In many mainstream Hollywood movies you often see the characters living in homes and wearing clothes that they couldn't realisticly afford. You would see someone, for instance, playing a waitress working in Washington DC, but her apartment looks like one that a lawyer could barely afford. Or, the characters just don't seem like they could possibly have any financial concerns. If they have to do something costly like going back to school (like Julia Roberts in Something to Talk About) it just happens effortlessly once the character decides to do it. My husband feels that this is done because John and Jane Public want to see characters they can envy and aspire to be. I personally feel it is very distancing, because I can't relate to the characters. Do you think that such characters are a result of people in Hollywood being out of touch with average people, and that the audience out there would like to see more characters like themselves? Or do you think that Hollywood is right in offering people escapism - that this is what people still want? Simone Fary ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]