There's a lot going on in "American Dreamz", too bad none of it is particularly interesting or funny.
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Paul Weitz, along with his brother Chris, took raunchiness to a new level with "American Pie", a modernized teen sex comedy in the vein of "Porky's." Weitz's latest film is the similarly titled, "American Dreamz" which attempts to lampoon the current Bush administration, the prevalence of reality television, and how public image plays into either becoming a pop singer or leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world. It displays none of the boldness that made "American Pie" so memorable nor does it have the character depth of Weitz's previous films, "About a Boy" and "In Good Company."
Dennis Quaid is one of the few bright spots in a rather dreadful film. Quaid plays the recently re-elected President Joseph Staton, who sure acts an awful like a certain somebody sitting in the Oval Office right now. One a whim, Staton decides to try something new, he's gonna read a newspaper this morning and he's shocked by what he's found. "I'm beginning to think Iran and North Korea aren't at all like Doctor Octopus and Magneto." Suddenly, the President has a thirst for knowledge and ignores public appearances in favor of reading books. Needless to say, this worries the First Lady (Marcia Gay Harden) and, especially, the Chief of Staff Wally Brown (Willem Dafoe), a cross between Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. Lord knows he doesn't need a president that can think for himself.
Brown deflects the puzzled press by telling them terrorists could attack somewhere, sometime, and somehow. His spin doctoring won't work for long and he gets the President a spot as guest judge on the top-rated reality show, American Dreamz. The show's host is the Simon Cowell-esque, Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant), a manipulative individual who delights in berating contestants. Tweed may have finally met his match (and perfect mate) in the equally scheming Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore).
Kendoo will flash a beaming smile in your face while twisting a sharp blade into your back at the same time. After discovering she's been chosen to compete, Kendoo dumps her naive and doting boyfriend, William Williams (Chris Klein), mainly because she can't stand his constant fawning and affection. A distraught Williams enlists in the army, is shipped off to Iraq, shot in the arm, and sent back home in no time at all. Kendoo and her new agent (Seth Myers) see dollar signs in their eyes when Williams turns up on their doorstep with his arm in a sling. He's the perfect human interest story to win over the sympathy of voters. But, Kendoo feels nothing for Williams, instead she is drawn into an incredibly dysfunctional relationship with Tweed. Neither can stand the other, yet they connect due their equally duplicitous natures.
The wild card in all this is fellow contestant, Omer Obeidi (Sam Golzari, whose mother was killed by an American bomb. He trains to be a terrorist, but prefers listening to show tunes. Exasperated at his bungling, Omer is sent to live with his rich cousins in Orange County. When Omer is picked to be on the show, a trio of terrorists enlist him in a suicide mission. He is to strap on a bomb and assassinate President Staton on the season finale.
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[release]19685[/release]