The filmmaker who brought us the comic explorations of In Good Company, About A Boy, and American Pie is at it again. Paul Weitz’s new film, American Dreamz, is yanked from today’s pop culture obsession with “what’s hot” instead of hot topics in the headlines.
The President (Dennis Quaid) hasn’t read the newspaper in four years, until the morning of his re-election. It becomes an obsession and he holes himself in his bedroom to read newspapers day and night — in his pajamas.
Willem Dafoe is his concerned Chief of Staff who books him as a guest judge on a TV talent show, American Dreamz. Hosted by the bigheaded Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant), American Dreamz's newest group of celebrity hopefuls include Sally (Mandy Moore) with her dopey long-time boyfriend (Chris Klein) and the multi-talented would-be terrorist Omer. The President and Tweed are set to judge the final round of competition in an American Dreamz the country will never forget.
American Dreamz opens Friday April 21st. In the meantime, check out the trailer, hop on over to the Offical Omer Fan Club, and don’t forget to check out the American Dreamz talent show website.
Article comments
1 - kelf
Hi everyone. I'm pretty much open to satire. I like Apu on the Simpsons. But being someone of Arab and Indian ancestry, I looked at the trailer and see a prominent Arab character and see a suicide bomber?
Is this justified because the movie is a much-needed satire of Bush?
Is this balance?
Here's the thing, if we constantly see Arabs as suicide bombers, it's going to stick.
I was greatly dismayed by the movies Stealth's genocide of an entire Arab village who were shown towing enourmous nuclear weapons.
Yes. It's racism. Sure it's a comedy, but with no balance in general about Arabs (they're you and me), American Dreamz might cause me to pick up the "I'm Offended" tack for the first time.
Sad, no?
2 - -E
Unfortunately, for the sake of media, stereotypes make it easier for an audience to immediately identify something. But the movie is a parody, it is poking fun at that stereotype. I think the point is that Arab doesn't equal terrorist and that to think so is pretty outrageous.