Some things I liked some I did not.

Amateur movie with Big budget

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

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

"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.

American Movie is a delightfully humorous documentary about the making of a short film over a three year period. Mark Borchardt is our foolishly charming subject who struggles and struggles despite insurmountable odds. He lives in his parent's basement in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, scrounging money through various odd-jobs and a tiny gaggle of investors. Acting as writer, director, co-producer, editor and star, Mark hopes to finish the horror short Coven (which he pronounces Coe-van) without resources, marketability or talent. Yet through all his setbacks, Mark keeps his head high which garners the admiration of local theater talent, slacker friends and his family.American Movie is, at times, a very cringe-worthy movie to sit thought. Mark is armed only with a small film camera and an unabashed love of Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). He naively thinks that's enough to make it to Hollywood and in his words "achieve the American dream." Yet Mark's intensity and enthusiasm for his movie are completely at odds with everything and everyone around him. Testimonial after testimonial from his mother, his uncle and the gaggle of bit players he hired, point to a man needlessly suffering for his art. "I always thought he'd wind up a serial killer," muses one of Mark's former high school friends. His intensity as well as his broken home life certainly seem to be pointing in that direction.Yet American Movie is not a mean-spirited take down of the American dream, with Mark it's unwilling patsy. Most of the camera's perspective hones in on the very human need to accomplish something. Despite efforts to paint Mark as a modern day Don Quixote, each interview subject ultimately concludes Mark is "one persistent kid." And of course Mark does has his allies including Mark's long suffering girlfriend Joan Petrie, and Mark's layabout best friend Mike Schank.The film takes a few jabs at the expense of small town naivety, especially when Mike is on screen. Yet behind the playful ribbing there's a lot of heart to American Movie. It features a moment in time concerning a true amateur; someone with no experience but anxious to make his mark. American Movie is warts-and-all documentary filmmaking. Those who are considering a career in the seventh art need to see this film and take stock in their plans, their resources and their talent (or lack thereof). What's clear by the end of the documentary is Mark Borchardt will not give up. He sees film not as a career choice but as a calling. In the years since, Mark has struggled to continue making and featuring in films though he's done so consistently for a few years. Some see American Movie and see sad, hopeless people searching for glory; "I say thou hast seen nothing yet."

This movie provides an excellent insight into the world of movie making, a world that requires no special training, just the desire to to do something creative. Movie making is one of the few areas left where formal credentials are not required. Case in point is the subject of this movie, a young man who starts out with nothing and years later creates a commercial product. It's really quite impressive. What I did not like about this documentary is that the young man and his associates are portrayed as being marginal and dysfunctional characters when in fact they are business people trying to put together a commercial product, and just because they don't dress or sound the part does not make them any less deserving of respect. Then again, maybe that's a strong point of the documentary. Whatever the case, this documentary should be a must see for anyone who has an urge to create but does not know where or even how to start. If this young man could do it, why not us?

This documentary tags along as independent filmmaker Mark Borchardt struggles to make his own cult-quality film. It's a sincerely one-of-a-kind, hilarious. and heartfelt film, and it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1999.Using relatives, local theater talent, slacker friends, his MasterCard, and $3,000 from his Uncle Bill, Mark Borchardt strives over three years to finish "Coven," a short horror film. This is his story.Mark is behind on his child support payments, he drinks too much, and all the movies he has managed to make have been unreleased. he wants to make a feature-length film called Northwestern, but he needs to make money on this horror short to do it.It was really fascinating. Uncle Bill may have given him $3,000, but he didn't really think he would get his money back. The kitchen cabinet scene was hilarious, but I understand it didn't make the final cut of the film.Anyone thinking of making a film has to see this movie. Everyone else should see it just to see the cost involved, both financial and personal.