You've ignored this film. It will no longer appear as a recommendation. View ignored films.
You've decided to remember American Movie for later. You can see all your remembered films here.
Summary: On the northwest side of Milwaukee, Mark Borchardt dreams the American dream: for him, it's making movies. Using relatives, local theater talent, slacker friends, his Mastercard, and $3,000 from his Uncle Bill, Mark strives over three years to finish "Coven," a short horror film. His own personal demons (alcohol, gambling, a dysfunctional family) plague him, but he desperately wants to overcome self-doubt and avoid failure.(imdb)
A film so boring and worthless that after about 25 minutes, the torture became too much. It follows a 30-something redneck loser and "budding filmmaker" who leeches off his relatives while arrogantly preaching to them about his brilliance and future success. It's not funny and it's not educational. The only thing more pathetic and dull than a drug and alcohol addicted loser pissing away his life is to WATCH him pissing away that life. Fuck this garbage.
One of those documentaries that succeeds because the characters in it are so bizarre and wonderful that you wouldn't believe them if it wasn't a doc. Beneath all of that it's an impressive story about chasing your dream.
A bit overrated in that all I've ever heard was how amazing a doc it is, but I feel like that has t do with the fact that it's about a wanna-be movie maker and that triggers added interest in people who love movies. It's still quite good, but mostly because the people documented are so unique. I have no idea how the movie makers found these people.
I've seen a lot of documentaries, but I've never seen one that entertained me this much. The best screenwriters in the business couldn't write more genuine, funny, fascinating characters than these. Aside from being hilarious, the greatest thing about this movie is its overriding spirit of optimism. I was rooting for Mark. I wanted him to finish his movie, make tons of money and begin the life he wants. His lack of talent is immaterial; it's his passion and drive that's so inspiring.
I've seen this 3 or 4 times now and each time it is just as captivating. You can't help but root for this guy as he struggles to overcome the problems in his life and tries to get his film made. Also, Mike is amazing.
The first time I saw this, I thought it was a scripted comedy movie, not an actual documentary. I would have said that these totally unknown people are fantastic actors, but then I was pretty embarrassed to learn that it's all real. It's really nice seeing all the passion that goes into this guy's filmmaking process, and gives you a feeling like the American dream is alive and well. I bet a lot of people in Hollywood don't take filmmaking as seriously as this guy, yet are still more successful.
Populated by a host of memorable characters, but at the center is Mark Borchardt -- the classic lovable loser (though not so lovable when he's had a few), a dynamo of homespun charm and undying drive, he walks a wobbly line between brutal cynicism and carefree optimism. The film follows his triumphs and frustrations like a rollercoaster, always offering new info to you, never once dwelling too long on anything. A compelling and completely re-watchable documentary.
Loading Products from Amazon and Ebay
