As I wrote my upcoming story about the Great Depression, I began to mull through contemporary images of pop culture that deal with that era of our history. Most of us took some sort of class on American history. For those who didn't, the relics of a time gone by still remind us of the struggle our country faced after the stock market crashed in 1929.

   As memory becomes history, history becomes legend, and legend becomes a big-budget Hollywood film starring Russell Crowe, our perception of actual events may be somewhat altered by the artistic propensity to exaggerate.

For instance:

(courtesy of blogs.starzlife.com)

   But I'm no movie critic.

   So you can imagine that it is with a wary eye that I revisit one of my favorite movies of the past five years. And no, it does not feature Mel.

   "Cinderella Man" (click to watch the trailer) was a hard-hitting story (I couldn't resist) based on the life of James J. Braddock, the boxing heavyweight champion in 1935. For the purposes of my argument, ignore the elements of Braddock's story and focus on the imagery of the teaser: The padlocked fence and desperate workers at around 49 seconds; the soggy, dirty newspaper with a headline reading "Unemployment Hits Record 15,000,000" at 1:09; the Emergency Relief Administration office at around 1:20; a dimly-lit, destitute apartment at 1:35.

   And finally, one of the more suggestive depictions, a wealthy couple shown strolling down Park Avenue in custom-tailored suits and furs at 1:48.

   Whether all of these images are exact replicas of what was seen in the Depression era can't be substantiated - at least not by me. These depictions are subject to artistic license. What I can say: Were there a discrepancy between the fictionalized 1930s shown in "Cinderella Man" and the real 1930s, it is small. After talking to someone who grew up in the time, there is little to make me believe any embellishment is necessary to intensify the atmosphere of the Depression.

   It was a scary time for many Americans. For others, it was just another "thing" in a long line of "somethings" that made the lives of other people insanely difficult.

   I'm going to use an incredibly cliche line here (you've been warned): Do not undervalue goodwill. As a self-declared cynical idealist (oh, it's possible, people), the current economy highlights my desire that one day everything will be peachy for everyone. Unfortunately, it also highlights my understanding that such aspirations are impossible in every facet of reality outside the imagination (basically, the only place where fake things exist is a fake place). Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. Good things even happen to Mel Gibson.

   For once, maybe we should just ignore what got someone to where they are today and just focus on where they are today. While there is a certain risk in labeling someone as "hungry" or "needy" and adjusting your demeanor accordingly, the risk you take in avoiding it could be much more costly. If Marcella, our interview subject, can teach us anything, it's the importance of goodwill and grace. But then again, that's probably just another one of my foolish ideals.