By Juliana Stumpp

A&E Editor

The American Dream is a concept that originated in the 1950s that often reflected what was shown in a Norman Rockwell painting, the one with the white picket fence and family dog. It’s not just a concept, but a lifestyle that many Americans and immigrants thrived for.

While starting off as something small and simple to living in a nice house with a family and steady job, (think “Mad Men” but without the drama), over the years, this idealization has been corrupted with greed.

In the pursuit of inner happiness, people often turn to crime in order to get to live the American Dream. What people don’t realize is that the American Dream isn’t about the materialistic objects but the path it takes to get there and the hard work required.

The film “Pain and Gain,” coming out April 26, tells the true story of three bodybuilders Daniel Lugo (played by Mark Wahlberg), Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) as they search for their ultimate American Dream. Lugo, as their fearless and hotheaded leader, comes up with a plan to kidnap his millionaire client, Victor Kershaw. With their success of getting Kershaw to sign over his bank account to Lugo, the three live the high life until they get hungry for more again. The dysfunctional three strongly believe that their road to the American Dream involves being wealthy.

What I found to be the case is that the movie represented different sins in all three characters. Lugo embodied wrath by killing a man in the heat of the moment and the envy of others to travel and enjoy luxuries. To fulfill his “coke” addiction and his faith in Jesus, Doyle epitomizes gluttony and lust since he consumes himself with the two conflicting matters. Lastly, Doorbal characterizes the sin of pride because he uses his body to compensate for a erectile dysfunction.

All three can easily be categorized under greed and sloth because even when they do succeed in the kidnapping and robbery, they spoil themselves and are back at square one. Instead of working hard like determined Americans in quest of “the Dream”, they resort to crime as an easy way to get what they want.

A film coming out soon, “The Bling Ring” tells the story of Los Angeles teenagers breaking into celebrity homes and stealing their merchandise in order to fulfill their own personal American Dream.

Often times, the film industry illustrates how society has changed and trivializes the audience to reflect upon themselves, even though they don’t most of the time. The American Dream is one dream, one that is particular in the sense that there are no shortcuts. All of these films tell the story of its characters wanting more and finding loopholes. Is that what the American Dream has come to? Not working hard for what we desire but to go after it without limits. The harsh reality is that the American Dream hasn’t changed, it has just been forgotten.