In America small guys can still defeat big guys
Some of the most popular American movies deal with "David and Goliath" stories, in which a small business or an ordinary person takes on a large corporation or a powerful person! Although America is a capitalist society, Americans, like other people in the world, crave and demand justice and fairness. The American legal system is certainly not perfect because it favors the rich and wealthy. But it has also allowed some big victories for ordinary people and small folks! Likewise, the political system, while also favoring the rich, connected and powerful, has allowed victories for people like Barack Obama, or John Tester, the anti-big-business small town (but big man: 300 lbs.) Montana farmer who was elected to US Senate in 2006.
The following are some of my own personal favorite movies in the category of "David seeking Justice against Goliath:"
- The Shawshank Redemption, 1994, Fiction based on a story by Stephen King, Directed by Frank Darabont: One of the most popular movies of all time, story of an innocent man sent to jail and mistreated by the legal and penal system; and his come back.
- Murder in the First, 1995, by Marc Rocco, inspired by true events: Story of abuse and torture, in the notorious Alcatraz prison, of a mentally retarded man; and a young lawyer's mission to expose the truth despite personal costs to his career.
- The Rainmaker, 1997, by Francis Ford Coppola, based on novel by John Grisham. An idealistic young lawyer takes on powerful law firms representing Big Insurance companies.
- The Insider, 1999, by Michael Mann: Based on true story of a research Chemist who decides to take on the Big Tobacco and reveal the secret "addictive" and "harmful" ingredients they added to cigarettes.
- Erin Brockovich, 2000, by Steven Soderbergh, based on true story of an unemployed single mother bringing down a big California Power Company accused of polluting city's water supplies.
- Runaway Jury, 2003, by Gary Fleder: Story of a man using the U.S. legal system of "trial by jurors" to fight the powerful Big Gun industry.
- Flash of Genius, 2008, Based on true events. By Mark Abraham: An inventor fights against Ford Motor Company after they steal his invention, the intermittent windshield wiper.