2008 Woodie Awards
New comedy makes all Dreamz come true
Zachary Wilson
Issue date: 4/20/06 Section: Arts and Entertainment
Usually when filmmakers set out with an idea for a project, they hope that it won't flop and die on the cutting room floor. In an interview with The Beacon, director/writer Paul Weitz said of his newest film, American Dreamz, that he "didn't expect it to be made."
Weitz had an idea to make a "weird movie." He spoke of the fact that as an American, he was "not changing viewing, or any, habits because we're at war." He said he began to recognize the fact that as the poster for the film put it, "more people vote for a pop idol than their next president."
The film begins by showing Sally Kendoo (played well by Mandy Moore), a budding young singer chosen to appear as a contestant on the TV sensation American Dreamz. She seems innocent, but is soon revealed to be egomaniacal. As she starts heading for the top, she gets rid of her boyfriend and anything else from her old life, unless it will help her win.
Next comes the Ryan Seacrest/Simon Cowell love child that is Hugh Grant's character, Martin Tweed. But wait, we're not nearly done yet. Then there is Omer (played well by newcomer Sam Golzari), a young man training in the Middle East to become a terrorist; the only catch: he was brought up to love American showtunes.
Dennis Quaid appears as an all-too-familiar president, and last, but certainly not least, is Willem Dafoe as the vice president who always finds a way to control and manipulate the president. These are just the beginning of the list of memorable characters in American Dreamz.
Getting together this incredible cast was no easy feat for Weitz, as the budget he was given was a mere $19 million dollars, as Weitz put it, "the entire movie cost less then Russell Crowe's salary for Cinderella Man."
So he made appeals to those he had worked with before and called on professional contacts, getting people to cut their regular fees to appear in the film.
But it wasn't just Weitz calling in favors. Some people simply wanted in on the project.
Weitz had an idea to make a "weird movie." He spoke of the fact that as an American, he was "not changing viewing, or any, habits because we're at war." He said he began to recognize the fact that as the poster for the film put it, "more people vote for a pop idol than their next president."
The film begins by showing Sally Kendoo (played well by Mandy Moore), a budding young singer chosen to appear as a contestant on the TV sensation American Dreamz. She seems innocent, but is soon revealed to be egomaniacal. As she starts heading for the top, she gets rid of her boyfriend and anything else from her old life, unless it will help her win.
Next comes the Ryan Seacrest/Simon Cowell love child that is Hugh Grant's character, Martin Tweed. But wait, we're not nearly done yet. Then there is Omer (played well by newcomer Sam Golzari), a young man training in the Middle East to become a terrorist; the only catch: he was brought up to love American showtunes.
Dennis Quaid appears as an all-too-familiar president, and last, but certainly not least, is Willem Dafoe as the vice president who always finds a way to control and manipulate the president. These are just the beginning of the list of memorable characters in American Dreamz.
Getting together this incredible cast was no easy feat for Weitz, as the budget he was given was a mere $19 million dollars, as Weitz put it, "the entire movie cost less then Russell Crowe's salary for Cinderella Man."
So he made appeals to those he had worked with before and called on professional contacts, getting people to cut their regular fees to appear in the film.
But it wasn't just Weitz calling in favors. Some people simply wanted in on the project.
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