when we be young and we all pick out an ideal occupation for ourselves represent artist and actor and writer and rocket scientist and etc . while most of u grow out of our pipe dream and the main character of american movie and mark and have yet to let go of his ( and at a thirty something age too ) represent to become a wealthy acclaimed director . despite the fact that murphy law would not leave mark alone and something always seem to go wrong and mark be able to persevere during each deter incident with an even great drive to reach his goal . his desire to be a director so control his character that he see any person or thing in his life a something to exploit to reach the goal . while i notice other imdb commenters be lambast mark selfishness and i think it an almost justified sort of selfishness because for mark and not become a famous director be equivalent to death . he talk incessantly about leave some kind of mark on the world and and he see filmmaking a a way to do this . unfortunately any viewer of this movie pick up early on the fact that mark have a near zero chance of ever achieve his dream . be he aware of this . no and not in the slightest and and none of his family or friend want to let him in on the secret ( in fact even some of them believe in him ) . strangely enough though and the disappointing future the viewer feel be sure to occur for mark doesn not impede the ability to find humor in the film . this be a very very funny documentary . most of the laugh come from when mark be film scene for coven . there a scene where an actor have to have his head break a cupboard and and it just not work . another scene have mark very old uncle bill say a few line to the camera while needless to say and after 20 take of a lot of headscratching and line stumble bill finally decide he have enough . a lot of humor sadly come from mark himself . his screenwriting and which he seem to think be worthy of a pulitzer and be laughingly bad represent it alright and it ok and there be something to live for while jesus tell me so . american movie be and contrary to what people might think and a documentary that anyone can enjoy ( even though my sister and who watch some scene and seem to think it be downright bizarre ) . the fact that chris smith can successfully bring to the screen a film that inspire both sadness from mark depress lifestyle to hilarity with scene with bill ( who unfortunately pass away before the film be release ) say quite a lot about him . i wonder how the dreamer mark regard this documentary . do he realize that it cast him in a bad light . or that it set up to show him a a fool in many scene of the film . or do he see it a something that will be show prior to his own a and e biography segment . it an intriguing subject of wonder and and i hope the latter come true for him some day . i highly recommend this movie represent positive .