American Movie

16 votes and 0 Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes® Score
94% 90%

Release Date: November 12, 1999

1h 47m | Documentary

Set in his hometown of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, this docu-comedy is the story of filmmaker Mark Borchardt, his mission, and his dream. With the help of his mother, his 82-year old uncle, and a local cast of hilarious characters, Borchardt fights his way through internal and external roadblocks to achieve his goal--to make his movie, his way. Spanning over two years of intense struggle with his film, his family, financial decline, and spiritual crisis, the film is a portrayal of ambition, obsession, excess, and one man's quest for the American dream.

His inspiration comes from distinct films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Seventh Seal, as well as his experiences growing up amidst the grey skies, rusty cars, and ranch houses of Milwaukee's Northwest side.