"American Movie" is a documentary about Mark Borchardt, a filmmaker in Wisconsin with little more than a dream, his friends, and his family. When Mark realizes that he lacks the funds to finance his film "Northwestern", he returns to an earlier film, an unfinished horror short called "Coven". He plans to finish "Coven" and sell 3000 videotapes at $14.95 each in order to finance his feature.

The film follows Mark through the many obstacles he must face in trying to complete his short film, and introduces us to a motley crew of supporting characters. There's his best friend Mike Schank, now sober but still somewhat dazed from his drug and alcohol fueled adolescence. Mike also plays guitar, and performs the music on the soundtrack - in one scene he is shown playing a Beethoven piece blindfolded, proving that he has retained at least a few brain cells. Then there's his Uncle Bill, the primary (though somewhat reluctant) financier. His parents, who have been supportive of his dream, are beginning to wonder what his prospects really are as a filmmaker. Along with countless other friends, family, and cast and crew members, Mark perseveres with unwavering conviction, limited only by his lack of resources. "American Movie" presents an unblinking look at Mark's life, warts and all. There are many invitations to laughter along the way, but to view this film as simply an amusing account of a struggling filmmaker would be to miss the underlying theme of the film, and even of Mark's life. Mark Borchardt, for better or worse, and despite his past failures and perhaps questionable level of talent, is trying the best that he can to live life on his terms and achieve his goals - as lofty as they may be. The humor in the film simply reinforces the fact that Mark approaches his life with an upbeat attitude and a sense of humor - he is determined to experience life in all of it's manifestations, from joy to sorrow, through good times and bad. The message that comes through, amidst all of the jokes and laughs at Mark and Mike's expense, is ultimately one of perseverance and inspiration. "American Movie" has opened up many new doors for Mark Borchardt, including frequent appearances on David Letterman, appearances at film festivals, reviewing films on Mancow Muller's radio show, and an internet based show with Mike Schank called zerotv.com. He also has kept a semi-regular journal on the americanmovie.com web site, updating his fans on his daily activities, including the ongoing process of writing "Northwestern". I look forward to seeing his life and career progress, as he is truly a memorable person.

Understanding that this is a low-budget documentary of the making of a low budget movie, you shouldn't expect too much. Occasionally the lighting and other factors are not quite ideal, since most of it was shot on the go. That said, the picture quality looks fine - it doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the film or distract from the subject matter. For a mono soundtrack, the quality is fine. This film is mostly dialogue, and it is usually clear and easy to understand (well, except for Uncle Bill, but that's because he doesn't speak very clearly - illustrated in one of the funniest scenes, when Mark is trying to re-record some dialogue).

This DVD has some great extras, starting with the subject of "American Movie" itself, the short film "Coven", which is in black and white, and runs 36 minutes. Next up is a commentary track with Mark Borchardt and Mike Schank, the "stars" of the film, along with Chris Smith (the director) and Sarah Price (the producer). There are 22 deleted scenes presented here, and they are all interesting and amusing (my favorite is titled "Flame-Broiled"). Finally, trailers are included for "American Movie", "Crumb", "Welcome to the Dollhouse", "The Opposite of Sex", and "SLC Punk".

"American Movie" is one of my favorite documentaries of all time. It presents an interesting person, during a trying (but ultimately rewarding) time of his life, and never seems to have an agenda. Like many documentaries, it proves that truth can be stranger than fiction. It is funny, sweet, touching, and a real portrait of the American Dream, alive and well in Middle America.