Earlier this summer, the world was introduced to a comedian taking a more dramatic role and perhaps turning in the performance of her career with Awkwafina in the film “The Farewell.” Stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan is hoping to turn the corner into dramatic roles with his film “American Dreamer.” Though it must be said that “American Dreamer” and “The Farewell” couldn’t be further apart on the drama spectrum.
As seen in the first trailer for the film, “American Dreamer” tells the story of a down and out Uber driver (Gaffigan) that is just trying to earn enough money to pay the bills and see his teenage son, who is in the custody of his ex. Things change when this Uber driver picks up a drug dealer and witnesses the amount of money the criminal makes each day. Desperate for cash, the driver decides to kidnap the dealer’s infant child and demand a ransom. As you might expect, things don’t necessarily go as planned.
Joining Gaffigan in the cast are Robbie Jones and Isabel Arizza. “American Dreamer is co-written and directed by Derrick Borte. He’s probably best known for his debut film “The Joneses” and recently released “London Town” in 2016. Borte is currently in production on his upcoming film “Unhinged,” which stars Russell Crowe.
“American Dreamer” arrives in theaters, on digital, and On-Demand on September 20.
Here’s the synopsis:
A down on his luck rideshare driver who makes extra cash chauffeuring a low level drug dealer around town finds himself in a serious financial bind and decides to kidnap the dealer’s child.
