American Dream

1981 1h 14m EN

🤯

9.0

MASTERPIECE

★9.0TMDB · 1

TV MovieDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A family moves from an affluent Chicago suburb to the mixed inner-city neighborhood where the father grew up, with the idea of giving the kids, who are becoming materialistic snobs, the feel of a big city environment.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Stephen Macht
Danny Novak
Karen Carlson
Donna Novak
Hans Conried
Abe Berlowitz
Michael Hershewe
Todd Novak
Timothy Owen Waldrip
Casey Novak
Andrea Smith
Jenny Novak
John McIntire
Sam Whittier
John Karlen
Coach Ritter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mel Damski
Writers: Barbara Corday, Ronald M. Cohen, Ken Hecht
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mel Damski, shot by Paul Vombrack. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor John McSweeney Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Stephen Macht and Karen Carlson and Hans Conried carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0082008 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mel Damski directs. Paul Vombrack behind the camera. John McSweeney Jr. cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 74-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
245 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Mel Damski, shot by Paul Vombrack. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor John McSweeney Jr. shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Stephen Macht and Karen Carlson and Hans Conried carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0082008 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.