Hard work, dedication, and courage are the corner stones of the American Dream, which should help people build a prosperous future.  In the backdrop of the American Dream, people of the 1950s also strived to achieve the perfect family through a number of intriguing methods.  Many moved out of the cities into the suburbs where they sought a relatively easy life style without much hassle and stress.  This notion was superficially padded with a perfect little house with a nice car and all the amenities that comfort requires.  In order to gain these items, many had to work harder and sacrifice more of their personal life in order to make the monthly installments.  In addition, many had to use the public transit system to and from work while time with the family continued to decrease.  Nunnally Johnson uses the same name as Sloan Wilson’s novel The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit to illustrate his vision of the American Dream.

After the soothing music during opening credits the audience is thrown into the hectic and stressful life of New York City shortly after 5:00pm on a weekday.  People are venturing home on a train after a long and rewarding day of hard work.  Among the passengers, the main character Tom Rath (Gregory Peck) sits down at his usual seat together with Bill Hawthorn (Gene Lockhart) who asks him how his wife is doing.  It leads into a discussion where Tom’s explains his financial predicament of not making ends meet.  Bill informs him about an opening at USB (no, not the computer port).  However, Tom who has become settled in his position in life is first hesitant while using his complacent persona to avoid unnecessary risks by starting a new career.

Throughout the film, the audience is introduced to Tom’s children, his wife, his work, and his boss while also being able to see into his past through extensive flashbacks.  Through these parts of Tom’s life a colorful illustration of how his persona was shaped emerges, as the film displays numerous situations in his life.  It is evident that Tom is a righteous and dedicated person who has shown much courage and hard work throughout his life.  However, some incidents in his life caused him to create a complacent attitude towards life, as he no longer has any aspirations for prosperity.  This is one of the things that bothers his wife, Betsy Rath (Jennifer Jones), who desires a better home and a more stable economy that does not trigger any financial stress on their lives.  It leads Tom to seek the open position at television network USB.

The film goes into great depth to suggest how the quest for the American Dream sometimes can change people, as opportunities of short cuts to success and prosperity materialize.  Through Tom’s job, the audience can witness how he deals with situations in the corporate world, where he faces the corporate politics.  He must make decisions whether to corrupt his character in order to secure his future, or take the risk of loosing it all through honesty.  It is fascinating to see how it can be harmful to achieve the American Dream, as it hurts the society, the family, and the individual.  The hurtful aspects of the American Dream also emerge through Tom’s boss, Ralph Hopkins (Fredric March) who gained great success and vast prosperity through ceaseless dedication to his job, but never obtained the perfect family.

The brilliant performance by Gregory Peck helps develop an intriguing persona, which is honorable and devoted.  Yet, he is not perfect, which brings to mind the notion of human imperfection.  Johnson goes even further than the American Dream with this film, as his film deals with both aspects of life – joy and pain.  It is through these two opposite facets of life where Johnson reveals the idea that the American Dream is merely a mirage of perfection, as life cannot be without misery.  Nonetheless, people continue to hunt for the American Dream, the illusion of no suffering, but as Johnson proposes these people loose themselves in the illusion of happiness where bad things rests.

It is within the story the audience will find a meaningful tale, which has something for every viewer to ponder from any part of society.  This is due to Johnson’s cinematic treatment of a social issue through an interesting philosophical approach, as he presents several different viewpoints on the issue.  It is also what makes the film so interesting while it leaves the viewers thinking and reflecting of their own lives.

DIRECTED BY

COUNTRY

USA

Filmography links and data courtesy of