Have you ever had one of those days so bad that you desperately need a night out at the ice cream parlor or candy shop? The 70s were a really bad day, while the 80s were the night of self-indulgence. Americans love to escape from everyday stress, and of all the products that allow us to do so, none are more popular than movies. Films are key cultural artifacts that offer insight into American culture and social history. Not only do they offer a snapshot of the era's hairstyles and fashions, they also provide a number of insights into Americans' evolving ideals. Like any cultural artifact, films can be approached in different ways. Cultural historians have treated films as a document recording the look and mood of the time that promotes a particular political or moral value or highlights individual or social anxieties and tensions. These cultural documents present a particular image of gender, ethnicity, romance and violence. Out of the political and economic turmoil of the 1970s that saw the mood and esteem of the country, as reflected in artistry and messages in films, sink to a new low, came a new sense of pride in who we are , not seen since the economic boom of the post-World War II 1950s. Of this need for change, Oscar winner Paul Newman said: “There is this acceleration of change, and we are much more affected by it. People want to have fun. They don't want to be bombarded with emotions or questions. I hope it gets better. I don't know if it will or not." During the mid-to-late 1970s, the atmosphere of American films changed dramatically. People needed to get away from negative memories like the Vietnam War, long gas lines, President Nixon's resignation, and... middle of paper... the ground troops or "grunts" who actually fought the war and their struggle to survive in this very ugly war. Top Gun also came out in 1986 with Tom Cruise. This patriotic demonstration of our best fighter pilots once again winning supersonic air battles against "evil" foreign powers was incredibly important because it demonstrated that the mood of the American people had changed and that they were ready to accept the United States Army again United in their hearts. As the decade progressed, Hollywood continued to build on these "catch me up" films with hits like "Back to the Future," "Three Men and a Baby" and "Driving Miss Margaret." As the decade drew to a close, the highest-grossing film of 1989 brought back a different kind of American hero: Batman. Clearly, that bad day called the '70s had been replaced by a night at the candy store called the '70s '80..