Movie news on your iPhone today!
Advertisement
Sign in
Username   Password         Forgot password?
Wanna join? Sign up
Find movies you'll love
American Dream
  • 0
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Rate this movie.

Rent it, watch it, find it

Advertisement
Synopsis
Depicting the effects of a mid-1980s strike by the employees of a Hormel meat-packing plant in Austin, Minnesota, Barbara Kopple's Academy Award-winning documentary American Dream observes both the daily struggles of the striking workers and the behind-the-scenes conflicts amongst the union leaders. Upset at a proposed pay cut, the local union chapter begins the strike against the advice of their parent organization, hiring an outside consultant who encourages the workers. This consultant's aggressive, no-compromise approach turns the conflict into national news but also alienates management. Soon, despite the efforts of a seasoned negotiator sent by the parent union, the company has locked out the workers and hired scabs, leading to a series of violent conflicts amongst members of the community. The workers' resolve progressively fades as the battle extends into months and years, and the financial hardships they and their families suffer leads some to doubt the value of their efforts. Kopple, who had previously covered an extended miner's strike in the acclaimed 1977 documentary Harlan County, USA, focuses on the personalities and emotions behind the strike, creating a highly charged portrait of labor that is sympathetic to the workers' distress without ignoring the strike's greater ambiguities. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide


Production Crew

Bill Susman Associate Producer
Ernest Hood Associate Producer
Gail Rosenschein Associate Producer
Jonathan House Associate Producer
Molly Ornati Associate Producer
Hart Perry Cinematographer
James Hayman Cinematographer
Kevin Keating Cinematographer
Mark Petersson Cinematographer
Mathieu Roberts Cinematographer
Peter Gilbert Cinematographer
Michael Small Composer (Music Score)
Esther Cassidy Coordinator
Peter Miller Coordinator
Barbara Kopple Director
Cathy Caplan Editor
Lawrence Silk Editor
Tom Haneke Editor
Arthur Cohn Producer
Barbara Kopple Producer
Barbara Kopple Sound Recordist
Year: 1990
Runtime: 102
Country: USA
MPAA Rating: PG13
for momentary strong language
Category: Documentary


Produced by
Cabin Creek Films
Miramax

Release
March 18, 1992 (USA)

Awards
1990 - Audience Award: Documentary - Sundance Film Festival
1990 - Best Documentary - L.A. Film Critics Association
1990 - Best Documentary Feature - Academy
1990 - Best Documentary Feature - Academy
1990 - Filmmaker's Trophy: Documentary - Sundance Film Festival
1990 - Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - Sundance Film Festival
1990 - Audience Award - Documentary - Sundance Film Festival
1990 - Best Documentary Feature - Academy
1990 - Best Documentary Feature - Academy
1990 - Best Documentary - Los Angeles Film Critics Association
1990 - Best Documentary Feature - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie
1990 - Best Documentary Feature - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie
1990 - Grand Jury Prize - Documentary - Sundance Film Festival
1990 - Audience Award - Sundance Film Festival
1992 - Best Documentary - National Society of Film Critics