FREE: American Dreamz (2006)

The listing, American Dreamz (2006) has ended.

Excellent used DVD, with artwork and insert. The whole item is like new.

Thinly disguised versions of American Idol and the Bush presidency collide in the satire American Dreamz. Bored and self-loathing, Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant, About a Boy) wants to give his hugely popular reality show American Dreamz an extra boost by courting political controversy--but suspects he may find personal redemption in the form of scheming contestant Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore, Saved!), who manipulates her boyfriend (Chris Klein, Election) to give herself a vote-winning backstory. Meanwhile, equally desperate to court popularity, the President's chief of staff (Willem Dafoe, Spider-Man, looking suspiciously Dick-Cheney-esque) gets Tweed to let the President (Dennis Quaid, The Rookie) be a guest judge on the show. But unbeknownst to all, a privately conflicted terrorist (Sam Golzari) has been selected as a contestant, and his sleeper cell wants him to blow up the President in the final competition. This complicated storyline doesn't quite have the bite it's reaching for; the political edge is particularly blunted--even diehard Republicans are unlikely to be offended. But sharp and funny lines are sprinkled throughout and the cast is uniformly excellent; the relationship between Grant and Moore is oddly touching, and Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock) makes an amazing First Lady--is this satire, or what we all wish Laura Bush was really like? An uneven movie, but with some delicious tidbits. --Bret Fetzer