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335:(which he mispronounces with a long 'o'), a horror short that he began shooting in 1994 but ultimately abandoned. He receives financing from his uncle Bill, an increasingly senile retiree who lives in a dilapidated trailer despite having $ 280,000 in his bank account. Bill hesitantly agrees to invest in
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suffers from numerous setbacks, including poor financing, a lack of planning, Borchardt's alcoholism, and the ineptitude of the friends and family he enlists as his production team. The documentary follows
Borchardt's filmmaking process, interspersed with footage from both of Borchardt's developing
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Although Mark is hard-working and knowledgeable about filmmaking, he is also poor at planning ahead and inarticulate as a director. He builds his production crew out of friends, family, and neighbors, many of whom are incompetent at their assigned tasks. Particular attention is given to his best
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wrote that the film conveys
Borchardt's passion "Insightfully and stirringly, not to mention hilariously", and that "for anyone wondering where the spirit of maverick independent filmmaking has its source, you need look no further".
36:
351:, an amiable recovering alcoholic and drug addict who is one of the most reliable members of the crew. Mark and Mike bonded over their shared love of vodka as adolescents, but Mike is now sober and has joined
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is finally finished minutes before its premiere at a theater in
Milwaukee in the summer of 1997. The screening sells out, and Mark's family and friends are happy that the project has finally been completed.
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continues, Mark faces the skepticism of his family and his deepening alcoholism, though he does eventually wrap principal photography. At
Thanksgiving dinner and later at a
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watch party, he gets drunk and becomes alternately agitated, cheery, and despondent. He wistfully watches footage he had shot for
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of 8.28/10. The site's consensus reads: "Well worth watching for film buffs and anyone who believes in following your dreams,
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called the film an "ambitious, wildly funny chronicle" and a "madcap tribute to a beer-guzzling
Midwestern filmmaker".
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Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring a Very
Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton
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After an extended post-production process, during which Mark occasionally sleeps in an editing room at the
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gave the film four out of four possible stars, calling it "a very funny, sometimes very sad documentary".
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with the goal of selling three thousand VHS copies, which Mark says will raise enough capital to finance
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This article is about the documentary featuring Mark
Borchardt. For American films in general, see
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named it as one of the top twenty documentaries of all time in 2002. In 2004, it was named by
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Mark visits Uncle Bill and discusses the prospect of future fame and wealth and realizing the
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attracts some interest from the group of amateur actors with whom Mark has produced some
739:"INTERVIEW: "American Movie"'s Mark Borchardt, An Inspiration for Filmmakers Everywhere"
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itself, and a commentary track by Chris Smith, Sarah Price, Borchardt, and Schank.
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The
Criterion Channel’s December 2022 Lineup|Current|The Criterion Collection
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In order to attract the attention and financial resources needed to produce
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682:"FILM REVIEW; Seat-of-the Pants Director: Lights! Camera! Gumption!"
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on May 23, 2000, as a "Special
Edition" including a deleted scenes,
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on the title screen, though the movie focuses on the production of
314:, a feature film he has been planning for most of his adult life.
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829:""Bowling for Columbine Tops Best Documentary List", 12-12-2002"
770:"Movie Review; 'American Movie' Turns Camera on Indie Filmmaker"
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wrote that it "is sure to draw lots of laughs". Glenn Lovell of
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called the film "an inspiration for filmmakers everywhere", and
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Hoping to jump-start his career, Mark restarts production on
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is a warm, funny, and engrossing ode to creative passion".
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Sundance Film
Festival Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Documentary
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in 1990 and contemplates whether or not he is a failure.
592:"Texas Documentary Tour, Chris Smith and American Movie"
713:"American Movie Movie Review & Film Summary (2000)"
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251:Filmed between September 1995 and August 1997,
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526:American Movie: The Making of Northwestern
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25:
1489:Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
496:on January 16, 2001. It was released on
16:1999 documentary directed by Chris Smith
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1537:Sundance Grand Jury Prize: Documentary
280:received positive reviews and won the
473:International Documentary Association
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864:from the original on 29 October 2009
1236:Silverlake Life: The View from Here
288:. It has since become a cult film.
1642:English-language independent films
1637:English-language documentary films
800:Lovell, Glenn (January 28, 1999).
14:
1607:Documentary films about Wisconsin
932:"American Movie: Special Edition"
854:"1,000 Greatest Movies Ever Made"
737:Goodman, Amy (November 3, 1999).
375:University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
502:Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
465:Grand Jury Prize for Documentary
282:Grand Jury Prize for Documentary
1260:Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern
1602:Documentary films about horror
930:Aaron Beierle (June 3, 2000).
768:Thomas, Kevin (Nov 12, 1999).
1:
1612:Films directed by Chris Smith
1572:Documentary films about films
1548:Long Night's Journey Into Day
1309:Long Night's Journey into Day
244:, and edited by Jun Diaz and
1622:Sony Pictures Classics films
1617:1990s English-language films
1184:Beirut: The Last Home Movie
982:Official trailer on YouTube
329:, Mark decides to complete
21:Cinema of the United States
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1577:American documentary films
1365:Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)
802:"Review: 'American Movie'"
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1228:A Brief History of Time
651:"American Movie (1999)"
567:"American Movie (1999)"
1592:Films set in Milwaukee
1587:1999 documentary films
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286:Sundance Film Festival
163:Sony Pictures Classics
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1169:Private Conversations
1627:1990s American films
1397:How to Die in Oregon
1357:God Grew Tired of Us
1325:Daughter from Danang
711:(January 21, 2000).
680:(November 5, 1999).
545:remains uncompleted.
397:Reception and legacy
353:Alcoholics Anonymous
150:Bluemark Productions
1405:The House I Live In
782:on January 31, 2013
232:is a 1999 American
1244:Freedom on My Mind
1017:Films directed by
858:The New York Times
687:The New York Times
478:The New York Times
424:The New York Times
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467:at the 1999
462:
450:
444:
441:Kevin Thomas
434:
422:
419:Janet Maslin
414:
400:
391:Northwestern
390:
384:
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368:Northwestern
367:
359:
357:
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341:Northwestern
340:
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327:Northwestern
326:
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316:Northwestern
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312:Northwestern
311:
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284:at the 1999
277:
276:
270:
267:Northwestern
266:
256:
252:
250:
236:directed by
228:
227:
226:
193:Running time
170:Release date
1047:The Yes Men
1019:Chris Smith
709:Roger Ebert
576:October 15,
430:Roger Ebert
358:As work on
349:Mike Schank
320:radio plays
242:Sarah Price
238:Chris Smith
197:107 minutes
127:Mike Schank
99:Chris Smith
87:Mike Schank
67:Chris Smith
63:Sarah Price
56:Produced by
50:Chris Smith
46:Directed by
1567:1999 films
1561:Categories
1529:Frat House
1526:tied with
1482:The Exiles
1467:Boys State
1282:Frat House
1200:H-2 Worker
1154:Style Wars
916:0767846869
892:0767839145
868:2009-09-15
839:2009-06-05
786:2009-09-15
625:2009-09-15
598:2010-10-10
553:References
485:Home media
274:projects.
218:Box office
134:Production
1419:Rich Hill
1162:Seventeen
744:IndieWire
618:Salon.com
437:IndieWire
136:companies
104:Edited by
1522:The Farm
1389:Restrepo
1063:Collapse
1055:The Pool
943:June 20,
937:DVD Talk
862:Archived
813:June 20,
750:June 20,
722:June 20,
693:June 20,
405:website
292:Synopsis
210:Language
123:Music by
115:Jun Diaz
75:Starring
1513:Awards
807:Variety
662:July 3,
452:Variety
443:of the
401:On the
347:friend
213:English
202:Country
181:1999-01
179: (
1500:(2024)
1492:(2023)
1484:(2022)
1478:(2021)
1470:(2020)
1462:(2019)
1454:(2018)
1446:(2017)
1438:(2016)
1435:Weiner
1430:(2015)
1422:(2014)
1414:(2013)
1408:(2012)
1400:(2011)
1392:(2010)
1384:(2009)
1376:(2008)
1368:(2007)
1360:(2006)
1352:(2005)
1344:(2004)
1336:(2003)
1328:(2002)
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1285:(1998)
1271:(1997)
1263:(1996)
1255:(1995)
1247:(1994)
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1195:(1989)
1187:(1988)
1179:(1987)
1171:(1986)
1165:(1985)
1157:(1984)
1149:(1982)
1090:(2022)
1082:(2019)
1074:(2017)
1066:(2009)
1058:(2007)
1050:(2003)
1042:(1999)
1034:(1996)
913:
889:
471:. The
459:Awards
1541:1999
1252:Crumb
1087:"Sr."
530:Coven
512:Notes
506:Coven
379:Coven
360:Coven
337:Coven
332:Coven
271:Coven
258:Coven
1443:Dina
1341:Dig!
977:IMDb
945:2017
911:ISBN
887:ISBN
815:2017
752:2017
724:2017
695:2017
664:2019
578:2014
975:at
500:by
498:DVD
494:VHS
421:of
299:of
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