Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Jekkyl This is a fun and funny documentary I recommend checking out. The two friends are great and loyal and say what you want about their dream, they do get it done and have a nice premiere screening.

shadow_blade-89459 "American Movie" (1999) is a documentary from the perspective of aspiring filmmaker Mark Borchardt as he attempts to achieve the American dream. The film follows Mark as he enlists friends and family to help him create his first major feature film when an unforeseen hiccup throws a monkey wrench into his production and causes him to rethink his plan and priorities. He must decide whether to scrap everything or reenergize and refocus. The story is a rollercoaster of emotions as the viewer tries to decide whether to root for this underdog, hate this aggressive, seemingly uneducated jerk, or feel sorry for the trials and tribulations of him. The film is very well put together for the era and budget.The pacing of this film has moments that feel like they are dragging on, but not with out purpose. Every shot and edit coincides with what Mark is experiencing. It is slightly difficult to comprehend the specific point of this film. It could be just a story of a man with big aspirations or the understanding of the difficulty behind making a film. I, however, believe the point of this film is to show what can be accomplished with true determination. The payoff presents equal parts of positive and negative emotions. Every success story has a level of undisclosed consequence imbedded unseen to the naked eye, but this film presents both. Overall, I am not a huge fan of the movie, but it is not due to story or production. If you can get past heavy character flaws, this movie is a wonderful success story of determination and heart worth at least one viewing.

begob Assertive, mullet-haired white trash dude ropes his family and friends into a shaky realisation of his movie-making dream.Interesting documentary that plays around with the truth. Lots of reviews flag this up as comic, but I wasn't laughing, and when the feel good came on toward the end it seemed fake - but was the fakery part of the story? The characters are extraordinary - I haven't met a single person of that type, but like to think they exist. Uncle Bill especially. But how much of that is down to the director, how much to the people playing up to the camera? Fake or not, it does have a complete feel - like Grizzly Man, which also played around with the real life of a delusional performer.Overall, engaging story but I want to know more. So I guess it succeeds.

Kyle Hodgdon One look at this movie and there is no way that you would believe that it is a documentary. The stars of this film are not just people in a documentary, but they are characters. After a few minutes of watching this, I had to double check that it was indeed a documentary and not a mockumentary. If there is a real-life incarnation of Jay and Silent Bob, it is Mark and Mike. The duo works great together and really compliment each other quite nicely. The cast of characters feel like they are straight out of a film such as "Napoleon Dynamite". Uncle Bill is another character who really adds to the movie every time he is on screen. The goals and dreams of Mark, that drive the plot of the documentary, seem destined to fail. Mark has hopes of directing and producing a film. Without the necessary resources to achieve a feature length one, he settles on one that is to be approximately a half-hour in length. Mark does not seem like the most intelligent individual who has ever aspired to make a film. He drinks many beers throughout the film and does not seem as though he's got anywhere near the necessary resources to make a movie, which is a difficult task even for someone with an abundant amount of resources and intelligence.Mark, Mike, Uncle Bill, and the rest of the characters all add a vast amount of humor throughout the run of the movie. My favorite line is when Mark was talking about "sucking down Schnapps and calling Morocco at 2:00 am". I can relate. The scene of Uncle Bill attempting to deliver his line is a home run as well. Uncle Bill's monologue at the end of the film is a nice touch. It had meaning, Bill was trying to say something, but at the same time he is thoroughly confused. However, it came off as a good, meaningful rant of an old, dying man. This movie has a lot of laughs and some great characters. It is a very successful documentary.