on seeing him, they decided he was a better option. He therefore landed himself a spot on American Dreamz. He went on to win mouthwatering record labels. America is a place where people come in with nothing and end up with wealth and influence. It provides a level playing field and an enabling environment for all who work hard and smart.

Gilligan defined resilience as 'a set of qualities that helps a person to withstand many of the negative effects of adversity '(qtd. in Katyal ). Americans are people of great resilience as shown in the movie American dreamz. In the film, William was a man devastated as a result of heart wrenching break- up with his high school sweetheart; he joins the army in Iraq as a way of finding purpose for his life. He even went on to tattoo Sally’s face on his arm as a reminder of his love for her (American Dreamz). Goes to war, is wounded and still comes back to her. Feeling accomplished and qualified for her love, he went on to propose to her. That’s a great show of resilience. Against all odds he came fighting back. Americans have shown resilience on a number of disasters, the September eleven attack and recently, the Orlando club

Or was it having really powerful friends” (American Dreamz)? According to the movie, this is what Linda the first lady told the president in the privacy of their bedroom. Joke as it may be, it’s what happens in today’s politics. The rich and powerful work their friends into political offices, making the true leaders not to have a chance. This film was specifically made to satire the Bush administration. Paul Weitz, the director of the movie believes that the Bush administration came into being as a result of political spectacle (Farrar and Jamie) prevalent at that time. He felt, it was more like a political theater rather than an honest political process. Therefore he used this film to express his dissatisfaction. Many people were angry about his policies and the Iraq war. I wouldn’t attempt to take sides as regards the debate on the soundness of his policies. However, this movie highlights the fact that the rich and powerful sets the stage for whomever they want to be president and makes it look like a free and fair