Did you know CBS tried to have a theatrical film company in the 80s? Yeah… I think it’s something most people have tried to block out. Either way, in 1984 CBS produced American Dreamer, a crime solving comedy about writing and book fandom.
Cathy Palmer (Jobeth Williams) is a neglected housewive whose 2 young sons even recognize their dad’s disinterest in what’s important to her. Seriously, the kid’s are both under 12 and actually lovingly tease their mom about the crap their father says (clearly, they would not pick him in a divorce). At the moment, Cathy has entered and won a dream trip to Paris by writing a few pages “in the style of” her favorite book series, Rebecca Ryan. The Rebecca Ryan novels are mystery thriller where the title character and her best friend Dimitri uncover devious acts among the upper classes. So, yeah. Cathy won a trip to Paris by writing fan fiction. I can’t think of a modern agent in the big 5 publishing companies allowing a publishing stunt like that today (too many lawsuits if the author accidentally writes anything close to a contest entry), but it’s the 80s. Fanfiction.net didn’t exist yet.
When Cathy wins, her husband “can’t” go with her and is sort of shocked when she chooses to go alone which he accuses her of being “childish” and “selfish” for doing. Free vacation, dude! Free vacation she won through hard work! The kids get it! They help her pack!
On her trip, Cathy is struck by a car and wakes up thinking she is Rebecca Ryan. She barges her way into the life of Alan McMann (Tom Conti), son of the Rebecca Ryan author, who she mistakes for Rebecca Ryan’s sidekick, Dimitri. Alan is intrigued by this bizarre woman who is determined to play espionage, only for the pair to end up in the midst of a real international incident.
Spoiler Alert: What Cathy/Rebecca doesn’t know is that Alan is secretly the writer of the series and his mother works to keep his secret by showing up at book signings. Cathy tells him that he shouldn’t be ashamed of his work.
What is so bizarre about the film is that Alan, a writer, knows all of these diplomats and politician. I get that the man is wealthy enough to live in a Parisian hotel, but that doesn’t exactly make him Henry Kissinger (thank goodness). Does James Patterson hang out with Angela Merkel? Come to think of it, that might not be a bad idea. She could convince him to include the environmental movement into his books.
Either way, there is this sense of responsibility he has to her since she thinks she’s a character he created. And there is a good balance between him being attracted to the woman he created and annoyed by her. We create characters who fit into a world built for a genre. They don’t always fit into OUR worlds.
Oh. . . and Cathy becomes a professional writer at the end of the film as well. Oh and her kids seems like Alan more than their birth dad.
