American Dreamz

I really don’t go to the movies ever, but somehow I managed to see two last week. The second film I saw was American Dreamz. I actually thought it was hilarious.

Like Thank You For Smoking, American Dreamz is a satire. Not quite as intelligent of a satire, but a satire nonetheless. The film pokes fun of not only our country’s obsession with reality television and American Idol, but also playfully takes aim at the commander in chief, immigrants, the war on terror, gays, show tunes, the wealthy, the not-so wealthy, and the inner workings of Hollywood. At times you could say it’s trying a bit too hard, but it is still so funny.

Hugh Grant stars as the host of popular reality talent competition, American Dreamz. Ratings are higher than ever, and he, and his team of suck-ups, want to keep it that way. How do you keep people interested? Well, give them the typical wannabes and then throw some minorities into the mix, of course. What he needs is a Jew and an Arab!

After a slight mix-up, it turns out the Arab they choose formerly participated in a terrorist training camp. The final show will be guest-judged by the president, so when his buddies back at the camp hear that he will be a contestant, they insist he makes it to the final round, strap on a bomb, and martyr himself while simultaneously killing the president.

The president, by the way, played by Dennis Quaid is such a great character. He is a bumbling idiot and Texan, very obviously a caricature of our own president, but somehow you really sympathize with him. It’s not a malicious attack on President Bush, by any means, because you really like the movie’s president.

Humorously unrealistic, the movie is a mosh of seemingly unrelated ideas. One reviewer puts it best:

How do these plots merge? Implausibly. Ridiculously. Sublimely. The president will boost his ratings by becoming a guest judge on "Dreamz." Our sleeper-cell terrorist will make it to the finals and "kill the head of the great serpent" while singing "My Way." It's almost as crazy as Americans being more interested in a glorified-karaoke TV show than a presidential election.

Once again, this movie has minor relation to the American Dream, more so related to the whole of America, but it is titled American Dreamz. I think that validates it.