The Winter of Our Discontent

When the story begins, Ethan (Donald Sutherland) seems like a happy, decent man. He works at a small grocery store and although it's not a high paying or prestigious job, he likes it. However, he also remembers back in the days when his family was rich and they owned this same store...and he'd like to buy it off his boss and run it himself.

Because he is such a nice guy, some folks around Ethan keep encouraging him to be more cut-throat in life. They push him to do anything to buy back the store and make a name for himself...just like his family had once been. And, he begins to heed these comments...he becomes a very different man...a man he doesn't like nor respect.

This story is from John Steinbeck's final novel...one which, surprisingly, has only been made into a movie this one time. It's surprising becasue Steinbeck was such an important author and because it's a very good story...a story in some ways like "Death of a Salesman" as it's about the dark side of the American Dream.