Amreeka (2009)
- Starring:
- Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, (more)
- Director(s):
- Cherien Dabis
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13
My RatingSynopsis of Amreeka
A Palestinian single mother and her son resettle in the American Midwest with bittersweet results, in first-time director Cherien Dabis' gentle fish-out-of-water comedy drama Amreeka. Nisreen Faour stars as divorcée Mouna, a resident of the West Bank who works as a local bank manager while raising her 16-year-old son, Fadi (Melkar Muallem), on the side. Each day, the two must put their lives in jeopardy by driving through potentially lethal Middle Eastern checkpoints to accomplish their daily business, but their situation changes dramatically when Mouna finally succeeds at getting a green card. The two fly from Jerusalem to Chicago, but get a bitter taste of the reality behind the American dream when the customs department claims the money that Mouna wrapped in a cookie tin, leaving her penniless. The nascent immigrants promptly move in with Mouna's sister, Raghda (Hiam Abbass of Lemon Tree), and her family, and Mouna sets about trying to find a bank job in the U.S. that is equivalent to her old position at home; unfortunately, this proves impossible and she ends up serving "sliders" at a White Castle fast food franchise and earning minimum wage. Meanwhile, Fadi begins attending a local high school and runs headfirst into not-so-subtle racism and the imminent threat of nativistic violence. ~ All Movie Guide
Complete Cast of Amreeka
- Nisreen Faour - Mouna Farah
- Hiam Abbass - Raghda Halaby
- Alia Shawkat - Salma Halaby
- Amer Hlehel - Samer
- Jenna Kawar - Rana Halaby
- Brodie Sanderson - Matt
- Daniel Boiteau - Mike
- Miriam Smith - Bank Employee
- Mike O'Brien - Bank Manager
- Melkar Muallem - Fadi Farah
- Yussuf Abu-Warda - Nabeel Halaby
- Joseph Ziegler - Mr. Novatski
- Selena Haddad - Lamis Halaby
- Suheila Muallem - Jamileh
- Andrew Sannie - James
- Jeff Sutton - Jason
- Glen Thompson - Nelson
- Director(s):
- Cherien Dabis
- Writer(s):
- Cherien Dabis
- Producer(s):
- Cherien Dabis, Christina Piovesan, Alicia Sams
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- PG13(Mild Language, Youth Substance Use)
- 2009 - National Board of Review - Best Independent Film
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