An American Dream (film)

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Movie
German title An american dream
Original title An American Rhapsody
Country of production USA , Hungary
original language English , Hungarian
Publishing year 2001
length 106 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Éva Gárdos
script Éva Gárdos
production Colleen Camp ,
Bonnie Timmermann
music Cliff Eidelman
camera Elemér Ragályi
cut Margaret Goodspeed
occupation

An American Dream (Original title: An American Rhapsody ) is an American - Hungarian drama from 2001 . Directed by Éva Gárdos , who also wrote the script.

action

The married couple Margit and Peter Sandor fled Hungary to the USA in 1950. They take the older daughter Maria with them, but the younger daughter Suzanne, still a baby, stays with her grandmother in Hungary. The original plan was for the baby to be smuggled across the border separately from another person, but because of that person's tough demeanor, the grandmother decides against it. So Suzanne stays in the country. Since the grandmother is expecting the secret police to appear, she decides to give the child away to the country, where she will not be found. Having fled to Vienna, the couple and their older daughter received an exit visa for the USA and, with a heavy heart, decided to leave without Suzanne, as they could no longer return.

She is raised very lovingly in the country by a Hungarian couple.

The Sandors begin to build a new life in the USA, the mother as a waitress, the father in an aircraft factory. The longing for the younger daughter almost tears the family apart. Meanwhile, the grandmother is arrested and sent to a labor camp. Margit Sandor got in touch with the Red Cross and other agencies to lobby for the younger daughter's departure. She is now celebrating her 5th birthday with her foster parents, whom she also calls mom and dad. But her real parents also send her gifts from the USA and the foster parents indicate to her that there are “other” parents in America.

In the meantime, Stalin dies, some reforms take place in Hungary, and the grandmother is released from the labor camp. She immediately brings Suzanne to her home in Budapest and tells her that her foster parents are not her real parents and that she will now travel to the USA to see her real parents. With the help of the Red Cross, Suzanne manages to leave the country and flies to America, believing that she will eventually return to her foster parents.

Separated from her parents as a baby, Suzanne sees them and her now ten-year-old sister in America after a five-year separation. Everything is unfamiliar to her: the food, the language, the cars and houses - her mother calls her “lady”. The relationship with her older sister is not easy either, as she had until then led the life of an only child and a more American life.

In Hungary, the foster parents left behind are devastated when they learn that Suzanne is no longer with her grandmother in Hungary, but with her parents in America. In America, Suzanne learns from her sister that she will not return to Hungary. Her father promises her that if she seriously tries life in America and she still wants to return to Hungary in a few years, he will buy her a ticket to Hungary.

Cut.

Suzanne is now 16 and still names her foster parents mom and dad in her letters. Even after many years, the memories of her parents in the countryside in Hungary are still more than vivid. Otherwise, however, she has developed into a typical American, rather revealing teenager, much to the displeasure of her mother. So one evening, despite being under house arrest, she leaves her parents' house, and there is a scandal with her mother, who then has her room professionally locked. Suzanne picks up the rifle and shoots the latches open. Her relationship with her mother is at rock bottom, so she reminds her father of the promise of a ticket to Budapest.

Her foster parents now live in Budapest and are extremely happy to see Suzanne again. She learns that the house in the country has been confiscated and takes long walks to explore Budapest, which is strange to her. She also goes to her grandmother and learns from her why her mother hates Hungary so much and wanted to leave Hungary: Margit witnessed the murder of her father by a Russian officer and wanted a better life for her own children.

In further conversations, she learns even more details from the difficult life behind the iron curtain - and she realizes that Hungary is not her home. She offers the foster parents to come to America with her, but they want to stay in Hungary, but ask her to "never forget" her.

Back in America, mother and daughter realize that Suzanne's journey into the past has laid the foundation for a new life in America, and Suzanne calls her mother “mom” for the first time.

Reviews

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times on August 24, 2001 that Éva Gárdos wanted to tell her own story. Ebert suspected that many elements of the film would sound familiar to American immigrant children. Nastassja Kinski gives one of her most moving depictions.

Mick LaSalle wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle of August 24, 2001 that the film was "almost great" for about an hour , but then it became an "unrestrained mess" . The director - who tells about her own experiences - shows a steady hand as long as the film focuses on the experiences of the parents. She lost herself when she showed 15-year-old Suzanne in 1965.

Awards

In 2001, Éva Gárdos received two awards from the Nantucket Film Festival and one award from the Hollywood Film Festival . Scarlett Johansson won the Young Artist Award in 2002 as a leading actress and together with Mae Whitman and Kelly Endresz-Banlaki as a member of the ensemble . The film for Best Drama , Mae Whitman and Kelly Endresz-Banlaki were nominated for the Young Artist Award. Kelly Endresz-Banlaki was nominated for the 2002 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award in two categories .

backgrounds

The film was shot in Budapest and Los Angeles . The world premiere took place on June 20, 2001 at the Nantucket Film Festival , followed by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on July 5, 2001 . On August 24, 2001, the film was released in selected cinemas in the United States, where it grossed around 850,000 US dollars .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of Release for An American Dream . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , April 2010 (PDF; test number: 121 992 V).
  2. ^ Film review by Roger Ebert, accessed February 12, 2008
  3. ↑ Mick LaSalle film review, accessed February 12, 2008
  4. ↑ Filming locations for An American Rhapsody, accessed February 12, 2008
  5. Jump up ↑ An American Rhapsody premiere dates, accessed February 12, 2008
  6. ↑ Box office results for An American Rhapsody, accessed February 12, 2008