+1
I suspect that it goes way deeper than movies. Americans at least and possibly other varieties of humans, resent people who are doing better in life, money, art, religion and politics than they are, unless that person keeps a very narrow path that echos the ideas of the person doing the resenting. It seems to be a key life motivator in about 40% of the people I've ever met, needing to criticize people who are rich, popular or whatever, and who stray from The Path (whatever that is). It's really especially easy for movies and their creators to stray because actors, directors and producers are seen as rich, glamorous, good looking, articulate people who live in big houses, make lots of money and are famous and buy extravagant clothes for the Oscar ceremony, unlike the people who do the resenting who see themselves as hardscrabble but honest and therefore, truly virtuous.
I'd say that this is a constant in American life because that's what I've seen, but I guess that it's universal. Nietzsche wrote about it extensively, so it isn't even 20th century. Movies are just a little part of it.