“Imagine a country where the President never reads the newspaper, where the government goes to war for all the wrong reasons, and where more people vote for a pop idol than their next President.”
Sounds oddly familiar…
“American Dreamz” encases a reality show similar to American Idol, which has ratings through the roof. The show, hosted by jaded TV host Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant), wants the new season to really stand out with characters who are freaks.
The first contestant picked is wannabe pop star, Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore) from Padookie, Ohio. After getting picked she dumps her devoted boyfriend William “Willie” Williams (Chris Klein) because her life is skyrocketing up from his level. Willie is so devastated that he joins the Army and goes to Iraq, but gets shot in the arm within hours of arriving. Sally confesses to her manager she would “rather jab her eyes out with a toothpick than lose [American Dreamz].” They start constructing her character, which is a dirt poor all-American girl with an estranged father and her war veteran boyfriend, Willie.
The other main contestant is Omer, a showtune-loving terrorist who can’t quite succeed in terrorist training camp. He is sent to Orange County, CA to stay with family while awaiting commands from his senior terrorists. When the American Dreamz people show up at the house to recruit Omer’s cousin, Iqbal, they find Omer performing “Luck Be A Lady,” and select him instead of Iqbal.
While all this is happening, America has just elected a president. President Stanton (Dennis Quaid) has returned to office and never reads the newspaper. After his election, he takes a break to think and figure out what is going on in the world around him, and stays out of the public eye for nearly a month. In order to put a stop to the rumors surrounding his disappearance, his Chief of Staff arranges a series of appearances for him, during all of which he must wear an earpiece from which he is told everything he says. The main appearance he is scheduled for is a spot as a guest judge on the American Dreamz finale.
When the terrorists realize that Omer has made it onto the show, they come up with a mission for him. They help arrange it so that he makes it to the final round where they will smuggle him a bomb to blow up himself and the President.
American Dreamz features a fantastic cast playing extreme roles you would not really expect them to take. Dennis Quaid’s character, for example, is so unintelligent one has to wonder who elected him. Mandy Moore’s character is so selfish and vain that one has to wonder if any celebrities are that egocentric.
This movie is good for a few laughs because the characters are such extremes. You could either love the movie or hate it. Beware – the movie gets pretty random, which leaves the viewer befuddled. If you enjoy Mandy Moore or the American Idol crowd, watch with an open mind – this movie is probably the kind of satire you would enjoy.
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