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Trailer

American Movie

1999Movie1 h 44 minR

ComedyDocumentary
85
ExcellentGoodWatch score
IMDb7.8Metacritic848.1Rotten Tomatoes94%90%

A moving, slow-burning documentary movie about a real life story and everyday modern life, with standout performances and characters.

Good for friends night · teens · binge-friendly

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for scares, brutality or adrenaline.

Movies with

Story

American Movie documents the story of filmmaker Mark Borchardt, his mission, and his dream. Spanning over two years of intense struggle with his film, his family, financial decline, and spiritual crisis, American Movie is a portrayal of ambition, obsession, excess, and one man's quest for the American Dream.

Feels like

  • Cult Documentary
  • Independent Filmmaking
  • Character Study
  • Cringe Comedy
  • Pursuit of Dream
  • Slice-of-Life
  • Financial Struggle
  • Raw & Authentic
  • Observational Humor
  • Midwestern Gothic

Cast

19 of 19

Crew

Directed by
Chris Smith
Produced by
Chris Smith, Sarah Price
Music by
Mike Schank

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

November 5, 1999 · 1 h 44 min · R

Released
November 5, 1999
Runtime
1 h 44 min
Age rating
R
Content
Strong Language, Drug Use
Genres
Documentary, Comedy
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Box office
$1 million
Available in
45 countries

Tropes

Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness, Bittersweet Ending, Verbal Tic +9

  • Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness
  • Bittersweet Ending
  • Verbal Tic
  • Hypocrite
  • Adult Child
  • Sir Swears-a-Lot
  • Growing Up Sucks
  • I Just Want to Be Special
  • Financial Abuse
  • Overly Long Scream
  • Motor Mouth
  • Black Sheep

12 of 34 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream American Movie?"

Questions about American Movie

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream American Movie?

In the United States, you can rent or buy American Movie from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home.

Is American Movie worth watching?

85
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 85 (IMDb 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes 94%, and Metacritic 84).

Will American Movie make me laugh?

Funny

Yes: the humor is mostly cringe comedy (7 of 10) and dark humor (7 of 10).

Is American Movie plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and dialogue centrality (9 of 10) more than on its plot.

What tropes does American Movie use?

Sesquipedalian LoquaciousnessBittersweet EndingVerbal TicHypocriteAdult ChildSir Swears-a-LotGrowing Up SucksI Just Want to Be SpecialFinancial AbuseOverly Long ScreamMotor MouthBlack Sheepand 22 more

TV Tropes lists 34 tropes for it, including Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness, Bittersweet Ending, and Verbal Tic.