American Dreamz Review
Posted by Matthew Craggs on 04.24.2006
I'd rather watch American Idol
Cast
Hugh Grant - Martin Tweed
Dennis Quaid - President Staton
Mandy Moore - Sally Kendoo
Willem Dafoe - Chief of Staff
Chris Klein - William Williams
Jennifer Coolidge - Martha Kendoo
Sam Golzari - Omer
Marcia Gay Harden - First Lady Staton
Seth Meyers - Chet Krogl
Universal Pictures presents a film directed and written by Paul Weitz. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual references. Runtime 107 minutes.
I realize it's not good form to spoil a movie in the review, but this is a special case: American Dreamz, the fictional television series that is the center of the movie by the same name, is the real life American Idol. It's true.
Hugh Grant is Martin Tweed, a charming British man who berates the show's contestants with a passive smugness. He is the stand in for Simon Cowell, the not-so-charming British man who does the same.
Mandy Moore is Sally Kendoo, a middle class Ohio farm girl who will do anything to win the competition. The name is appropriate (Kendoo is pronounced "Can do") because she plays on the audience's patriotism to win votes. For example, she stays with her delusional boyfriend (Chris Klein) because he was wounded in Iraq, and America loves a wounded troop. Jennifer Coolidge is Martha, her Showbiz Mom. Mandy Moore is the stand in for every contestant that has ever been on American Idol.
Sam Golzari is Omer, the novelty contestant. He is from Iraq and, you guessed it, a terrorist. His morals conflict with his orders to assassinate the president, who will be guest judge on the program, with a bomb strapped to his body. Omer is the stand in for William Hung, and any other Idol contestant who stayed around because they were so bad, they were good.
Dennis Quaid is the president. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He is on "happy pills" and knows what to say because his Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) has provided him with a little earphone that he feeds with the right lines. The President agrees to judge the championship round because he has lost touch with his public. They stand in for, you guessed it, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
Those are your main players. Har, har, har.
The message Paul Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy, In Good Company) is sending with his lampoon of the reality television game is loud and clear. America picks its leaders like they pick the winners of any ludicrous competition based television program. The man or woman who escapes as winner isn't necessarily the best for the job or the most talented. The winner is simply the most entertaining. Even if they can't dance and wow the judges with a bad rendition of "She Bangs."
The problem with American Dreamz is that we already know this. Weitz doesn't tell us anything new. Anyone can tell you that contestants for these shows are picked because of their demographic. Anyone can tell you that the contestants are there to make trouble with each other because we want to see drama. Anyone can tell you that the real competition comes in the human interest part of the program. And Weitz does when Moore agrees to let Klein, the boyfriend she doesn't want, propose to her on live television because people like a love story, damn it.
The genre is ripe for satire but it just isn't there in this movie. The audience is left with a "Well, duh" feeling because the director doesn't want to say anything that isn't painfully obvious. The film feels hallow.
"But it's a comedy," you may be thinking to yourself. "I don't care if my comedy says anything. Will I laugh?"
Sadly, good Sir or Madam, you will not. The jokes are flat and confined to the trailer. The only laughs came with the three man who organized Omer's attack on the president. In one scene they discuss the plan with Omer in his hot tub and the reaction when asked if they want a desert is priceless.
That isn't to say there are other bright spots as well. The character of Sally had the opportunity to be something. She's ruthless, conniving, and more interesting than anyone else who shared the screen. As an aside, Moore has a future. She is quite obviously a pro and is smart at choosing roles right for her. She misjudged American Dreamz, but she did more with the character than any other could.
Plus, Hugh Grant phones it in but he is so charming that it doesn't matter. Grant, like any other British man, can call someone a "dirty little bitch" and make it sound like a compliment. The rest of American Dreamz, on the other hand, plays like an insult.
The 411: Not only does American Dreamz confirm things we already knew, it contains less comedy than an episode of American Idol.
