RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / American Dreamz
American Dreamz

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

American Dreamz (2006)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
40 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:152

Fresh:61

Rotten:91

Average Rating:5.2/10

Consensus: This overly silly satire aims at too many targets with arrows too dull to make relevant social commentary.

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $7,156,725

Synopsis: Filmmaker Paul Weitz -- whose comic explorations have ventured into the synergistic halls of corporate culture (In Good Company), the perils of psychological isolationism (About a Boy) and the... Filmmaker Paul Weitz -- whose comic explorations have ventured into the synergistic halls of corporate culture (In Good Company), the perils of psychological isolationism (About a Boy) and the vicissitudes of losing one's virginity (American Pie)-- now delivers a comedy yanked from right-now popular culture...where the nation's shrinking attention span is more focused on "what's hot" than on hot-button headlines: American Dreamz. On the morning of his re-election, the President (Quaid) decides to read the newspaper for the first time in four years. This starts him down a slippery slope. He begins reading obsessively, reexamining his black and white view of the world, holing up in his bedroom in his pajamas. Frightened by the President's apparent nervous breakdown, his Chief of Staff (Dafoe) pushes him back into the spotlight, booking him as a guest judge on the television ratings juggernaut (and the President's personal fave), the weekly talent show American Dreamz. America can't seem to get enough of American Dreamz, hosted by self-aggrandizing, self-loathing Martin Tweed (Grant), ever on the lookout for the next insta-celebrity. His latest crop of hopefuls includes Sally (Moore), a conniving steel magnolia with a devoted, dopey veteran boyfriend (Klein), and Omer, a recent Southern Californian immigrant (who just happens to be a bumbling, show tune singing, would-be terrorist awaiting activation). When both Sally and Omer make it to the final round of Dreamz--where the President will be judging along with Tweed--the stage is set for a show the nation will never forget. American Dreamz is written, produced and directed by Paul Weitz (writer/director of In Good Company, co-director/Academy Award®-nominated co-screenwriter of About A Boy and co-director of American Pie). Rodney Liber and Andrew Miano also produce; Chris Weitz and Kerry Kohansky serve as executive producers. --© Universal Pictures [More]

Starring: Mandy Moore, Hugh Grant, Willem Dafoe, Dennis Quaid

Starring: Mandy Moore, Hugh Grant, Willem Dafoe, Dennis Quaid, Chris Klein, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Coolidge, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Judy Greer, John Cho, Bernard White, Sam Golzari, Tony Yalda, Noureen DeWulf

Director: Paul Weitz

Director: Paul Weitz
Screenwriter: Paul Weitz
Producer: Rodney Liber, Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz
Composer: Stephen Trask
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 12

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for American Dreamz

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
05/06/06
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
05/04/06
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If revenge is a dish best served cold, satire is a dish best served acidically funny and American Dreamz dishes it out in a display of filmic bravado.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
04/22/06
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The pieces are all in place for a slashing Preston Sturges jamboree. All that's missing are balls

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/30/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

Writer/Director Paul Wietz ("In Good Company") tries his hand at creating a topical satire of our current American social-political crisis and comes up far short of capturing the brutal climate of a country running on the fumes of its dismembered civil ri

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
04/20/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Did writer-director Paul Weitz think that U.S. audiences would be too dumb to appreciate actual satire?

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
04/08/07
Jette Kernion
Jette Kernion
Cinematical
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/27/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A comedy that delivers in every way, "American Dreamz" easily gets my vote.

Full Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review | comment Comment
12/13/06
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

Viewers are left with nearly two hours of dull, rather obvious gags.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
11/30/06
Forrest Hartman
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal

In a way, this film talks out of both sides of its mouth -- lampooning and loving its targets at the same time. But most viewers, I suspect, won't mind.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
09/08/06
Carolyn Arends
Carolyn Arends
Christianity Today

After a promising start, the film visibly deflates before your eyes, as joke after joke falls flat and Weitz himself seems to forget why he thought the premise was funny in the first place.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
07/07/06
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

...Opting for a broad, light mood that’s at complete odds with the darker potential of its political premise.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Time Out

It has the good sense to hold up a mirror to ourselves, only instead of making us feel guilty and stupid, it makes us feel inclusive and in on the big joke.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
06/11/06
Collin Souter
Collin Souter
eFilmCritic.com

There's the seed of a good satire in American Dreamz, but the film flops spectacularly due to a poorly written screenplay.

Full Review Source: Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema | comment Comment
05/13/06
Mark Pfeiffer
Mark Pfeiffer
Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

A satire that sets its sights too high and elicits only a few laughs here and there.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
05/12/06
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

his movie, full of easy swipes at easy targets, comes off like that overly chummy guy at a party who got drunk too early and goes around taking too long to set up a joke that’s already been beaten to death.

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
05/12/06
Jonathan Kiefer
Jonathan Kiefer
Sacramento News & Review

Dreamz is a nightmare!

Full Review Source: jackiekcooper.com | comment Comment
05/07/06
Jackie K. Cooper
Jackie K. Cooper
jackiekcooper.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
05/06/06
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for American Dreamz

April 19, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: "Vacancy" Hopes for Full Occupancy
Another week, another horror film. That's the mantra in Hollywood at the moment. Among the four new films going into wide release this weekend are Sony's terror tale... More...

February 01, 2007: Critical Consensus: "Because" Is Less Than So-So; "Messengers" Not Screened -- Guess The Tomatometer!
This week at the movies, we've got mother/daughter conflict ("Because I Said So," starring Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore) and dark proceedings on a North Dakota... More...

April 20, 2006: Critical Consensus: A Weak "Sentinel," So-So "Dreamz" Are Made Of This, "Silent Hill" Not Screened
This week at the movies we've got a Secret Service agent on a mission ("The Sentinel"), an "American Idol"- skewering political satire ("American... More...

April 17, 2006: "Scary" Weekend for Spoof Competitors
WeinsteinCo's Scary Movie 4 made a huge pile of cash over the holiday weekend, demolishing Panic Room's $30 million Easter haul from a few years back. The silly sequel scared up... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

85% 85% Cloudy With a Chance o… 26/11
48% 48% Antichrist 26/11
56% 56% The Invention of Lying 26/11
75% 75% Cold Souls 26/11

What’s Hot On RT

Coen Brothers

Coen Brothers

We count down their 10 best-reviewed films

Avatar

Avatar

Watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes video

RT's Twilight corner

RT's Twilight corner

Everything you need on New Moon is here

Doomed Romance

Doomed Romance

Our top 10 star-crossed movie lovers

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
38
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
110
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
60
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
  • McTeigue Says Superman Is "In a Weird Place" Source: MTV
204
  • Rachel McAdams Debunks Spider-Man 4 Rumor Source: Entertainment Weekly
117
  • Avatar: Gambling on Film's Future Source: Los Angeles Times
128
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
106
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
96
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: 2012 Destroys the Competition
85
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
59
  • Five Favorite Films with Werner Herzog
49
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
24
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
20
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
7
  • Win Classic Action Packs on Blu-ray
4
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
7
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
16
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • American Dreamz at Rotten Tomatoes
  • American Dreamz at IGN
  • American Dreamz at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi?
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi? External Link

The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.

New Moon Portraits
New Moon Portraits External Link

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.