Chris Smith's documentary charts amateur film director Mark Borchardt's efforts to make his first feature - a horror movie entitled Coven - with only a small amount of money and family and friends as actors. With Mike Schank, Bill Borchardt and Monica Borchardt.

American Movie documents the story of filmmaker Mark Borchardt, his mission, and his dream. Spanning over two years of intense struggle with his film, his family, financial decline, and spiritual crisis, American Movie is a portrayal of ambition, obsession, excess, and one man's quest for the American Dream.