American Dreamz [2006]

In order to improve his declining approval rating, US President Joe Staton is thrust into the limelight as a guest judge on hit reality TV show American Dreamz. Head of State Joe Stanton (Dennis Quaid, In Good Company) is going through a bit of a crisis; he’s worryingly out of touch with current affairs, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and suffering his worst approval rating ever. If he's to regain any credibility, some serious damage control is needed. Leave it to the wily Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe, Spiderman), who takes it upon himself to enlist Staton as a guest judge on America’s premier reality TV show American Dreamz. But the show’s vainglorious host Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant, About a Boy, in full-on Simon Cowell mode) has his own ratings to think about and will exploit anyone to get those viewing figures up. This includes selecting a group of especially bizarre hopefuls--even by reality TV standards--including Omer, a show-tune singing would-be terrorist! As the contestants lose all perspective and shamelessly clamber to win first place, a sinister plot to blow up the president on national TV is uncovered. American Dreamz takes a very liberal swipe at society's obsession with pop culture--perceived by some as being symbolic of all that’s ill in the West--and is no less outspoken in its political commentary.