American Reel is a 1999 drama film

Drama film

A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...

 directed by Mark Archer

Mark Archer

Mark Archer is a motion picture producer, director and writer. His credits include the 1997 Sundance Film Festival winner, In the Company of Men, for which he was nominated for "Best First Feature" at the 1997 Independent Spirit Awards. In the Company of Men also won the Filmmaker's Trophy at the...

 and starring David Carradine

David Carradine

David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...

, Michael Maloney

Michael Maloney

Michael Maloney is an English actor.Born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, Maloney's first television appearance was as Peter Barkworth's teenage son in the 1979 drama series, Telford's Change....

 and Mariel Hemingway

Mariel Hemingway

- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...

. The film is set in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, though primary filming locations included Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...

, Waterloo, Indiana

Waterloo, Indiana

Waterloo is a town in Grant and Smithfield townships, DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,242 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Waterloo is located at ....

, and Hicksville, Ohio

Hicksville, Ohio

Hicksville is a village in Defiance County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,649 at the 2000 census.-History:Hicksville was founded by a group of land speculators. Led by Henry W. Hicks, the Hicks Land Company platted the community in 1835 and 1836...

.

Synopsis

Country singer James Lee Springer (Carradine) has just become an overnight sensation—after 20 years of trying to make it by playing every honky-tonk west (and east) of the Big Muddy. But after so many years of waiting and hoping, the only question is whether it's all worth it.

Cast

• David Carradine
  David Carradine
  David Carradine was an American actor and martial artist, best known for his role as a warrior monk, Kwai Chang Caine, in the 1970s television series, Kung Fu, which later had a 1990s sequel series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues...
  
   as James Lee Springer
• Michael Maloney
  Michael Maloney
  Michael Maloney is an English actor.Born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, Maloney's first television appearance was as Peter Barkworth's teenage son in the 1979 drama series, Telford's Change....
  
   as Jason Fields
• Mariel Hemingway
  Mariel Hemingway
  - Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
  
   as Disney Rifkin
• Marina Anderson as Commercial Director
• Larissa Borkowski as Natasha
• Troy Clark as James' Cousin
• Kevin Ferguson as Tony Marty
• Mike Leonardo as Music Video Director
• Melissa Long as Entertainment Reporter
• Willy T. Ribbs
  Willy T. Ribbs
  William "Willy" Theodore Ribbs, Jr. is a racecar driver who competed in many forms of auto racing. After retiring, he became a sport shooter in the National Sporting Clays Association....
  
   as Jason's Attorney
• Mark Schiff
  Mark Schiff
  Mark Schiff is an American voice actor and comedian. He provided the voice of the little dog on the animated series 2 Stupid Dogs. He has appeared in small guest roles on shows such as My Two Dads and Mad About You. He has also been a writer for Blue Collar TV.-External links:*...
  
   as Marvin Ayres
• Rebecca Shea as Legal Secretary
• Matt Socia as Blair Whiteman
• Carrie Wellman as Radio Interviewer (uncredited)

DVD

The DVD of the film contains interviews with the cast, and a behind the scenes gallery of photos.