A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Romantic Paris is the main setting for this fun romp through France in a film that features mistaken identities, amnesia and the yearning for something more than an ordinary life. A throwback to the screwball comedies of the 30's, this 80's gem is the perfect blend of international intrigue and pratfall humor, even adding a little twist at the end that you won't see coming! Jo Beth Williams is an amnesiac who believes she is the real-life heroine of a series of mystery books, and she acts accordingly. Tom Conti, who is the author of the books, becomes an unwilling accomplice to the amnesiac's delusions. Mayhem ensues as a result of Jo Beth Williams' actions and two actual villains are swept up in the chaos that ensues.All of the actors are outstanding. Tom Conti shines as the haplessly overwhelmed straight man to Jo Beth Williams' delightfully outrageous amnesiac. The actors who played the Spanish diplomat and French politician couldn't have been more perfect for their roles. Their performances had us laughing so hard we had tears streaming. The secondary characters were well-cast and gave excellent performances. JoBeth Williams and Tom Conti play their roles to perfection. There is an hysterical scene in the police station that you have to see, and his mother, who Williams takes for "Aunt Edna" in the mystery series, handles her few lines with an unmatched elegance, and beautiful timing. There is enough material here for a whole series of movies, but they packed it into this one delightful romp you'll want to watch again and again.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

This film is delightful and worth watching if you never had the good fortune to see it. I'm actually surprised the overall rating isn't much higher because it's hard for me to think of anything I didn't like about the film.One of the things that made this movie stand out from other 80s flicks was the script, which was more original and well thought out than other films of its time. The other aspect of it that was successful was the cast. This film had some really top-notch actors doing what they do best while at the opt of their games.In terms of what it's closest to, I would say it's akin to Romancing the Stone. American Dreamer pairs romance and comedy in a way that's very appealing to a broad audience. The backdrop of the film also includes some gorgeous European locales. The humor is zany or vulgar like say a Zucker/Abrams/Zucker film, but part of it are incredibly funny. The movie was also fairly fast past. It moves very quickly across a broad arc with lots of little twists and turns along the way.Basically, if you haven't seen this film, you owe it to yourself to find a copy and watch it. If you've never had the good fortune of seeing Tim Conti in a leading role then you definitely should make time to see it as soon as possible.

I've been drawn to this movie again and again. It's funny, it has warmth and pathos, and the performances are great. I always thought JoBeth Williams was an underrated actress. She was totally believable in an admittedly preposterous plot. But the Tom Conti character offered a warm and credible reality check to the zanier aspects of the film. His character was thoroughly appealing and I keenly felt his loss when Rebecca Ryan once again became Cathy Palmer. The ending was totally satisfactory. There were serious laughs, from the brilliantly choreographed kitchen scene to the drunken revelry at the Embassy Party.I highly recommend this film. I suppose it might be classified as a "chick-flick" but it's much more than that. Great laughs, lots of warmth, and strong chemistry between the main characters lifted this film to a "10".

This is a marvelous but pretty much undiscovered film from the 1980s that somehow "slipped under the radar"--getting little attention at its release. And this is a great shame, as it's a charming and funny film about a romance writer that will appeal to both men and women.JoBeth Williams plays a frustrated woman who reads a lot of romance novels--particularly those involving a character named "Rebecca Ryan". She wins a trip to go to France, but her selfish husband doesn't want to go even though it's free (what a jerk), so she goes without him. However, once there, she is hit on the head (a familiar plot device, I know) and she believes she IS Rebecca Ryan!! This Rebecca Ryan is sort of like James Bond and Jessica Fletcher combined and she insists she is on the trail of a crime. However, she soon meets the actual person who writes the Rebecca Ryan stories and HE recognizes everything she is saying as coming from the books HE wrote (yep--the author is a guy writing under a pen name and uses his mother to pose as her). He (played by Tom Conti) realizes she's a very disturbed woman, but JoBeth Williams is SO convincing as Ms. Ryan that people don't believe him and think she really is an international woman of mystery and battler of evil!!! Where the script goes from here is amazing and silly--especially because JoBeth actually finds herself tied up in a REAL international assassination plot! It is a highly amusing film that is both a "chick flick" and a lot of fun for guys in the audience as well.