Movie Review

American Dreamz

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on November 1, 2006

Release Date: October 17, 2006

Paul Weitz could have tried taking the high road and just entertained us with witty observations, rather then pretentiously exposing Americanisms randomly without purpose. One satirical poke after another leads us to the ultimate question of “what is this film trying to say about us?”

After winning the presidential election, President Staton (Dennis Quaid) has found himself feeling misinformed and ready to understand more about the country. His Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) feels that the president should put himself in the limelight more often and sees the perfect opportunity to do so. With the world glued to their televisions to watch the hit series American Dreamz, President Staton will be making a guest appearance as a judge on the season finale.With the new season coming soon, host Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant) is on the hunt for new and entertaining talent for the show.

Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore) is one lucky contestant who will be competing for victory on the show. With the support of her family and her wounded Iraqi War-vet boyfriend (Chris Klein), Sally not only has the talent to win but also the human interest story for support. Failed terrorist Omer Obeidi (Sam Golzari) is sent to America to live with family in Orange County. Omer was sent to America to await orders from his home country and to avoid embarrassing his native land because of his love of show tunes. Omer’s charisma and ethnicity land him a spot on American Dreamz.

While American Dreamz does provide some things to laugh about, it also sheds a very ugly light on America and our value system. Yes I know the country has problems, but those problems do not entertain me in any way. We all know that our President is not a rocket surgeon and we all know that people care more about reality TV than reality, but do those facts need to be exploited by film? The film was a series of cynical statements that ultimately lead us to…nowhere. What is the point of making a statement that the majority of those watching the film won’t even understand? Also, who told the guy who directed American Pie that he could make fun of the very nation and its people that made him a millionaire?

The film wasn’t too intelligent, and it wasn’t too stupid. It just wasn’t anything but one man’s perception of the world and its consumers. The idea for the film seemed smart and witty, but the end product was as limited as Paris Hilton’s vocabulary. The actors did a great job in the film though, and portrayed their characters perfectly. Dennis Quaid pulled off a Bush wannabe impression with perfection. Mandy Moore always seems to perform above and beyond expectations. Chris Klein will always find a home in minor comedic roles. Hugh Grant and Dick Clark have an agreement with the same guy that does not allow them to age.

The DVD is lives up to the standards of the film sadly. I was expecting Universal to surprise us and sneak in a DTS track, but that was not the case. As with most Universal releases, the video quality was above par as well as the audio. The special features did not support the film whatsoever, only further emphasizing its lack of appeal. A series of deleted scenes played out like bad audition tapes for American Idol and the other featurettes just seemed like filler.

Film Grade: D+

DVD Grade: C-