American Dreamz (2002)
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41% of critics liked it
(155 reviews) -
33% of users liked it
(95,757 ratings)
The President of the United States (Dennis Quaid) seems to be having a nervous breakdown after picking up a newspaper for the first time in four years, and when his Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) determines to get the Commander in Chief out of his pajamas and back into the spotlight, the stage is set… More The President of the United States (Dennis Quaid) seems to be having a nervous breakdown after picking up a newspaper for the first time in four years, and when his Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) determines to get the Commander in Chief out of his pajamas and back into the spotlight, the stage is set for a talent contest that the nation will never forget. To President Staton, the world is a fairly black-and-white place, but a glance at the daily headlines on the eve of his reelection leaves the most powerful man in the free world shaken to the very core. Now determined to read as much as possible in order to best assess the opinions of the general public, President Staton locks himself away and obsessively begins taking in as much information as humanly possible. With concern about the President's mental health soon taking precedence over all other issues in the White House, his nervous Chief of Staff attempts to get the Commander in Chief back in the public eye by booking him as a guest judge on television's top-rated talent show, "American Dreamz." A weekly ratings juggernaut hosted by self-loathing celebrity Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant), "American Dreamz" cashes in on the dominant culture of celebrity by affording everyday Americans the opportunity to be catapulted into stardom. As "American Dreamz" hopefuls Sally (Mandy Moore) and Omer (Sam Golzari) progress to the final round and the President takes his seat on the panel, an unexpected revelation about one of the finalists promises to make this season finale the biggest ratings grabber in television history. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Paul Weitz
- Written By
- Paul Weitz
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Apr 21, 2006 Wide
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Anna Smith, Time Out
...Opting for a broad, light mood that's at complete odds with the darker potential of its political premise.
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Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic
A moderately engaging satire, some of it amusing and some of it strained, but in considerable measure it reflects a strange circumstance in all our lives.
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Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
[A] satirically unbalanced in its attempted fusion of such varied targets as George Bush, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Muslim suicide bombers, and the hosts and contestants on American Idol.
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Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
In the words of Simon, it's a complete and utter disaster.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
[Paul] Weitz co-directed the wonderful About a Boy in 2002, but in Dreamz -- a tediously facile satire -- his comic instincts fail him.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Dennis Quaid
as President Staton
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Hugh Grant
as Martin Tweed
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Mandy Moore
as Sally Kendoo
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Willem Dafoe
as Chief of Staff
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Chris Klein
as William Williams
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Jennifer Coolidge
as Martha Kendoo
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Sam Golzari
as Omer
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Marcia Gay Harden
as First Lady
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Seth Meyers
as Chet Krogl
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John Cho
as Ittles
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Judy Greer
as Accordo
- Bernard White
- Tony Yalda
- Noureen DeWulf
- Shohreh Aghdashloo
- Jay Harik



