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Rags-to-riches stories are pretty much fantasy; only 4 percent of Americans actually make the leap. Here are some of Hollywood's best rags-to-riches movies.
We like to think of the United States as the type of place where anyone with enough gumption can rise from rags to riches.
A report released Monday by Pew Charitable Trusts threw some cold water on that notion. The report found that only 4 percent of Americans whose parents were in the bottom fifth of the income ladder ended up in the top rung when they became adults.
That's not the case in Hollywood, where rags-to-riches stories are the lifeblood of romantic comedies, tearjerkers and even summer blockbusters.
Here's a sampling of our favorites.
Did we miss one? Tell us about your favorite rags-to-riches movie on our Facebook page.
Related: Do you make $30,000 a year or less? We want to hear from you.
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Of course these stories are alive in Hollywood. It is an important part of the corporate media's propaganda campaign. They want to us to believe that the American dream is still intact.
I'd love to know how 4% ranks among other countries. Maybe that is an impressive number.
This is all part of the same bullcrap that hollywood has been doing for years.
The goal is to get poor and unhappy people to live vicariously through the lives of the rich. That's why all sorts of stupids watch shows like "The Kardashians."
What is even worse is that they are influencing children, and young stupids, to be artificial, cheap, and two-face like the "stars" that they are watching.
I suspect the study is unintentionally skewed, if not intentionally flawed. I personally know people who were born and raised VERY poor, including myself, who through perseverence, education, luck, or some combination thereof, who have risen beyond their upbringing in the bottom fifth to now reside in the top fifth. The funny thing is, none of them display their wealth or even want to discuss it. Their goal is to just be comfortable and money is way of keeping score of how well they are doing in business. NONE of them inherited their money. Some of them never even made it to college. It's what I love about America. You aren't ENTITLED to wealth/success, but you can EARN anything you want!
I work for a corporation that was started over 50 years ago by a fellow with nothing. Years of hard work by him, his family and emplyees built a company that now has over 2 billion in sales every year. No, I am not rich by any means, but have been able to provide for my family due to working at this company. He did good and I have profitted from it.
My stepfather (RIP) was an excellent example of the "millionaire next door", a WWII Navy vet who worked diligently after the war (in a blue collar job), saved and did not squander, and ended up with an estate worth almost 1 million. (maybe not a 1%er, but not too shabby) Other than buying a new car every now & then, (cash purchase) he did not "flash" his success, but he did do better than his parents. Maybe not a true "rags to riches" story, but it shows that you CAN do it!