Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Waking up from the American dream, 30 Dec 2003
By A Customer
It may not be the best film ever made, but American Movie is certainly one of the funniest - even if it is not a comedy. The lead character is a 30 year old paper carrier who still lives at home but has the dream to be an independent film maker. But when he decides to make his dream come true, he runs smack into the eternal truth that, however cool or inspired your ideas are, the people around you are probably too lazy or too lame to make it work, even if they profess undying support. His partner in this venture is a Dead-head slacker who appears to have taken serious quantities of prohibited drugs - which you could guess, even if you weren't listening to his acid trip stories - and who tags along merrily to support his friend without adding any energy. His main financier is an older relative who is reluctant to part with his substantial savings until he is given a role in the film. And our hero, being from the wrong side of the tracks, doesn't have the middle class network or education which other film makers can leverage. It's part buddy story, part morality play, part fish out of water scenario, part epic struggle against class and circumstances - and, almost unbelievably, it's a documentary. The lead characters were spotted while borrowing equipment at their local university to work on the film, and the documentary crew traced their progress. The film has been criticised for setting up the characters to ridicule - and there is no doubt that, with their middle class network and education to leverage, the film crew have the upper hand - but there is terrific spirit in the hero's struggle against his circumstances, which is epic, inspiring and - the audience suspects from the beginning - doomed to failure. It's like waking up from the American dream.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So funny, I didn't realise it was a documentary!, 18 May 2004
The amazing thing about this documentary is that it observes an authentically individualistic film maker and the characters who inhabit his world so brilliantly and perfectly that you swear it must all be scripted, but it is totally real! Amazing! Mark, the main guy, has a dream of being a film maker and his vision is so wildly and recklessly expressed and executed that it makes him as funny and strange and ludicrous as he is admirable, but admire him you do, because he has drive, courage and persistence which pays off in the end despite his own flaws (drinkig, procrasticnation, lack of planning/discipline etc).
One of the funniest things about this film is his bizarre habit of philosphising and over analysing simple situations. And the other is the fact that his film making is so outrageously at odds with the simple small town life style he leads and the humble, simple people he has all around him. His dear old Uncle who finances the film (three grand...waht a budget!) does so for such a basic reason (there's a pretty young girl who wants to be in the movie) and yet has zero belief in Mark's potential for success because his dreams are so far removed from the family's reality of day to day life. They ask him Mom if she think he will make it and she says..."no!" His brother says he thinks the guy is best suited to "factory work". But he does succeed, and this DVD has made him an even bigger success. But the things the guy comes out with...my God! At one point, his set burns to the ground the night before he's due to shoot a scene and he says God has destroyed his set to teach him not to waste time and take things for granted! That was wicked Man! By the way, the film he makes, "Coven" is actually not a bad film, with a great horror film look and menacu=ing atmosphere, it kind of reminded me of Stephen King's stories. I think this film is a gem and I laughed my head off at it and learned some stuff about persistence, success and life at the same time, not to mention film making! Full marks, Mark! You're a star!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, Slightly Misunderstood Documentary, 10 Mar 2004
Generally people see this documentary as a dig at a small town, Wayne's World type personality. And generally they are wrong. I can certainly empathise with this position as when I first saw it I truly thought it was a spoof, such as the likes of Spinal Tap, but about a film maker. There are moments in this film where you laugh out loud in complete disbelief that the cliche of a 30 year old man living in his mums basement is true and at his seemingly loser mates who make some fantastic appearances that left me completely dumbfounded and, perhaps wrongly, laughing until I was in pain.
Aside from the hilarious moments, I think to assume this is just for our entertainment through ridicule is to miss the point. The point is the leading character does manage to make a film, and it actually doesn't look that bad. The other point is that despite his mullet and thick glasses and loser appearance, he actually has a lot of wisdom to offer. He is unashamedly himself, he is constantly contemplating the American Dream and he is one of the most tenacious characters you will ever see on film.
This is a fantastic film that will have you rolling on the floor laughing at the main characters (and there really are some characters), but will also leave you with a strange feeling of respect and admiration for them. I thoroughly recommend you see this film, it really is so real you couldn't make it up.
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