Judy Garland embodies the American Dream

Rating: 10/10 (27 June 2018)

I don't think there's any kid who lives their entire childhood without watching The Wizard of Oz and creating a soft, cozy spot in their heart for the film to stay the rest of their life. As a kid, it's pretty much impossible to dislike. Sure, there are a few kids out there who get scared by the Margaret Hamilton, but it's still a wonderful, magical, safe place to spend ninety minutes.
So, since everyone in the world has seen this movie, there's no point in my describing the plot and giving reasons why you should rent it. Most of you probably own a copy; we recently exchanged our very used VHS copy for an anniversary DVD. We also have a behind-the-scenes book about the making of the movie!
When my brother and I grew up watching it, we believed when the film transitioned from black-and-white to color, that was the first time Hollywood discovered Technicolor. It was such incredible technology, we assumed Hollywood wanted to ease audiences into their new world by showing them colored film only when Judy Garland awakened in a fantasy world. To this day, no matter what anyone tells us-and despite the fact that I was instructed differently during my years at film school-we still credit The Wizard of Oz as the first movie made in color.
To me, what makes a movie a classic is the ability to get more out of it each time you watch it. Every time I watch The Wizard of Oz, I see it from a slightly different perspective. Maybe I'll be able to fully appreciate Frank Morgan's layered performance, or maybe I'll see the story as symbolic instead of literal. Gone with the Wind won the Academy Award for 1939's Best Picture, but although it was a grand epic and an enormous amount of work went into it, we've given the Best Picture Rag to The Wizard of Oz. It stands the test of time better. It's much more of a classic, in how I define the word.
The Wizard of Oz is a true staple of Americana, a film that reaches the hearts of all Americans in a way it culturally might not be able to reach others. Americans have it in their blood to be pioneers, explorers, conquerors, and to seek outside themselves in order to feel "whole". If you don't understand this, you're probably not American or need to brush up on your history lessons. In this 1939 classic, Judy Garland lives the American Dream. She's misunderstood at home and feels unsafe, so when she sings the iconic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in her famously warbly voice, it signals to the audience that she's going to try to find an outside source to make her happy. It's the timeless theme of wanting to grow up quickly and then wishing to relive your childhood, all told in the magical Technicolor fantasy. Any adult who's ever tried to survive on their own, forge a new path different than their family, and prove that this time, when they go out into the world, things will be different, probably cries at the end of the movie. The lesson that no one seems to learn is taught in a very lovely, heartwarming way in The Wizard of Oz: it's impossible to find happiness by going outside yourself. You have to find happiness in your own heart, at home, first.