MOVIE · 1999

American Movie

ComedyDocumentary107 min

In Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, filmmaker Mark Borchardt is trying to finish Coven, a no-budget horror film he hopes will lead to something bigger. Over two difficult years, the camera stays with Mark through money trouble, family strain, stalled shoots, and the everyday chaos of scraping a movie together with borrowed locations, local performers, and reluctant relatives. His closest ally is Mike Schank, whose deadpan presence and loyalty shape nearly every setback and restart. American Movie keeps its focus on the practical grind behind one homemade production and on Mark's stubborn belief that he can will it into existence.