American Movie (1999) on Netflix
R19991h 47mDocumentary
Mark Borchardt delivers newspapers in Wisconsin and dreams of making a feature called Northwestern. He restarts Coven, a horror short, to raise the money for it.
- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb7.8/1021,304 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes94%
Trailer
Plot summary
Mark Borchardt lives with his parents on the northwest side of Milwaukee, is deeply in debt, and drinks heavily. He wants to be a professional filmmaker and has been planning a feature called Northwestern for most of his adult life, but when he tries to restart it, the amateur actors he gathers stop attending the production meetings. To attract the resources he needs, he turns to Coven, the horror short he left unfinished after starting it in 1994. His uncle Bill agrees to fund the completion, hoping that three thousand VHS sales will finance Northwestern. Mark staffs the shoot with relatives, friends and neighbors, among them Mike Schank, a recovering alcoholic and drug user who attends Alcoholics Anonymous.
Cast
- Monica Borchardtas Mark's Mom
- Alex Borchardtas Mark's Brother
- Chris Borchardtas Mark's Brother
- Ken Keenas Friend / Associate Producer
- Matt Weismanas Casting director
- Bill Borchardtas Mark's Uncle / Executive Producer (as Uncle Bill)
- Cliff Borchardtas Mark's Dad
- Tom Beachas Production manager
- Joan Petrieas Mark's Girlfriend / Associate Producer
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about American Movie (1999)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The filmmakers shot 90 hours of footage on 16mm film for the documentary, which follows Mark Borchardt's filmmaking process and is interwoven with footage from both of his developing projects.
