The clan went out for a movie last night, and to satisfy all the varied tastes of the clan, we saw Warm Bodies. The blurb about the movie on imdb.com reads:
After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
There are many Americanisms thrown into this movie, as one might expect being a Zombie movie. Zombie movies have been an American staple since Hollywood put actors on the big screen. Though Warm Bodies offers the twists of being both a comedy and a romance, while still filling horror fans with enough guns, brains and blood to satisfy their genre sensibilities, it is a story about the American Value of Change through Personal Progress. Of course, love has a big part in this process. Love is vital to it–the love of both a significant other and a friend. In the end, change only comes by taking responsibility for our personal decisions and enduring the results.
The heroine, Julie, remarks to R, the zombie heartthrob (those of you who have seen the movie will get the reference), that he works harder on being a better… person… than anyone she has ever seen.
In America, we don’t value change for change itself–we value a change that leads us to personal progress. We respect someone who puts serious efforts into their improvements and if they find love along the way (which happens more often than not), we celebrate that with gifts of silverware and toaster ovens. It’s not excess and it’s not materialism, it’s a show of appreciation for the hard work and effort people put into changing themselves for the better–even if you’re a zombie.
Noelle Campbell 
I liked the title of your article, it really caught my attention and I wanted to know what you mean, though I’m not an American. I enjoyed this movie, even I haven’t learned much about values or even something new. But I see your point. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
My blog is designed with the goal in mind to return us (The American People) to the values that are worthy and of everlasting worth. If you’d like to know what those values are, keep reading the blog as I point them out. The values do not belong strictly to America, but they are values that would do us well to emulate and continue to live.