American Movie (1999)

This is hands down the most heartfelt, sad, honest and hilarious documentary about a guy with big dreams I've ever seen. As an aspiring filmmaker myself, I identify with Mark on a deep level... it all hits home in a big bittersweet way for me. Gotta keep the dream alive.

American Movie is a delightfully humorous documentary about the making of a short film over a three year period. Mark Borchardt is our foolishly charming subject who struggles and struggles despite insurmountable odds. He lives in his parent's basement in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, scrounging money through various odd-jobs and a tiny gaggle of investors. Acting as writer, director, co-producer, editor and star, Mark hopes to finish the horror short Coven (which he pronounces Coe-van) without resources, marketability or talent. Yet through all his setbacks, Mark keeps his head high which garners the admiration of local theater talent, slacker friends and his family.American Movie is, at times, a very cringe-worthy movie to sit thought. Mark is armed only with a small film camera and an unabashed love of Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). He naively thinks that's enough to make it to Hollywood and in his words "achieve the American dream." Yet Mark's intensity and enthusiasm for his movie are completely at odds with everything and everyone around him. Testimonial after testimonial from his mother, his uncle and the gaggle of bit players he hired, point to a man needlessly suffering for his art. "I always thought he'd wind up a serial killer," muses one of Mark's former high school friends. His intensity as well as his broken home life certainly seem to be pointing in that direction.Yet American Movie is not a mean-spirited take down of the American dream, with Mark it's unwilling patsy. Most of the camera's perspective hones in on the very human need to accomplish something. Despite efforts to paint Mark as a modern day Don Quixote, each interview subject ultimately concludes Mark is "one persistent kid." And of course Mark does has his allies including Mark's long suffering girlfriend Joan Petrie, and Mark's layabout best friend Mike Schank.The film takes a few jabs at the expense of small town naivety, especially when Mike is on screen. Yet behind the playful ribbing there's a lot of heart to American Movie. It features a moment in time concerning a true amateur; someone with no experience but anxious to make his mark. American Movie is warts-and-all documentary filmmaking. Those who are considering a career in the seventh art need to see this film and take stock in their plans, their resources and their talent (or lack thereof). What's clear by the end of the documentary is Mark Borchardt will not give up. He sees film not as a career choice but as a calling. In the years since, Mark has struggled to continue making and featuring in films though he's done so consistently for a few years. Some see American Movie and see sad, hopeless people searching for glory; "I say thou hast seen nothing yet."

Assertive, mullet-haired white trash dude ropes his family and friends into a shaky realisation of his movie-making dream.Interesting documentary that plays around with the truth. Lots of reviews flag this up as comic, but I wasn't laughing, and when the feel good came on toward the end it seemed fake - but was the fakery part of the story? The characters are extraordinary - I haven't met a single person of that type, but like to think they exist. Uncle Bill especially. But how much of that is down to the director, how much to the people playing up to the camera? Fake or not, it does have a complete feel - like Grizzly Man, which also played around with the real life of a delusional performer.Overall, engaging story but I want to know more. So I guess it succeeds.

No Hollywood hasn't got this lazy yet that they just tell you what it is and where it was made, American Movie is a documentary about a man with perhaps the greatest divide between ambition and ability currently working in film, and his efforts to make his debut film.As a digression though I have found altogether too many films that just say "whack American in front of something and there's your title!", maybe it's familiarity, maybe misplaced nationalism, but these films always seem to make a few bucks, leading to more and more.So we have "American… Pie / Gangster / Psycho / Beauty / History X / Splendor / Dreamz All in the last decade off the top of my head, with dozens more out there.Back to Mark Borchardt the subject of this American Movie. Mark is a movie devotee who clearly has at least put in the time watching and studying film. He has grand plans to become an established filmmaker in his own right, he just needs to make his debut short film to drum up some money so that he can make his name with a full length feature.The film will be called NorthWestern, and while early goings of this documentary introduce us to many people already associated and indoctrinated into the process it is clear early that this won't be a tale of cinematic triumph against the odds.Even Mark's most ardent supporters admit that years have passed with little or no progress. Mark is idealistic, ambitious, passionate and sincere. But he is also delusional at times, ill equipped and has a chasm between his ideas and capabilities.Low budget is low budget, and it worked for Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, but Mark is an ideas man without a clue. In any case the intrigue isn't what the film will be like or even if it will be finished, it is the people dragged into Mark's life because or at times despite the film.Mark's Mum is his biggest supporter, his Dad seems to be hopeful but doubting, and resentful of Mark's open animosity and hatred of a 9 – 5 existence, seeing as that is what his Dad himself did. Mark has kids, exes, a girlfriend, cast and crew to deal with day by day. But it seems only one true friend in Mike Shenk (who deserves his own movie – I'll get to him) and dear old Uncle Bill.Bill is an elderly man who Mark nags incessantly for money *ahem* film financing capital, with tales of future Scorcese style glory and Snyder sized box office returns until poor old Uncle Bill gets exhausted and relents… again… fully expecting never to see a penny for his outlay.It seems Mark's unerring sense of self belief and endless optimism convinces others to get involved without the slightest assurance or inkling that anything will ever eventuate.But even Mark has doubt at times, it is obvious to all that when he drinks his resentment of authority and a more hardworking existence rise quickly to the surface, and he lacks the ability to say "no" to alcohol, allowing it to set himself further and further behind, both financially and cinematically.But enough with the serious stuff. American Movie is a well made doco about a man trying to make his own personal Citizen Cain with a Troll 2 budget and skillset. Mark is enigmatic and at times compelling but it is Mike Shenk who provides the reason to watch American Movie.Mike is a self confessed unemployed former habitual drug user. He never seems "there" even though he is right… there. His dazed expression and half breathed high pitched voice continually suggest a room with the "Vacant" signs up, and his bizarre stories to nowhere only provide further assurance.In limited screen time Mike steals the film with his rambling stories, acoustic guitar noodlings and tales of personal punishment suffered through his previous drug abuse, all laced with a familiar blank smile and a shrill girlish laugh.When Mike steps to the mic (Beastie Boys style) late in the film and lets loose with the most blood-curdling scream I can recall on film for audio looping it is simultaneously incredible, bewildering and hilarious that this deathwail can come from such an unassuming stoner.Final Rating – 6 / 10. Mark Borchardt is a walking, drinking, profane, bespectacled dichotomy, and evidence that film smarts don't necessarily mean smart films. On this occasion it does make for compelling viewing – albeit perhaps more about a man triumphing over his limited abilities.