American Movie
Horror and Delusions of Grandeur
This November will mark the 25th anniversary of the release of American Movie (1999) directed by Chris Smith; this documentary is a timeless story of a struggling filmmaker and remains a poignant critique of the American Dream. It is about a working class filmmaker, Mark Borchardt, living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At first he attempts to make a feature that is a semi-autobiographical drama, Northwestern, but then decides to complete his horror short “Coven” first. The film follows the ups and downs of his filmmaking attempts over the course of two years.
What makes this documentary remarkable is that it manages to be both incredibly funny and heartbreaking. It recognizes the absurdity of situations while still respecting Borchardt’s artistic goals and personal struggles. Borchardt has big ideas and real talent, but very little resources. I found myself laughing out loud during several scenes – especially when the rag-tag actors and crew are quickly assembled in the dead of winter, or an actor has to redo a stunt several times in which his head is pushed through a cabinet. Actors and crew members are interviewed throughout and seem to respect Borchardt, but they admit he can be demanding, and they don’t always understand what is happening on set. This may seem like an anomaly in the filmmaking process, but anyone who has worked on a no budget film knows that it can become very difficult to keep everything “on track” and “professional” without a full crew or resources.
The documentary filmmakers stay with Borchardt during the pauses in his film production, and these scenes are some of the darkest. When Borchardt is drinking a beer on set, it’s laughable at first. But a later scene, when he becomes drunk during a family Super Bowl party, illustrates that it is real problem. One day the filmmakers arrive and Borchardt is too depressed to get out of bed. Borchardt’s brothers are interviewed at various points, and say they see no value in his work. His brother Alex says he expected Borchardt to just work at a local factory. His brother Chris says he thought Borchardt might have become a “mass murderer.” These scenes show beneath Borchardt’s humorous and eccentric façade that he leads a rather bleak and demeaning home life.
But Borchardt is able to persevere and his successes are documented as well. The amateur actors and crew are easy to laugh at, but the documentary showcases their loyalty and hard work as well – especially when several people work into the night splicing together the final film cut of “Coven.” Throughout the documentary brief clips of “Coven” are shown on screen, and it is clear that Borchardt is not delusional and does have real talent – the cinematography is artistic and well composed and the story is effectively unsettling.
The documentary doesn’t show the entire completed film, so I highly recommend watching “Coven,” afterwards. It is only 36 minutes, and is meaningful to watch after seeing Borchardt’s struggles to complete it. Borchardt wrote, directed, and stars in the film. He plays an alcoholic who suspects his AA group of being an evil cult. The desolate landscapes in harsh black and white are impactful. The hooded figures that appear are simple but menacing. Throughout American Movie Borchardt is often seen drinking, while his friend his Mike Schank has chosen sobriety after struggles with addiction. Alcoholism is never discussed explicityly in American Movie, but “Coven” explores how addiction impacts perception and relationships. Most of the acting is amateurish, but Borchardt is authentic and captivating on screen. He seems to be playing a slightly different version of himself. It is a thoughtful film and the frightening scenes often emphasize the inner turmoil of the protagonist. The best American horror, in my opinion, critiques our society, and addiction has continued to plague communities across the country.1
Many people can still identify with Borchardt’s struggle to achieve the American Dream. He is not a formally educated person, but is intelligent and extremely knowledgeable about film history. What if Borchardt had been born into a wealthier family? What if he had been able to attend college? Throughout the film Borchardt begs his elderly uncle for financial help, and his uncle seems very resistant. In one scene Borchardt tries to explain to his uncle that he is working as hard as possible to achieve his American Dream, and that someday he’ll be a big success.
This delusion of grandeur is pervasive in American culture. It’s assumed any “real” filmmaker will go to Hollywood and make a lot of money if they want to be considered a success. I know people who have moved to Los Angeles to seek fame and fortune. A few did find success (not riches), but many lost all their money and had to move back to Massachusetts. I know several talented filmmakers who would make incredible films if they just had a little extra money. Instead they are working low-wage jobs and applying endlessly for the limited crew and post-production positions that might offer a temporary reprieve. A majority of film work is contract based. All success is transient if you can’t immediately line up the next gig.
But unlike most working class filmmakers, Borchardt was fortunate enough to have his life masterfully captured in American Movie, and it was a huge hit when it was released in 1999. The documentary’s popularity brought some success to Borchardt, but it was probably not what he expected. In 2000 Borchardt was hired by David Letterman to do election coverage and appeared in several humorous updates. He also played himself on an episode of Family Guy in 2006. Borchardt went on to act in several independent projects and directed a short documentary, “The Dundee Project” (2017), but none of these projects seemed to have the same depth as “Coven” or Northwestern.2 As of this writing, Northwestern is still unfinished.
Today, instead of thousands of Borchardts with film cameras, there are millions of people with phone cameras competing against one another on social media to somehow hit the jackpot – become viral, get sponsorships, and escape a lifetime of drudgery. The basis of the American Dream is the belief that hard work will eventually pay off and lead to success. Since 1999 economic inequality has dramatically increased in the United States. Anyone can “make a film” on their phone, but only a lucky few will get access to the resources and connections to create quality films that are seen by a mass audience. American capitalism is designed to have only a few winners and many losers. Most of the losers will live quiet lives of obscurity and disappointment, but a rare few will have their broken dreams immortalized in a documentary.
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Stream American Movie on Amazon Prime or The Internet Archive.
Stream “Coven” at Rarefilmm
For more on horror and the American Dream, read my essay “Small Town Hauntings” that compares Twin Peaks to the novels of Stephen King and Shirley Jackson.
Mark Borchardt’s complete credits can found on his IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0096013/