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♪ [1940's music] ♪

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[NARRATOR] Let's look in on America's perfect family: the Joneses.

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Why, just look at their amazing life!

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Safe, secure jobs.

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Social respect and admiration.

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A growing family.

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Home ownership!

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New model cars.

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And a gourmet kitchen.

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Yes, the Joneses are living proof that if we're willing to follow the same trusted path...

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[RECORD SCRATCH]

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What! How did we ever buy into that...myth?

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Since we have been young, we have been indoctrinated to follow a prescribed formula.

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You have to get a degree.

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And get the best job that you can.

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The white picket fence...

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The big-screen TV...

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2.5 kids...

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The babe, the boat, the bucks. The job, the six figures.

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Work for forty, fifty years...and then retire.

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I did all of the things that were expected of me

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at the expense of my dreams.

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Every Monday I would walk on the beach, and put my iPod in, and...

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wonder what was wrong with me.

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I was like: I live by the beach. I have a great job, all this money.

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I'm so lucky right now.

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And yet, I'm freaking miserable.

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And I was on the road 3 to 4 days a week.

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And I just remember thinking: I did not sign up to be a single parent.

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Every single day, I would come home and I would

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tell Betsy, I'm like, I cannot do this anymore. I cannot do this. I can't do this anymore.

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When you're climbing the ladder and you get to the top

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and you realize you have it leaned up against the wrong wall.

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I didn't even know what the right wall was.

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[CRYING] And I'm 32 and it, it feels like I should have that...figured out.

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These people DO live these lives of quiet desperation. They WISH things were different.

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They need Life to shake them and say,[br]"Wake the f**k up!"

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"This is not the way you've got to live!"

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"There's something better out there."

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♪ ♪

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♪ [5 FILMMAKERS] ♪

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[10,000+MILES] It's only when you start making choices for yourself

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[42 days] that you can live your OWN dreams[br]instead of 'The American Dream'.

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♪ [ON A JOURNEY] ♪

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♪ ♪

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♪ [TO FIND A NEW PATH] ♪

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[TO FIND A NEW PATH] I'd be happy,

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but I would not know

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[TO HAPPINESS] what it was going to be like to keep this happening.

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♪ [TO HAPPINESS] ♪

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[CHUCKLES]

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♪ ♪

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♪ [JULY 2012] ♪

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[JULY 2012] I don't know what's around the corner for me.

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♪ [JULY 2012] ♪

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[JULY 2012] I have never been so fulfilled not knowing.

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♪ ♪

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let's look in on America's perfect family, the Johnses. I just look at their amazing lifves - safe, secured jobs, social respect and .... - a growing family. ... new model cars and a good maid kitchen. yes, the germans are living proof that if we are willing to follow the same trusted path.

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what? how did we ever buy into that myth.

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since we have been young, we have been indoctrinated to follow a prescribed formula.

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have a good degree

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and get the best job that you can

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a big screen TV

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2.5 kids

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work for forty, fifty years and then retire