Movie Musings: Requiem for the American Dream
I’ve already watched this documentary twice this month: once for my own interest and once with my students. A third time might be in store to take even more notes. It’s a mesmerizing overview of the how and why the American dream is not the same one of our parents and grandparents.
This documentary is essential to share with students prior to their graduation.
Noam Chomsky, respected linguist, cultural critic, with a rep as an activist, calmly, succinctly, and convincingly provides viewers with insights about the tenets of the American dream. I now better understand why there is a disconnect to the expectation that a college degree is a main ingredient to achieving success by standards that no longer exist due to a system that is barely recognizable from the days of the fifties and sixties.
Listening to Chomsky is akin to spending time with a wise sage with spark and vinegar up his sleeve. It is a bit like if Grandpa Walton had graduated from MIT instead of the school of hard knocks.
The creative editing and dynamic musical score add greatly to the mood of intense enlightenment. I hope watching this documentary inspires my students to prove Mr. Chomsky wrong, even if he persuades us it all sounds so right.
Sage old dudes are a national treasure.
Pam Webb 
Sounds like a good one. Thanks for the heads-up.
I’ve been to watch this one. I read somewhere that some college kids were attempting to sue some university because they had promised they would get a job with their degrees. I love a good documentary.
Ok, I’m convinced. If I can’t have uplifting, I may as well go for enlightening.
Enlightenment is often uplifting. Knowing why things aren’t so rosy is better than grumbling at the darkness of frustration. Deep thought of the day–I have no idea where that came from…