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Notes:
The President decides to read the newspaper on the morning of his re-election and ends up staying in his bedroom. His Chief of Staff pushes him back into the spotlight by booking him as a guest judge on "American Dreamz".
Comedy - This is sharp, witty satire of both American Idol-like
talent shows and the current political climate. As such, it hits a
wide variety of comic targets, offering both the broad and silly in
addition to smarter humor, and would have appeal from teens on up.
Hugh Grant BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON, LOVE ACTUALLY Dennis Quaid YOURS, MINE AND OURS, IN GOOD COMPANY Mandy Moore CHASING LIBERTY, HOW TO DEAL, A WALK TO REMEMBER Marcia Gay Harden THE BAD NEWS BEARS, WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT Chris Klein JUST FRIENDS, ROLLERBALL, AMERICAN PIE 2 Director:Paul Weitz IN GOOD COMPANY
PROFANITY: 1 F-word, 2 S-words, a few others. SEX/NUDITY: Some sex humor; unseen/implied sex. VIOLENCE: A shooting. DRUGS/ALCOHOL: Some alcohol. ACTION: An explosion. COMEDY: Political and pop culture satire; mild sex humor; slapstick.
The above rating is an average of the critic reviews below.
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Berardinelli, Internet CriticFull Review Above Average Movies like this succeed or fail based on how frequently and loudly the jokes make viewers laugh. And, although American Dreamz has its moments, the humor is neither consistent nor inspired.
Roger EbertFull Review Good The movie is more slapdash than smooth, more impulsive than calculating, and it takes cheap shots. I responded to its savage, sloppy zeal.
USA TodayFull Review Good ...conceived by writer/director Paul Weitz (About a Boy), has a dogged sense of hope amid its broad humor. It doesn't wholly succeed as a sharp-tongued satire, but its farcical elements hit their mark.
Note: The rating
above is our interpretation of what the critic would give this movie based on
their review. We are not affiliated with these critic's in any way.
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DETAILED OPINIONS
The positive and negative comments made by moviegoers are very
helpful when selecting a movie that's appropriate for you and your family.
OPINION OVERVIEW The following is the original "What's Worth
Watching" write-up for this movie.
Moviegoer Opinions:
Based on a theater exit polling of 62 moviegoers: Very mixed opinions, to say the least. About half of the teens, both male and female, enjoyed "American Dreamz," rating it "Very Good," or higher. Unfortunately, most of the remaining half rated it pretty low. So, for teens it's a toss up.
The twentysomething males and females rated it quite low. Very few of them enjoyed it. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to them.
Adults, on the other hand, rated it pretty high. There weren't that many very high opinions, but there were a good number of above average opinions. But, there were also quite a few very low opinions. So, for adults, "American Dreamz" is a bit of a risk. You might want to reduce that risk at a matinee.
On the morning of his re-election, the President (Quaid) decides to read the
newspaper for the first time in four years. This starts him down a slippery
slope. He begins reading obsessively, reexamining his black and white view of
the world, holing up in his bedroom in his pajamas. Frightened by the
President's apparent nervous breakdown, his Chief of Staff (Dafoe) pushes him
back into the spotlight, booking him as a guest judge on the television ratings
juggernaut (and the President's personal fave), the weekly talent show
"American Dreamz".
America can't seem to get enough of "American Dreamz," hosted by
self-aggrandizing, self-loathing Martin Tweed (Grant), ever on the lookout for
the next insta-celebrity. His latest crop of hopefuls includes Sally (Moore), a
conniving steel magnolia with a devoted, dopey veteran boyfriend (Klein), and
Omer, a recent Southern Californian immigrant (who just happens to be a
bumbling, show tune singing, would-be terrorist awaiting activation). When both
Sally and Omer make it to the final round of Dreamz-where the President will be
judging along with Tweed-the stage is set for a show the nation will never
forget.
