American Dreamer

"Hope isn't for everyone."

2022 1h 46m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 87

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this winsome comedy, an entitled Economics professor pursues a tactic to buy an ailing widow’s mansion for nothing, but he quickly realizes that his seemingly foolproof strategy won’t be as easy as he thought.

“Hope isn't for everyone.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Peter Dinklage
Phil Loder
Shirley MacLaine
Astrid Fanelli
Kimberly Quinn
Maggie Pennington
Danny Pudi
Craig
Matt Dillon
Dell
Danny Glover
Jerry
Michelle Mylett
Clare Milano
Peter Kelamis
Officer Burt

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paul Dektor
Writers: Christopher Wehner, Theodore Melfi, Theodore Melfi
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 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Paul Dektor, shot by Nicolas Bolduc. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jeff Russo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine and Kimberly Quinn carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Hope isn't for everyone.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt13884444 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 87 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paul Dektor directs. Nicolas Bolduc behind the camera. Jeff Russo scores. Lisa Robison cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 4 years ago.
2Directed by Paul Dektor, shot by Nicolas Bolduc. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jeff Russo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Lisa Robison shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine and Kimberly Quinn carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Hope isn't for everyone.".
7IMDB entry: tt13884444 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 87 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Nicolas Bolduc
Original score: Jeff Russo
Editing: Lisa Robison
Production design: Eric Fraser
Costume design: Jori Woodman
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: American Dreamer (2022)

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Brent Marchant2024-04-27
★ 6/10
Is “the American Dream” still alive and well, or is it a pipe dream whose time has come and gone (and perhaps never really was)? That’s the question rhetorically posed in this modestly entertaining fact-based debut feature comedy from director Paul Dektor, which examines the efforts of an optimistic yet cynical economics professor/would-be novelist (Peter Dinklage) with meager means who repeatedly attempts to buy a home far above his pay grade. He’s discouraged by his frank but somewhat oily real estate broker (Matt Dillon) from continuing in this futile Quixotic pursuit until he finds an offer that seems too good to be true, one proposed by an eccentric wealthy widow (Shirley MacLaine) who’s in the early stages of dementia and is fiercely defended by her daughter (Kim Quinn), an astute lawyer determined to liquidate the deal before she and her heirs get swindled. The result is a comedy of errors with warm, fuzzy edges that makes for an often-sweet and tender comedic romp, despite an occasional overreliance on slapstickish humor to sustain laughs. The script is full of delicious little twists and turns, though sometimes the overall narrative doesn’t hang together quite as well as it could have due to its inconsistent character development and occasionally meandering story flow. However, the film’s fine ensemble cast capably holds this project together, thanks to the fine performances of its principals and the solid work of its supporting players, including Danny Glover, Danny Pudi, Michelle Mylett and Raresh DiMofte. “American Dreamer” is far from epic cinema, but it’s certainly an enjoyable watch and a good first effort from the filmmaker. With some further refinement and more experience behind the camera, here’s hoping we can expect more and better work from this promising first-time director.

Production companies