It is silly and very 1980s but having seen it originally at an impressionable age, it remains one of my favorite movies of all time. The desire to be more than you are, to be beautiful and rich and important and above all a bit dangerous...who couldn't relate? An overlooked and delightful movie. I am in Paris now, and almost wishing I could be Rebecca Ryan.

I watched this movie on cable ages ago and never forgot it. It was/is delightful and engaging. It is one of those movies that you can watch over and over again. The plot line and character interactions make the perfect comedy.JoBeth Williams is delightful and one of the funniest scenes is when she goes out to have some fun in Paris. I won't elaborate more because it would be a spoiler.The ending is also wonderful with a sort of moral/life lesson being learned by the audience in regard to settling or merely existing in your life instead of actually "living."

My wife and I watched this movie with a new convert last night. This may well be my favorite movie of all time, but, it certainly our favorite movie. Why? First because it is a complex soufflé of whimsy, cerebral humor, physical humor and a wonderful story. Second, because it has very tangible street scenes in Paris. Third, it is a nice jumble of buddy movie, boy meets girl, adventure, hero story. Rebecca Ryan is "supercompetent", which always appeals to me. My previous favorite movie was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. While the great parts are still great, there are the self indulgent and incongruous musical numbers which I had edited out of my memory. No problem with American Dreamer. I have seen it 4 time since I get the DVD last fall. The movie is very well paced and should keep the attention of today's teens. The cars and airlines and fashions are totally 80's, but, the humor and characters are timeless. I strongly believe this is JoBeth Williams and Tom Conti's best work and I have a fantasy about a sequel - perhaps a metaphor for the mending of relations between France and the States.

This is the story of an American house wife who is a want-to-be mystery writer. She is tied down with the day to day housewife things that include two wonderful boys. She hears about a contest for writers, enters and.... Well, you will have to see the movie to see what happens next. Let me warm you up to her husband... he is a real case.My wife and I found this American Dreamer a few years ago and found it one of the funniest movies we have viewed in years. It is funny for men and women. Jo Beth and Tom are superb and as they play off each other, the story gets funnier. It is too bad this was not shown in theaters or if it was we missed it. A must see. This is a great Friday night date movie for those with little money but want a wonderful evening. Be careful though, you might begin to believe she is who she says she is.