AllMovie

John Fugelsang retraces the steps of Alexis de Tocqueville, whose 1831-32 travels in the U.S. led him to write "Democracy in America," which popularized the notion of the American dream. Fugelsang's quest: to see whether the dream still exists or if, as George Carlin joked, "you have to be asleep to believe it." Along the way, he meets a diverse lot, including folks struggling to overcome setbacks and others who've succeeded despite steep hurdles. Almost all, perhaps quixotically, still believe.