Both films feature, prominently, the country’s president–a fit, trim, handsome, well-dressed, well-manicured white man somewhere in his 50’s. Both feature terrorist plots against the president. In both, the terrorists themselves are somewhat shadowy foreign figures whose motivations are uncertain, but seem more political than personal. In both, an affair not only undercuts the integrity of the participants, but puts everyone else at risk, as well. One is a deadly serious drama and the other a completely satirical goof, but both have somber, sober, cynical undertones.
In “American Dreamz,” Hugh Grant plays a caustic, acerbic television show host of the wildly popular “American Dreamz” (obviously patterned after the wildly popular “American Idol”). It’s a talent show with a twist: the participants set themselves up to be mercilessly critiqued in exchange for a few minutes of national notoriety. Naturally, there are a handful of hopefuls with real talent, true “undiscovered stars,” but they have to have something more: a connection to the audience, some sort of elusive empathy quotient that will resonate with the viewers who will do the call-in voting, and ultimately determine the winner.
Mandy Moore plays Sally, the “white trash” caricature, even though she comes from a middle-class home somewhere in the middle of Ohio. Another finalist is Arab-American, and the other Jewish. And will it offend anybody if we portray the Arab as coming from a terrorist cell? Well, how about if we heighten the drama by having the president himself come on stage to help judge the final contest?
Dennis Quaid plays the politicized prototype like a man who’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it is slowly dawning upon him how little control he seems to have over his own life. His wife (Marcia Gay Harden) is superficially supportive, but isn’t afraid to make arrangements behind his back.
Kim Basinger does the same as the president’s wife in “The Sentinel.” Only her arrangements are more of the illicit tryst variety. With a Secret Service agent, on the presidential security detail, no less. Michael Douglas plays the man who would cuckold the president, which obviously puts him in a compromised position that makes it even more difficult for him to prove his innocence when he is accused of being part of an assassination plot. So now we have the rogue agent being tracked by both the good guys and the bad guys, and they’re not the only ones trying to sort out which is which. Kiefer Sutherland reprises his “24” role, where he plays the invincible field operative who seems to be the only one who can figure things out and get things done. “The Sentinel,” like “American Dreamz,” implies that as a culture we are hopelessly shallow and unconscionably salacious, which may in fact be accurate.
There are problems with the endings of both. The fantastic conclusions seem to leap unfettered from plausible premises. Bad behavior can go astonishingly unpunished, even rewarded. The only point seems to be holding safely on to a position of power, while the rest of the poor miscreants of the world scramble for the crumbs, off-camera.
When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, he sighed deeply in his spirit and replied that no sign would be given to this evil and adulterous generation. Of course, the signs were right in front of them all the time, they just didn’t realize it. The same may be true for us.
Questions For Discussion:
1) What would be the repercussions of the U.S. president’s wife having an affair with a Secret Service Agent?
2) What would be the repercussions of a talent show host having an affair with a contestant?
3) Why are we, as a culture, so enamored with a show like “American Idol”? Is it because, as a culture, we all want to believe that anyone can become a star?
4) Why are we, as a culture, so enamored with the personal life of the U.S. president? Is it because, as a culture, we all want to believe that anyone can become president?
5) What is the motivation of a terrorist?
Ron Salfen is pastor of First Church, Terrell, Texas.