In regard to Juliann Jenkins' query about the relationship between
Hollywood and the dissemination of cultural myths, there are several
helpful readings on this topic, several of which I have used in class and
applied to a variety of films.
The cultural myth of the hero and the obstacles that he or she must
confront in America has been discussed by such writers as Christopher
Vogler in The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and
Screenwriters and by Linda Seger in Making a Good Script Great.  Both of
these writers emphasize that the insights of Joseph Campbell are
consciously used by contemporary filmmakers and writers to develop myths
that audiences will identify with and accept as true.
According to Robert Ray in A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema
(1985) and to various writers like Robin Wood, Clyde Taylor, and bell hooks
in Movies and Mass Culture (1996, ed. John Belton), American films not only
reflect but also create the mythology of America.  Movies, I think, create
myths because they engage us in conversations about things that matter and
become a part of our "living" memory.
Hope these titles help.  There are other good ones, I know, but these are
accessible and work well with students.
 
-------------------------------
Fredric M. Wild
Communication Dept.
Lycoming College
 
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