In this economy and housing market – what would you do to become a homeowner? American Dreamer is a new comedy from Veritical that looks at the extremes someone may go to to get a place of their own – especially when everything else in the world seems to be against them.
Following the story of college professor Dr. Phil Loder (Peter Dinklage)’s quest to find a home of his own. Always priced out of the market, Loder dreams big of a house and a life that his salary won’t afford him. That is until he finds a classified ad for a “live-in” purchase arrangement that could get him the house he always dreamed of. Although the legal paperwork looks sound, what Loder doesn’t realize is the “sickly elderly owner” (Shirley MacLaine), isn’t what she seems and the deal may cost him more than he ever expected.
The movie doesn’t take a conventional path, and that’s ok. The reality is Loder agreeing to the live-in situation and selling off every bit of his life to make it happen is a bit far stretched anyhow. While the dream of home ownership is often out of reach for many, the complete liquidation of your life savings and possessions may be a step too far for most people. Additionally, later, Loder agrees to a ridiculously low offer to buy him out – after risking everything, seems a bit extreme as well. But, after all, it’s a movie – not everything is based on reality. We’re not talking conventional situations anyhow, if we were, would it even be entertainment?
The relationship between MacLaine and Dinklage throughout the movie seems to morph and adapt as the film goes on. Both are strong actors in their own right, together you can feel the bond between the two forming. And as much as Loder wants the main house to be his own, he doesn’t seem motivated to push the envelope when it comes to her wellbeing. Despite what her children think, Loder’s desire to be a homeowner is inherently overshadowed by his desire to find a home and that feeling of family.
What’s not unique about this movie is Dinklage’s brooding and moody performance. Not to say that there is anything wrong with it, and honestly, it’s probably one of the reasons he’s quickly become one of our favorite actors as of late. But he’s not that far of a departure from where we’ve seen him before. It’s still endearing and his growing relationship and friendship with MacLaine’s character feels genuine. But Dinklage still plays the coarse and mad-at-the-world character. He of course gets the girl, over and over again, yet it still seems like there should be a different approach to utilizing his acting skills. Dinklage’s body of work at this point shows a lot of range, it just seems that the roles lately put him in a single starting point emotionally showing his genuine character as growth towards the end of the movie. Again, his performance is great in the film, and the movie will make you laugh throughout – but it almost seems as though they’re quickly trying to typecast Dinklage as a one-note actor that we know he is not.
American Dreamer is quirky, and fun, and gives us an unexpected look at friendships that can form. The movie has twists and turns and with veteran actors at the helm, it’s hard to not enjoy the movie and story. American Dreamer will be in select theaters and On Demand on March 8th.
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About American Dreamer
American Dreamer, based on a true story from Chicago Public Radio’s The American Life, is the story of Phil Loder (Dinklage), a twice divorced, frustrated, underpaid professor of economics, whose grand dream of home ownership is tragically out of reach. When an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes his way, Phil strikes a deal with Astrid Finnelli (MacLaine), a lonely, childless, near-death widow who offers her sprawling estate for pennies. But Phil quickly learns the deal is too good to be true and the American dream is not quite what it used to be. The film also stars Matt Dillon, Danny Glover, Daniel Pudi, and Michelle Mylett.