08/15/2006 06:24:00 PM 
The timing of the movie is particularly interesting. American attitudes tend to swing pendulum like depending on the market and the economy. The last downswing gave rise to the "post-materialist" culture so wonderfully illustrated in Fallon's "Live Richly" advertising for Citibank.
While that attitude may have been something of a temporary blip on the landscape, some people are starting to question what the American Dream now is.
Some Democrats believe the idea will form the centerpiece of the next political debate.
In a sense, there is a trifurcation of the American Dream.
It still exists as a beacon for new immigrants and the wannabe immigrants around the world
As it does for the new class of the super-rich- the hedge fund trader on $30 million a year
It's the middle class that's now questioning its validity; they are the ones bearing the brunt of salary stagnation, job losses, increasing health costs and higher gas prices.
The American Dream has always been a very easy emotional cord to pull.
Brands have tapped into it to connect, from the freedom of the open road, to the pride of home ownership and the emotional security of the traditional family.
Material success is such a big part of the American Dream and if that's either harder to attainable or called into question because it's not responsible or sustainable, the American Dream will need to be re-defined.
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