It's nothing but the ur-poem of texts that make the adjective American sound ominous. That's why it was used in American Beauty, too. And now, as the soundtrack for a Tommy Hilfiger ad, it's in the strictest sense a paean. The exponential increase in the number of movies claiming American pedigrees shows not the slightest sign of abating. In addition to the Suvari trilogy and the screen adaptation of the Ellis novel, there's been American Movie and American Pimp.
Some titles have such cultural cachet that they've spread like stains all over the American fabric.
It's happening on TV, too. American High recently debuted on Fox, showcasing the kind of future Suvaris who until recently were still playing with American Girls . Pale imitations of our smoky flavor. The next thing you'll offer us is a Cuban Sandwich. The list of potential American titles that can be easily glommed by novelists, filmmakers, songwriters, and Joe Eszterhas is nearly infinite.