America is a land of independence, where all men are created equal with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That is what the American Dream promises, at least. For decades, individuals have traveled to the United States in the hope of freedom and financial promise, enticed by the idea of prospering through hard work with minimal barriers to their success. The Dream was supposed to turn a blind eye to one’s background and social status and instead ensure happiness with the achievement of a stable family life, wealth, and dignity.

The American Dream provided a realm of opportunity that allowed low-wage workers to strive for material comfort under the promise that they, too, could become like the upper-class elite if only they tried hard enough. However, while this idea formed a captivating illusion, the reality of discrimination, poverty, and inequality was impossible to ignore, and soon, the Dream became nothing more than a false fantasy.

Over the decades, films have begun to deconstruct the American Dream, revealing the complexities within its ideology and taking into consideration the difficulties that prevented this beautiful concept from being a benefit for all. Therefore, let’s look at the best movies exploring the American Dream.

Update August 30, 2023: This article has been updated by Soniya Hinduja with even more great films that tackle the various complex facets of the American Dream.

10 Hustle & Flow (2005)

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Crunk Pictures & Paramount Vantage

Terrance Howard puts on quite a show in this redemptive drama as Djay, a hustler and pimp living in Memphis. Working with a stable of three sex workers wasn’t enough to bring food to the table, and while Djay had a gift for rhyming, his dreams of success and becoming an emcee were too out of reach. In a burst of inspiration, he decided to trade in his fur coat and came for a microphone instead, and that was where the chase for his American Dream began.

With his name appearing everywhere, his aspiration of becoming a successful hip-hop artist comes closer. Ultimately, the goal is to save his family from poverty and street life. Hustle & Flow captures the limitless drive and determination of those chasing something in a way that is raw, authentic, and memorable.

9 Minari (2020)

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A24

Minari is a tender and moving portrait of a Korean-American family trying to make the most of the opportunities laid out before them while carving out a little life and a new home on an Arkansas farm in the 1980s. Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the movie is led by Steven Yeun’s Jacob, a man determined to succeed in farming an untested crop, and his family, who is equally supportive. They confront challenges and take setbacks with genuine warmth, find humor in tiny things, and fill the room with laughter.

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Even though the movie doesn’t scream flashy or major breakthroughs, there are simple moments that ring true – a son forging a friendship with his grandmother's parents standing by each other’s side on the journey. Overall, the moods and rhythms culminate into a relatable story. This is certainly a more optimistic outlook on the idea than many of the other films on this list.

8 Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Eddie Murphy in 2019's Dolemite is my Name
Netflix

As a biographical comedy set in 1970s LA, the period film holds no bars in its representation of the era. From foul-mouthed humor and black culture to catchy tunes and pure showmanship, Dolemite Is My Name is a trailblazer that forges a path to success and fame on its own terms. In the center of it is Rudy Ray Moore, the godfather of rap and underground pimp, played brilliantly by Eddie Murphy.

Rudy dreams of making his name, but he can’t seem to catch a break – that is until he creates a brash alter ego named Dolemite and releases a groundbreaking blend of comedy and rhyme. What starts as a low-budget basement recording builds into a major phenomenon as Rudy finds himself fighting censorship and haters with style. Director Craig Brewer does a fantastic job at celebrating the DIY hustle that is both creative and charming.

7 The Founder (2016)

the-founder
FilmNation Entertainment

Starring Michael Keaton in one of his most ruthless roles, The Founder is the true story of how McDonald’s rose to dominance at a time when America needed it the most. Keaton’s Ray Kroc was nothing but a multimixer salesman until he noticed a small burger business bagging in thousands of customers and making deliveries in less than 30 seconds. Seeing potential in the operation, Ray stops at nothing to expand its nation nationwide.

But as the profits begin to snowball, tensions begin to surface between Ray and the real founders of the establishment – Mac and Dick McDonald. From control to supervision to credit, there was nothing they weren’t fighting about. In a way, the movie portrays the dark side of the American Dream, when ambitions become so heavy and overwhelming that a man’s relentless pursuit turns him into a cunning shell of a human.

6 Revolutionary Road (2008)

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Paramount Vantage

Revolutionary Road follows the 1950s couple, Frank and April Wheeler, as they struggle to come to terms with the breakdown of their marriage. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in their second on-screen collaboration (with some imagining this film to be the sad sequel to Titanic if the couple had lived), this romantic drama rips away the false happiness projected by the American Dream and instead replaces it with the crushing reality of loneliness and discontent. Superficially, the Wheelers hold the perfect married life and financial success that millions of Americans pined for, yet their only pleasure comes from the thought of escaping their current existence.

The Dream was a belief forced upon the couple and required nothing but their obedience to its principles. Therefore, despite their life of convenience, Frank and April live in a cycle of dissatisfaction and frustration as they are boxed into a suburban prison that they never truly desired. Evidently, the American Dream does not consider individuality but rather presents the idea of a collective working towards one set goal as the normality. Revolutionary Road exposes this ideology as a façade, depicting the escape of a life tangled in dishonesty as the true American Dream. However, April’s tragedy in the conclusion of the film conveys that there is a consequence for deviating from these imposed rules, indicating that one either conforms or faces fatal repercussions.

5 The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

The Pursuit of Happyness

Achieving success against the odds is one of the core principles of the American Dream, and this is embodied through the life of Chris Gardner. Based on the real account of Gardner’s time as a homeless salesman, The Pursuit of Happyness depicts the battles he faced in attempting to form a successful career while also caring for his young son. Forced to start over from his lowest point, the movie gives audiences a raw look into Gardner’s nearly one-year struggle living homeless on the rough streets, as well as the guilt the man constantly held for being unable to provide for his child.

However, the courage to carry on in the face of adversity is what causes this character to become a figure of inspiration. Chris clings onto his dream, finding ways to maximize any funds or opportunities, all the while having the clear goal of creating a life of stability for his son. Therefore, the American Dream is not depicted as a journey of ease but discomfort, requiring patience along with hard work to flourish. Consequently, The Pursuit of Happyness proves that perseverance sometimes does bring rewards, as by the end of the film, Chris Gardner secures a well-paying job and goes on to form his own multi-million dollar broker company. The American Dream doesn't promise happiness, only its pursuit.

4 The Great Gatsby (2013)

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Warner Bros. Pictures

The Great Gatsby explores the consequences of materialism that derives from the pursuit of the American Dream and is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous book, which many consider to be 'the great American novel.' Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Spider-Man's Tobey Maguire, this period romance follows the extravagant life of a millionaire, Jay Gatsby, from the eyes of neighbor Nick Carraway during the peak of the roaring twenties. Immediately, Gatsby’s chase of the American Dream becomes obsessive; the young bachelor clings to the idea of flaunting his wealth with unashamed gloat, albeit in the pursuit of his lost love, Daisy (the Dream personified).

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These boastful actions reveal the American Dream as corrupt; before his claim to money, Gatsby was a gentle, kind man who wore his heart on his sleeve, but his luxury lifestyle transforms him into a person of greed and immorality. The Dream encourages people to disregard their values and ideals for the potential of riches, which eventually leaves one feeling equally unfulfilled. Therefore, it is no surprise when Daisy and Gatsby’s rekindled romance fizzles out to nothing, as the material attraction has expired, and all that is left is a connection that vanished years prior. Gatsby clings onto the fantasy while Daisy takes a step into reality, waking from the Dream.

3 Of Mice and Men (1992)

Of Mice and Men
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Working-class men struggled in the 20th century, but when it came to the American ideal, no one dreamed bigger. Of Mice and Men focuses on two farm workers, George and the intellectually disabled Lennie, who chase the dream of one day buying their own land. Pushed into a crowded space with thousands of others trying to find success, the Dream convinces George and Lennie that they have a sense of control over their lives, deluding themselves into thinking the key to freedom rests solely in their hands. However, while the American Dream advocates equal opportunity for all, it provides false hope, especially to individuals who are treated as inferior by society.

Immediately, George and Lennie are robbed of their chance at happiness. Neither of them are making enough money for the land, and Lennie is viewed as a burden due to his disability. As a result, the American Dream is seen as nothing more than a source of optimism, encouraging poor people with unrealistic aspirations as a way to bear their harsh and unjust conditions. Consequently, Lennie’s death does not ruin the chances for achieving their ambitions but rather finally breaks the illusion that the dream was ever a possibility.

2 Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

Viola Davis in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Netflix

Starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in his final film role, this biographical drama recounts a turbulent recording session with influential blues singer Ma Rainey during 1920s Chicago. Not long after the Civil War and brimming with inequality, America was a hostile place to be for Black individuals, and their imposed American Dream meant forgetting any aspirations and conforming to the white standard in order to merely be treated as a human being. The talented musicians within Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom tell stories of horrid assaults from racists, creating the question of what would happen if Black individuals tried to prosper in 1920s America since physical violence was the consequence for simply existing.

Despite having potential and inherent skills, Black people had little freedom over their careers in a film that depicts a society dominated with racism. Therefore, the Dream is depressing and unrealistic, suggesting that people can become whatever they want but only as long as it pleases the establishment. The term 'American Dream' was actually created at a time when discrimination and prejudice were considered the norm, the Dream only applying to those born into what was deemed 'acceptable' lives. The end scene, with the white band re-recording the songs of the Black musicians, painfully exemplifies this, revealing that the praised American Dream was conditional and not equal for all.

1 A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire
Warner Bros.

A Streetcar Named Desire tells the story of Blanche DuBois, a southern belle who leaves her aristocratic background to live with her sister, Stella, and her husband, Stanley. Starring the Oscar-winning Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando at the top of his game, this Southern gothic drama shows the steady decline of the American Dream ideal, with Blanche coming from the peaceful south to the bustling city of New Orleans. Arriving in the thriving city with no money, husband, house, or children, Blanche does her best to cling to the shreds of what was once her reality, dressing herself in fake jewelry and narrating elaborate stories to prevent her illusion from crumbling at her feet.

In this way, Blanche represents the fantasy of the American Dream. On the outside, she appears beautiful and inviting. However, when exposed to light, it reveals the broken and fragmented existence within. On the other hand, Stanley personifies a more realistic version of the American Dream, tearing down Blanche’s mental wall of protection. Consequently, it is this inner comfort that the southern lady eventually becomes trapped in, suggesting that it was easier for some to hold onto the past than to lose their power with the surge of a less discriminated American Dream.