WFG RATING: A

Plaion Pictures presents a Flying Freebird/Goldenlight Films production in association with Estuary Films and Noble600. Directed by Paul Dektor. Produced by Theodore Melfi, Kim Quinn, Peter Dinklage, David Ginsberg, Toyo Shimano, and Paul Dektor. Written by Theodore Melfi; story by Melfi and Chris Wehner; based on the segment by This American Life. Cinematography by Nicolas Bolduc. Edited by Lisa Jane Robison.

Stars Peter Dinklage, Shirley MacLaine, Matt Dillon, Kim Quinn, Danny Pudi, and Danny Glover.

A teacher who longs to have his own house may finally get a chance to get just that in this dramedy starring the excellent Peter Dinklage and the legendary Shirley MacLaine. 

Dr. Phil Loder is an adjunct college professor who has always wanted his own home. However, when he attends open houses, he finds himself always berated and ridiculed by real estate agent Dell. However, one day, Phil comes across an ad about a house for sale for either $5 million dollars or $240,000 under the condition the buyer lets the owner live out her life with them. Despite Dell’s reservations, Phil takes the offer.

The woman in the house is Astrid Fenelli, an eccentric elderly woman who has been suffering from early dementia. When she introduces a plumber, Boris, and advocate Maggie as her kids, Maggie is not too fond of Phil and plans to have him thrown out. However, when Astrid suffers a medical incident, Phil finds her and this leads to not only him and Maggie slowly bonding, but Phil and Astrid form a wonderful friendship. What will happen when Astrid passes?

From the co-writer of the wonderful Hidden Figures and director Paul Dektor comes this very interesting film that may seem like a dark comedy, but is actually not. It is a dramedy about a dreamer who may have the chance to finally achieve that dream despite reservations from certain figures around him. However, the heart of the film comes in the form of the bonding between said dreamer and the elderly woman who could just be the key for him to finally achieve it. 

Peter Dinklage is excellent as our “dreamer”, Phil, who finds himself trying to see himself with a home and living his dream. He has a daydream on occasion where he sees himself with a young woman who acts as a guide for him. He gets berated by real estate agent Dell, played by a seething and sometimes slimy Matt Dillon (think of his conman character in There’s Something About Mary if he was a real estate agent) and when Phil finally may be within reach of owning the home, has an on-off friendship with Maggie, played by producer Kim Quinn. This, together with other stresses, does show Phil finally reaching his limit and having had enough. 

However, to Phil’s yin in a major surprise is the yang of the eccentric Astrid, played by the legendary Shirley MacLaine. She is terrific as she amps the smarmy attitude and wisecracks to a fun and sometimes laugh out loud level when it comes to her relationship with Phil. Sometimes, it is also emotional as we see Phil eventually having a heart when it comes to Astrid and wants to be there for her, despite any reservations from those who think Phil just cares about wanting the house. Their friendship is the real heart of the film and it’s great seeing these two together and having that chemistry. 

American Dreamer is a terrific dramedy that is great because of the chemistry between Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine. These two are the heart of the film and shows that to achieve your dream, you must overcome anything that comes your way and with that, anything is possible. 

The film will be released in UK theaters on March 17.