Best movie of this year hands down!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Breezy lightweight romp is a bit far fetched but played with a comic edge and a sense of absurdity. Must be approached in the proper spirit of whimsy or the preposterousness of the plot won't work for you. JoBeth Williams is certainly enjoying herself in the lead as the hopeful writer and wannabe sleuth Rebecca Ryan. She breezes through this with a devil may care attitude that injects the whole enterprise with glee. Tom Conti is a good foil for her with his seriousness slowly giving way to befuddlement as she involves them in one hair brained chase after another. Also along for the ride is the delightful Coral Browne as Tom's game if a bit daffy mother and Giancarlo Giannini trying to keep his cool as one indignity after another is heaped upon him. Shot on location in Europe this is a feast for the eyes as well as a fizzy affable concoction.

I have seen this movie at least a half dozen times probably more and I never tire of it. It is a wonderful comedy which I laughed my head off; and a romantic dream that all women probably fantasize. I try to find it each month on cable and it doesn't seem to be available any more. What's happened? I looked in my local video store and couldn't find it there either. What's up?You should make more movies like this - fun to watch, brings me up out of any blue mood I may be in and is just plain enjoyable. Jo Beth Williams and Tom Conti are greaet together. I feel like laughing.....where do I get my copy?Loved it!!!!!

This is a movie for anyone who ever dreamed of adventure, anyone who ever dreamed of getting more out of life, or anyone who enjoys watching JoBeth Williams.Cathy Palmer (JoBeth Williams) is about as bored as a housewife can be. Her husband, Kevin (James Staley), is a successful executive who cares more about his job than he does about her. She treasures a secret desire to write detective novels like the ones she enjoys about Rebecca Ryan. Kevin treats her desire with amused condescension and insists that his needs come ahead of her desires. Fortunately, her sons, Kevin, Jr. (Christopher Daniel Barnes) and Karl (Huckleberry Fox), are more sympathetic and help her try to run things the way Kevin Sr. wants them. This unhappy balance changes when Cathy enters a contest to come up with a short story based on the Rebecca Ryan character. To her delight, she wins. To her even greater delight, first prize is a trip to Paris. Delight turns to horror when Kevin insists that she turn down the prize, as it would be unseemly for an executive's wife to go off without him for any extended period of time. Cathy, however, has other ideas, and with her sons' help, she heads off for Paris. Once there, she gets into an accident which renders her unconscious. When she comes to, she thinks she is Rebecca Ryan, and starts behaving as though she were the literary detective. Strangely enough, this leads into an actual case, and along the way she meets French minister Victor Marchand (Giancarlo Giannini), and author Alan McCann (Tom Conti), who actually authors the Rebecca Ryan books under a pseudonym. All is going surprisingly well when Kevin shows up, identifying her as Cathy Palmer, and demanding that she come home. Will she? Or will she stay in Paris and solve the case she has gotten herself into? This movie is a heck of a lot of fun. The pacing is fast, and even when it slows down a bit, it never loses the viewer. The juxtaposition of fantasy and reality works especially well in that you find yourself buying into the fantasy, even though you know it's not real. And there are plenty of surprises waiting for the viewer.The acting is delightful. JoBeth Williams displays an absolute genius for comic acting. Her timing is impeccable. Tom Conti makes a delightful, if a bit unorthodox, leading man. Giancarlo Giannini's suave demeanor works perfectly in his part. Likewise, James Staley's stiffness is perfect for the boring husband. Both Christopher Daniel Barnes and Huckleberry Fox do a nice job of creating boys that you can't help liking. Their loyalty to their mother is touching.All in all, a really fun package, well worth investing the time in.

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.