In modern social theory, mass media have been seen as providing ideological support for the reproduction of class inequalities, and structures of exploitation and domination, in industrialized economies. Similarly, cultural anthropologists saw American stratification as contributing no less direct support of the status quo. However, selected Hollywood movies depict an actor-based and inclusive vision of American stratification. In close viewings of Pretty Woman (1990 Pretty Woman. 1990. Garry Marshall, dir.; starring Richard Gere, Julia Roberts and Jason Alexander. Hollywood: Touchstone Pictures; color, 119 mins. [Google Scholar]), Good Will Hunting (1997 Good Will Hunting. 1997. Gus Van Sant, dir.; starring Robin Williams, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Hollywood: Miramax; color, 126 mins. [Google Scholar]) and The Descendants (2011 The Descendants. 2011. Alexander Payne, dir.; starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, and Amara Miller. Hollywood: Fox Searchlight Pictures; color, 115 mins. [Google Scholar]), I adapt Northrop Frye’s “modes of fiction” framework (1957 Frye, Northrop. 1957. Anatomy of Criticism Four Essays. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), which I couple with modern mass media theory and trace back to American exceptionalism, to argue that this vision promotes a comic vindication of class inequality in American society.

在现代社会理论中，大众媒体被视为在工业化经济体中为阶级不平等以及剥削和统治结构的再生产提供意识形态支持。同样，文化人类学家认为美国的分层对现状的直接支持同样重要。然而，选定的好莱坞电影描绘了美国分层的基于演员和包容性的愿景。近距离观看漂亮女人( 1990) 漂亮的女人。1990 年。加里·马歇尔，总监；由理查·基尔、朱莉娅·罗伯茨和杰森·亚历山大主演。好莱坞：试金石影业；彩色，119 分钟。 [Google Scholar] ),Good Will Hunting(1997) 善意狩猎。1997 年。Gus Van Sant，总监；由罗宾威廉姆斯、马特达蒙和本阿弗莱克主演。好莱坞：米拉麦克斯；彩色，126 分钟。 [Google Scholar] ) 和The Descendants(2011 ) 后裔。2011 年。亚历山大·佩恩，导演；由乔治·克鲁尼、谢琳·伍德蕾和阿玛拉·米勒主演。好莱坞：福克斯探照灯影业；彩色，115 分钟。 [Google Scholar]），我改编了 Northrop Frye 的“小说模式”框架（1957 年） 弗莱，诺斯罗普。 1957 年。批评剖析四篇论文。新泽西州普林斯顿：普林斯顿大学出版社。[Crossref]  , [Google Scholar] )，我将其与现代大众媒体理论相结合，并追溯到美国例外主义，以论证这一愿景促进了对美国社会阶级不平等的滑稽证明。