The Movie Pain and Gain by Michael Bay

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Recommended: The american dream portrayed in films

The artifact I chose for my analyst is the movie Pain & Gain directed by Michael Bay. This film is based on true events that took place in Miami during the mid-1990s. The main character, Danny Lugo, is a personal trainer whose life revolved around physical fitness. During his employment at Sunshine gym he becomes acquainted with Adrian Doorbal, a fellow personal trainer. The two realize that their hard work in the gym has led to big muscles and empty pockets. Lugo soon lusts after the earnings and lifestyle achieved by a new gym member he begins to train: Victor Kershaw, who Lugo believes is a crook. Inspired by motivational speaker Johnny Wu, Lugo decides to be a "doer" and hatches a plan to extort Kershaw’s assets by kidnapping and torturing him. Lugo and Doorbal soon realize they need a third member to pull off a job of this magnitude and recruit Paul Doyle, a recently released cocaine-addicted convict who has turned to religion. The three man crew, dubbed the Sunshine Gang, successfully kidnapped Victor Kershaw and extorted his assets. The crew then tried to murder Kershaw but was unsuccessful. When Kershaw informed law enforcement of what happened they believed the story was too far-fetched to be true. The Sunshine gang seemingly got away with all the crimes committed against Kershaw. It wasn’t long until their money ran out and they had to look for another hit to keep their new lifestyle going. The crew then decides to take down a wealthy business man named Frank Grigas. During this second hit, the three men murder Frank and his wife and dumped the chopped up bodies into the everglades. Law enforcement was soon on to the Sunshine gang and made arrest. Lugo and Doorbal were found guilty and sentenced to death for the murders ...

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...ing behavior because the actor is following a higher calling. The higher calling for Lugo is his responsibility to be a true American, a patriot and take from people that he sees as unfit for having nice things.
Danny Lugo and the Sunshine gang were tired of being nobody’s and have-nots. For Lugo and Doorbal a life dedicated in the gym left them without any real accomplishments. They justified kidnapping and torturing Victor Kershaw by believing that they deserved his wealth more than he did. They did not try to find an alternative to the American dream, they just seen someone living it and thought were unworthy. Paul Doyle is dragged into this endeavor but not because he believed that Kershaw didn’t deserve his life. Doyle was pushed into the situation by Lugo, Lugo was blinded by his corrupted view of the American dream and would do anything necessary to live it.

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