Amreeka (2009)
84%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 9 wins & 19 nominations
Cherien Dabis’ Amreeka is a delightful and poignant exploration of the immigrant experience, deftly weaving together themes of cultural identity, belonging, and alienation. While some critics have found the film to be heavy-handed or uneven, Dabis’ direction and the charming performances from the cast make for an enjoyable and heartwarming viewing experience. The film strikes a balance between comedy and drama, never shying away from the political issues at play but ultimately focusing on the personal stories of its characters. Amreeka is a sweet and sincere film that will leave you feeling uplifted and moved.
Amreeka is like a warm hug from your grandma – a little heavy-handed, but ultimately heartwarming. The film explores the immigrant experience with a light touch, relying on the charming performances of its cast to carry the story. While it may not be the most subtle film out there, it’s hard not to be won over by its earnestness and good intentions. Plus, who doesn’t love a good fish-out-of-water story? Overall, Amreeka is a feel-good movie that will leave you with a smile on your face.
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
Distributor
National Geographic
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief drug use involving teens, and some language
Year of Release
2009
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 36m
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Language(s):English, Arabic, French
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Country of origin:Canada
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 4, 2009 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 12, 2010
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Jenna Kawar, Selena Haddad, directed by Cherien Dabis, written by Cherien Dabis, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Philip French, Tom Seymour, Derek Malcolm, Steve Rose, David Jenkins, David Parkinson, PG-13, immigrant experience, culture clash, Palestine, Illinois, National Geographic, Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan, Arabic, involving teens, brief drug use, some language, Muna Farah, Fadi Farah, Raghda Halaby, Salma, Rana Halaby, Lamis Halaby
Worldwide gross: $2,176,304
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,007,893
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,315
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 328,015
US/Canada gross: $627,436
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $867,186
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,219
US/Canada opening weekend: $58,823
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $81,300
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,019
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Melkar Muallem – Fadi Farah
Hiam Abbass – Raghda Halaby
Alia Shawkat – Salma
Jenna Kawar – Rana Halaby
Selena Haddad – Lamis Halaby
Cherien Dabis – Director/Writer
Paul Barkin – Producer
Christina Piovesan – Producer
Director(s)
Cherien Dabis
Writer(s)
Cherien Dabis
Producer(s)
Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 19 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (72) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (63) | Rotten (9)
Not a subtle film, but an attractive, affecting one.
May 15, 2011
Philip French
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
In attempt to sustain momentum, the film begins to lurch from comic-book realism to join-the-dots melodrama.
May 13, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Tom Seymour
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
The film is more gentle than harsh, relying on a very fine performance from the charming Faour and settings in Palestine and Illinois that seem very real.
May 13, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
The political issues are a little heavy handed but the story – partly drawn from the director’s own experience – works best when it focuses on the personal.
May 12, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Steve Rose
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
You’ll end up baffled that a film built on such shaky foundations can end up being so impossibly sweet.
May 10, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
David Jenkins
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Likeable but lightweight, Dabis’ emigration tale plays largely for laughs, sapping some of the drama from the storyline.
May 9, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
David Parkinson
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Cherien Dabis, the director, does a wonderful job of making this story a heartfelt look at what it means to be an outsider and what it means to believe in something so strongly, you will do whatever it takes to make it work.
July 21, 2021
Sam Blan
emel
In just 90 minutes, [Cherien Dabis] deftly explores big themes – alienation, cultural identity, and a sense of belonging – carefully detailing the immigrant experience.
March 22, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Lucy Popescu
CineVue
Enjoyable but uneven, Amreeka is an unlikely comic take on the plight of the displaced, at home and abroad.
May 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Sophie Ivan
Film4
It sounds heavygoing but if anything Amreeka is a little too sweet and cosy for its own good.
May 15, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Allan Hunter
Daily Express (UK)
This is a vulnerable but proud woman who we can’t help but like.
May 13, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
David Edwards
Daily Mirror (UK)
It’s charming and laidback, preferring wry, compassionate humour to politicking.
May 11, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Simon Kinnear
Total Film…
Plot
Muna, a single mother in Ramallah, has applied for a visa to the US. When it comes, her son Fadi, an excellent student, convinces her they should go. After an incident at customs begins their exile badly, they join Muna’s sister and family in Illinois. Muna needs a job: although she has two degrees and 15 years’ experience in banking, she settles for work at White Castle, telling the family her job’s at a nearby bank. It’s spring, 2003, and the US invades Iraq. While friends come from unlikely places, Fadi meets prejudice at school. How he’ll respond to it and to American youth culture and how Muna will sort things out with her family are the rest of the story. Tragedy or hope?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Amreeka.
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