American Rejection | Film threat
They always tell you in film school to “write what you know.” Author and star of American rejectionKathleen Elizabeth Monteleone did just that by highlighting her real-life experience on NBC’s reality show Grease: You’re the one I want, for some pretty fun results. In the film, directed by Marlo Hunter, Monteleone plays Kay, who is humiliated on one American idol-type show in the opening scene. Kay has a Janet Jackson-like “wardrobe flaw,” just before she unpretentiously kicked off the song series in which Billy Ray Cyrus is the judge, leading to a series of embarrassing events due to her newfound notoriety.
Kay is then forced to move back to her small hometown and stay with her mother, Bonnie (Connie Ray), due to not having an apartment anymore because she thought she would win the competition (the show staff laughs at her for this assumption ). The producers asked Kay to do it for the sake of the good TV, as the production team follows around the losers for an after-show. Both Kay’s mother and people in her hometown send her further down a rabbit hole of degradation, which ends up becoming popular to watch, to Kay’s dismay.
“…Kay has a Janet Jackson-like ‘wardrobe bug’ just before she is unpretentiously kicked off the song series… ”
Reality singing competitions are a perfect goal to make fun of because of how serious they often take themselves and how humiliating and anxious they can actually be for the contestants. American rejection plays up these absurd game show elements by amplifying them, which is exactly what a good comedy should do. While it may be too cheesy or over the top for some, it worked for me. I was entertained throughout because of the performances, as well as the fun reality show and celebrity-related observations that shone through Monteleone’s writing. Hunter also does a fine job of not letting the film slip too far into the parody, while imprinting it with just enough heart to give a feel-good finish.
Monteleone reminds me of former SNL comedian Amy Poehler with her similar looks, exaggerated manners and quick comic timing. Annaleigh Ashford (who was fantastic in Masters of sex) is amazing as Kay’s former best friend Nano, who has a bone to choose with Kay to forget their friendship and his roots. The whole cast is good at bringing the fun in, but Angelica Hale stands out as the young Anna. She looks up to Kay, and in real life, they have something in common because Hale was a contestant America’s Got Talent. Tail can act, and in an exciting moment she also gets to show off her amazing voice.
By the exit of American rejection, Kay must make a critical choice between fame and a group of people she cares about. While this is usually quite a cliché, Monteleone makes the decision interesting and original. I look forward to seeing where both she and Hale go from here.