American Dreamz 2006

On the morning following his re-election, U.S. President Joseph Staton finds himself compelled to read the newspaper for the first time in four years. This seemingly innocuous decision plunges him into an obsessive spiral, prompting him to reassess his once “black-and-white” worldview into a more complex and “gray-seeming” perspective. His behavior rapidly deteriorates, leading him to isolate himself in his bedroom, where he remains in his pajamas. Alarmed by the President’s evident mental breakdown, his Chief of Staff intervenes, pushing him back into public life by securing a guest judge spot on the wildly popular talent competition American Dreamz, which just happens to be a favorite of the President’s wife.

Hosted by the flamboyant and self-centered Martin Tweed, American Dreamz is a show that captures the nation’s fascination with the next big celebrity. Among the contestants vying for stardom are Sally Kendoo, a cunning steel magnolia with dreams of fame, and her well-meaning but dim-witted boyfriend William Williams. However, another contestant, Omer Obeidi, holds a more complicated background. After losing his mother to an American attack in the Middle East, Omer affiliated himself with a group of jihadists. Although initially involved in a terrorist training film, his clumsiness and passion for show tunes led to his exile to America, where he lived with his eccentric extended family, including his gay cousin Iqbal.

In an ironic twist, while Iqbal dreams of participating in American Dreamz, Omer is mistakenly selected instead. Although initially upset, Iqbal opts to support Omer in his quest for fame, taking on the role of his manager. Unbeknownst to Omer, his group of followers has plans for him; they instruct him to reach the show’s finale and execute a suicide bombing to assassinate the President. Omer successfully makes it to the finale, cleverly assembling a bomb in the restroom to circumvent security, with the explosive disguised as chewing gum. However, on the brink of his mission, Omer has a change of heart and discards the bomb in the trash.

In a parallel narrative, Sally, who had previously broken off her relationship with William, is now pretending to still love him, a ruse encouraged by her agent, Chet Krogl. As the finale approaches, William, now a wounded soldier, proposes to Sally live on air, only for her to reject him. In a dramatic twist, after discovering Sally in a compromising position with Martin, William angrily discards the engagement ring, inadvertently discovering the bomb in the process. He storms onto the stage, posing a threat with the bomb just as the audience rushes to safety. In a moment of tragic intensity, William begins to sing, while Martin, fixated on the camera, captures every second. The performance culminates in William detonating the bomb, resulting in their deaths while the nation votes for the show’s winner.

As the narrative concludes, snippets reveal the fates of the characters. Omer transforms into a celebrated Broadway star, dazzling audiences with his portrayal in a musical revue, while the President appoints his wife as his new Chief of Staff, and Sally steps into the role of host for American Dreamz, cementing her place in the entertainment world.