AMERICAN MOVIE

AMERICAN MOVIE – 1999
Directed by: Chris Smith

The film you are about to watch, American Movie, is a documentary about an independent filmmaker named Mark Borchardt. His story really starts, according to Mark, in 1980 when he decided at the ripe old age of fourteen to become a director. He purchased an old, beat-up Super 8 camera (an early video camera that uses an 8mm wide film reel), enlisted a few of his friends, and set off for the cemetery to make his first film: The More the Scarier. Well, I’m not sure you can call it a “film” – don’t worry, you’ll see it and then you can judge for yourself – but this is where our vocabulary starts to get interesting. What else would you call it? And, how else could you describe Mark Borchardt other than as a filmmaker? He’s dedicated close to half of his life to studying and making films, and it’s obvious that his passion for film is earnest. If you’ve never seen American Movie, at this point, you may be wondering if you should know the name Mark Borchardt or at least why you’ve never heard of him. After all, somebody else is making a film about him making films, so he must be notable for some reason, right? If anything, it seems that Chris Smith (the director) chose Borchardt because you’ve never heard of him and there’s no reason you should have. Borchardt has made films, six to be exact, but he does not work for a studio in Hollywood; in fact, he has never screened his films outside of his living room. He’s unemployed, broke, and he lives in Wisconsin – not exactly a major hub of the movie industry. To a certain extent, this film is about failure; specifically, Borchardt’s failure to achieve his dream of making a successful film, or in the case of Coven, his current film, to simply finish it. However, American Movie is also about Borchardt’s inability to give up on this dream. He just doesn’t quit. And, you have to wonder, is he just ignorant that he has zero chance of making it big? Or, is his passion and determination too sincere to allow him to simply give up?

Although this is a much more straightforward documentary when compared to Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, this film raises an interesting question that many documentaries have to wrestle with: the question of exploitation. After all, American Movie is quite funny and entertaining, but most of the laughs come from moments that are equally sad. As you watch the film, I want you to think about the director’s relationship with his subject. Is Smith making fun of Borchardt? Or, is he just allowing Borchardt to tell his story? How much is Smith a part of the film? And, keep in mind my earlier questions about language. I’m interested in how you think about Borchardt – Is Borchardt a “filmmaker”? Does he make “films”? Is it ignorance or determination that drives him? Also, describe, in detail, two scenes (by Smith or Borchardt) you felt were shot or edited poorly or well and why.