Paul Weitz’s American Dreamz features Arab terrorists, a dimwitted president and Iraq war veterans, but don’t dismiss it as another preachy political film.
This ballsy new comedy simultaneously satirizes American pop culture, our ongoing conflict with the Middle East and all the stereotypes involved therein.
Fresh on the heels of Thank You For Smoking, another bold political satire, Dreamz similarly throws political correctness out the window and aims for utter absurdity. Although occasionally muddled, the film achieves some genuine laughs, thanks largely to its quirky cast.
Leading the stellar cast is Hugh Grant, who plays against type as cocky, foul-mouthed television star Martin Tweed. Bearing a not-so-subtle resemblance to American Idol’s Simon Cowell, Tweed hosts American Dreamz, an immensely popular reality show in which young hopefuls compete to become America’s next pop music sensation.
Among the contestants is southern sweetheart, Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore, Saved), who pursues her dreams of fame with ruthless ambition. Her strongest competition comes from a showtune-loving Iraqi named Omer (newcomer Sam Golzari), who finds himself involved with terrorists bent on a televised attack.
Dennis Quaid (In Good Company) kicks off the film’s second subplot as President Staton. The God-fearing, grammatically challenged commander in chief is an obvious parody of President Bush. Tired of his advisers spoon-feeding him lines, Staton grows weary of his job and hides in his bedroom reading newspapers. Desperate for good PR, Vice President Sutter (Willem Dafoe, Spider-Man) volunteers the president to guest-judge on American Dreamz.
With the final Dreamz competition comes a shocking but hilarious ending. If your jaw isn’t on the floor, you will surely be laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.
Writer/director Weitz, who has tackled both the heart-warming (About A Boy) and the raunchy (American Pie), takes a new leap into political satire with Dreamz. Narrow-minded viewers are bound to mistake his witty characters for offensive stereotypes. Despite what you may hear, the film does not portray all Arabs as terrorists but in fact mocks such stereotypes with their own absurdity.
When we see black-clad soldiers crossing monkey bars in the desert with a caption that simply reads “Terrorist Training Camp,” it should already be obvious that this is satire.
The movie also spoofs ratings-moguls such as American Idol and the contestants they exploit. Fans of the show should chuckle at the many inside jokes, including the British host’s snide remarks (“You make me want to projectile vomit.”), and wannabes suspiciously resembling Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino amd Bo Bice.
The melding of pop culture and politics is not always successful. While I give Weitz credit for having the cajones to make a comedy involving terrorism, the film is occasionally cluttered, making its message unclear. And even though Weitz attempts to inject heart into all the cynicism, it barely shines through. Eventually you realize the movie is about staying true to yourself – but not until the final third of the film.
Sloppy as the movie may sometimes feel, it compensates with witty dialogue and an impressive cast of characters. Grant, who abandons the nice guy roles he’s famous for, steals the show as Tweed. Moore, a former teen singer, turns out a great performance and proves herself superior to the pop princesses her character spoofs. Meanwhile, Quaid provides an amusing impression of Bush, but I much preferred watching Dafoe ham it up as the vice president.
Golzari is lovable and believable as the young Iraqi with conflicts of loyalty. This is truly his story, and rightfully so. Still, the film’s supporting characters supply most of the laughs, including Omer’s flamboyant cousin Iqbal (Tony Yalda) and a sleazy Hollywood agent played by Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live.
Rounding out the supporting cast are Chris Klein (American Pie) as Sally’s naïve high-school sweetheart, and Marcia Gay Harden (Mona Lisa Smile) as a Laura Bush clone, who is apparently overcoming an addiction to happy pills. Unfortunately, this side story is abandoned, and should have been cut entirely.
Every once in a while neglected story lines rear their ugly heads, as well as a few moments of extraneous dialogue that should have been dropped. Such sloppiness drags the film down, but Dreamz still provides a fun time at the movies.
The satire is relevant, which might make you feel uncomfortable at times, but it doesn’t depress or preach to its audience. Instead, it boldly reminds us that the world’s problems are no reason to stop laughing.
Movie: American Dreamz | Verdict: B
Contact reporter Heather Seebach at seebachdbk@gmail.com
