Film and American Culture

Teamwork towards the American Dream in Hustle and Flow

Everyone 's got to have a dream (Brewer . Many Americans commonly hold that the American Dream is living and tangible . Through hard work ingenuity , and persistence , regardless of background or race , one can build oneself up into anything . In Craig Brewer 's Hustle and Flow even a pimp experiencing a midlife crisis can reinvent himself as a hip hop artist . Though Djay (Terrence Howard ) is the clear protagonist , the story also addresses the prostitutes and music producers that come into Djay 's life

. Initially all of the characters are shown living uninspiring and even destitute lives . Everyone wants to make something more of his /her life . Even the more professionally successful music producer , Key (Anthony Anderson , admits to the protagonist pimp , Djay that although Djay physically resides in prison at the end of the movie Key and Shelby were in a mental prison because they had no dream to reach for . Djay and Key 's chance meeting in a convenience store brings two groups together on a common musical collaboration . Key and his friend Shelby (DJ Qualls ) work day jobs and in music , while Djay , Nola (Taryn Manning , and Shug (Taraji

. Henson ) work as a pimp and prostitutes , respectively . Neither group can produce a hip hop record alone . The musicians need the lyricist Djay , who in turn needs his prostitutes to fund recording equipment . As well , Djay needs experienced musicians to develop his lyrical ideas into songs . The antagonists of...