American Dreamz (2006)
Release Date Apr. 21, 2006
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe, Marcia Gay Harden, Hugh Grant
Director: Paul Weitz
Recommendation: Watch once in cheap theater or rent when released to DVD
Summary: Consider the plot a vehicle for plenty of laughs, but expect to be beaten over the head with the bashing of a certain “hapless” president with a Texas accent.
From the very beginning, it becomes clear that one must be more than sympathetic to a certain political perspective in order to obtain maximum enjoyment of American Dreamz. We are given saturation doses of the film makers’ clichéd Leftist portrayals of the Bush administration. If Janeane Garofalo sets your political agenda, you will howl at the sledgehammer-subtle renderings of President Staton (Dennis Quaid) as a well-meaning, but ignorant boob who is puppet-mastered from sun to sun by the evilly manipulative Vice-President Sutton (Willem Dafoe.)
But the bumbling president becomes increasingly dissatisfied with his lack of awareness. Consequently – and abandoning his spoon-fed briefings on what is sometimes politely called ‘popular culture’ – he decides to celebrate his recent re-election by reading a newspaper for the first time. This only whets his appetite for more information and we find the Chief cloistered in his room with a pile of books, magazines and newspapers.
The balding, thick-in-the-middle Veep [did he actually gain weight for the part as Stallone did in the wildly mediocre Cop Land or did he don a Mrs. Doubtfire-esque body appliance?] becomes increasingly alarmed as it dawns upon his erstwhile marionette that everything is NOT black-and-white. The threat that he may become ‘enlightened’ to the point that the Prez turns (sensibly) to the Left is palpable. Thus, President Staton is given “happy pills” and a micro-earphone that enables Dafoe’s character to feed him every word uttered in public.
This in turn leads to the President’s handlers feeling confident enough to send him on a whirlwind PR tour, including “doing” Oprah, Larry King and – the topper of them all – being made an honorary judge on the American Idol-modeled amateur talent competition TV show called American Dreamz.
We are treated to how the leading contestants rose to voyeurism-driven fame. The show’s British [Simon Cowell-inspired d’ya think?] host Tweedy (Hugh Grant) orders his ‘talent’ scouts, “find me FREAKS!” And we are shown that there is no shortage thereof here in America.
We have the hip-hop Hasidic cantor and the klutzy wannabe terrorist who is banished to California to await orders – which his superiors never intend to issue. Then Omer (Sam Golzari) is unwittingly thrust into being an American Dreamz contestant while the president is there, which provides the show-tune loving Arab an unwanted ‘opportunity’ to martyr himself.
The Simon/Tweedy character, having been dumped by his girlfriend who “drove him mad” by being too considerate, develops a genuine respect for the connivingly mercenary contestant Sally (Mandy Moore), who herself had recently unloaded her boyfriend for similar reasons. The potential for this relationship to develop – and the respective characters – promises to be the most interesting aspect of this film, but this subplot is shunted aside in apparent desire by the film makers to tie any loose ends within the last five minutes.
What makes this movie watchable – and indeed what redeems it – are the numerous effective gags and cute moments. I laughed out loud along with everyone else during a sneak preview, but was more than glad that I hadn’t paid a cent to see it.
American Dreamz makes for enjoyable momentary mental chewing gum, but is not worthy of watching more than once – and certainly not shelling out a full first release ticket price. It will be in the $3 theaters soon enough. Wait until then and make sure to smuggle in your own candy. It’s not worth ponying up folding money for a box of Good and Plentys either – even if you’re the type who considers Michael Moore to be a legitimate documentarian.
