Life is often stranger than fiction, and that is certainly the case with American Dreamer. Based on a segment in This American Life, the film stars Peter Dinklage as Dr. Phil Loder, a low-level economics professor with a dream of home ownership that seems forever out of reach. That is until he spots an ad from Astrid, an eccentric widow willing to sell her huge estate for pennies on the dollar. There is a catch, however, and after agreeing to it Phil learns that some bargains are too good to be true. Played by Shirley MacLaine, Astrid turns out to be quite the handful. Kim Quinn stars as Maggie, who is as stubborn and unpredictable as Astrid. Despite her reservations about Phil, Maggie finds herself growing closer to the cynical but brilliant professor
A producer on the film as well as an actress, Quinn began acting in 1999’s Winding Roads, which she co-wrote with her husband and American Dreamer writer, Theodore Melfi. The two have worked together on multiple projects, including St. Vincent, Hidden Figures, and The Starling.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Kim Quinn about American Dreamer. We talked about the quirky stranger-than-fiction aspect to it and many of the projects they choose to develop. She also talked about the honor in working alongside Shirley MacLaine and Peter Dinklage, and trying not to appear too starstruck by it!
American Dreamer is in select theaters and VOD now. You can check out our review here and the interview with Kim Quinn below!
