American Dreamz

Review by Clint Morris

Halfway through the film, Hugh Grant’s character cracks a joke and waits for Mandy Moore to respond. She doesn’t. “That was a joke,” he says. “You didn’t laugh”. 

A stern-faced Moore retorts, “It wasn’t funny.”

And there lies the problem. It’s just not funny. The film I mean – not Grant, who in fact, is actually mildly amusing at times – with the joke writer on permanent vacation from Paul Weitz’s (In Good Company, About a Boy) latest jamboree.

What gives? The production designer turned up, the director, the music choreographer, the awesome ensemble cast…. everyone but the guy who writes the gags, and it sorely shows.  What, he wasn’t informed of the public transport strike, and caught the bus anyway?

Like listening to a long-winding joke, - one seemingly without end, you know the one! - only to hear it’s disappointing punch line – the lack of humour in American Dreamz will most likely deflect your attention from the screen to, well, anywhere else. Including the luminous exit sign. The person delivering the joke can be as pretty as a Bali sunset – which Mandy Moore clearly is – but if the words coming out of their mouth mean nothing, and aren’t interesting, it’s habitually an instant turn-off. It’s what inside that counts, remember, and for that reason Dreamz is a bit of a blow.

The film – that might have been better served as a 15-minute sketch on Saturday Night Live - stars Hugh Grant as the narcissistic host of a top-rating reality series called American Dreamz. Tired of the show, he’s in search for some new blood, some interesting contestants to reinvigorate both it, and him. He finds them in the superficial Sally (Mandy Moore) and undercover-terrorist-with-a-heart, Omar (Sam Golzari).

Both get through to the final round, and with the opinion of the nation’s leader (Dennis Quaid), playing special guest judge, America will crown a new winner – if only Omar doesn’t blow up the auditorium – and therefore, president – first.

In some respects, it’s a waste of time and talent to do this film...it was always going to be. Good jokes or no good jokes. A spoof of American Idol? Heck, the show itself is already a spoof. Tell me it’s not funny?! It is. It’s like mocking the already mocked.

Having said that, there are some bright spots to see you through the drawn out (the first hour is a bit of a snooze) film, including a couple of magnificent performances. Dennis Quaid, obviously having a hoot of a time, is a standout as the dim-witted American president (an obvious take-off of George W.Bush), and you can almost recommend the film based on his performance alone, whilst Hugh Grant is perfectly pig-headed as the film’s version of tenacious TV celeb, Simon Cowell.  And though they don’t have much to work with, Mandy Moore (as gorgeous as ever), Chris Klein, Willem Dafoe and newcomer, Sam Golzan, make the most of their somewhat disused characters.

American Dreamz is pretty much like a reality TV show – funny, at times, but mostly just a tire that seems to go on forever. But in the same respect, it always produces a star by the end – and in this case, it’s a Quaid/Grant tie.

2.5 out of 5

American Dreamz
Australian release: 27th April, 2006
Cast: Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe, Chris Klein
Director: Paul Weitz
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