A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: American Dreamz

Date Viewed: 4/30/06

Details:

Hugh Grant

Dennis Quaid

Mandy Moore

Willem Dafoe

Chris Klein

Sam Golzari

Marcia Gay Harden

Written and directed by: Paul Weitz

Score: -1/2

The Review: Somewhere on the slippery slope between parody and satire, but definitely sliding downhill, fast.

Current affairs and what passes for TV entertainment these day have been fused into this bastard offspring between American Idol and West Wing, spiced up by an obscure and remarkably silly terrorist plot to assassinate the president. Hugh Grant does his Simon Cowell imitation, Dennis Quaid does his "W" imitation, and several other decent actors waste their time participating in this marginally watchable hodgepodge.

Decent turn by Quaid as an alternative universe version of "W" who actually decides to start reading the newspaper, discovers complex issues, and makes some decisions without being handled; this is the most interesting aspect of this movie, providing a piece of fantasy worth imagining. Odd but occasionally chilling turn by Willem Dafoe as a "Cheney"-like chief of staff.

(16-May-06)

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