Review of American Movie (1999) by Josef P — 26 Aug 2012

(5 Stars) American Movie is one of my all time favorite documentaries, blending tragedy and comedy expertly. It's one of those films that seems unreal and amusing enough to be a mockumentary directed by Christopher Guest with all of its fascinating characters and moments, but it's astoundingly real. It's a genuine and sad look at truly independent (self-financed) filmmaking; every filmmaker has a dream of making their magnum opus, but how do you do it with an extremely limited budget, a family to take care of, and a million different schedules? The making of Northwestern and Coven is brutal, but it also manages to be somewhat inspiring, cathartic, and extremely funny. I think something funny happens in every scene, due to the speech of the very quotable Mark Borchardt, an amateur filmmaker who is fueled by a love of the horror genre with a shaky understanding of the craft. His friend Mike Schank is also very funny; he seems like a funny side character out of The Office.

There are many documentaries that filmmakers could watch to learn from. You could watch Burden of Dreams, Hearts of Darkness, Lost in La Mancha, or Overnight... all great looks at the struggles of making a film. But American Movie looks at the dreamer's approach to films; those who don't have millions of dollars or a studio to back them, only themselves and their vision. I also guarantee American Movie is way funnier than all of them.