Poverty In Movies: How Hollywood Handles The Difficult Subject Matter

13 Movies That Changed The Way We View Poverty

The glitz and glamour of Hollywood exists in stark contrast to the harsh economic realities millions of Americans face on a daily basis. Yet throughout history, filmmakers have often tackled poverty onscreen in ways that spoke to their respective generations.

From Great Depression-era classics like "Grapes of Wrath" and "Sullivan's Travels," to 2012 blockbusters like "Hunger Games" and "The Dark Knight Rises," Hollywood has often used big-screen entertainment to mirror society's economic disparities and hardships.

HuffPost Entertainment has gathered some of the most popular films that deal with poverty. Weigh-in with your own thoughts about how the filmmaking industry can do a better job of highlighting the issue in the comments below.

HuffPost Live will be taking a comprehensive look at the persistence of poverty in America Aug. 29 and Sept. 5 from 12-4 p.m. EST and 6-10 p.m. EST. Click here to check it out -- and join the conversation.

Poverty In Film

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