Between the topical insanity of “Dr. Strangelove” and the sinful comedy of “American Idol” lies the new movie “American Dreamz,” a flick that cunningly walks the line between intellectual satire and populist trash.
The movie’s plot is all formulaic and counter-culture. Judged by a curt British man (sounds familiar), American Dreamz is the most popular show on television. The movie follows two contestants: Sally Kendoo, a white trash stage daughter from Ohio (Mandy Moore), and Omer, a showtunes-loving reject terrorist (Sam Golzari).
The unexpected twist comes from the third character, the recently re-elected President Staton, a George W. Bush-like figure, who begins to develop social consciousness after he reads a newspaper. Depressed, the president hides away from the public, prompting his Dick Cheney-like vice president puppetmaster to book him as an American Dreamz judge to showcase his flagging populist touch.
In this story, everyone manipulates. Kendoo uses her ex-boyfriend, who gets shot while on duty in Iraq, for publicity. Omer’s terrorist friends expect him to commit murder on national television, despite is growing affection for America. The vice president uses a transmitter to put words in the president’s mouth. In the end, “American Dreamz” is not a moral fable – it’s a comedy, with edge.
Many of the jokes require a basic knowledge of national politics, but the informed viewer is rewarded.
When the vice president tells reporters the president considers Vladimir Putin “a close friend, while deeply distrusting his un-democratic morals,” the film’s broader commentary on American society and politics is cued in. When an oily agent suggests that Sally Kendoo play up her white trash roots for sympathy votes because all Americans consider themselves middle class, Kendoo’s mother defensively declares that her family is middle-class too. The movie skewers every topic in sight with short vignettes and a terrific cast.