An American Rhapsody (2001)

A young Hungarian girl struggles to find her place in the world when she's reunited with her parents in the USA years after she was left behind during their flight from the communist country in the 1950s.

Director:

Éva Gárdos (as Éva Gardos)

Writer:

Éva Gárdos (as Éva Gardos)

Stars:

Nastassja Kinski, Scarlett Johansson, Raffaella Bánsági

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scarlett Johansson	...	Suzanne - at 15
Nastassja Kinski	...	Margit
Raffaella Bánsági	...	Suzanne - Infant
Tony Goldwyn	...	Peter
Ágnes Bánfalvy	...	Helen (as Ági Bánfalvy)
Zoltán Seress	...	George
Klaudia Szabó	...	Maria - at 4
Zsolt Zágoni	...	Russian Soldier
András Szöke	...	Istvan
Erzsi Pásztor	...	Ilus
Carlos Laszlo	...	Boy on Train
Bori Kereszturi	...	Suzanne - at 3 (as Boru Keresztúri)
Péter Kálloy Molnár	...	AVO Officer (as Péter Kállóy Molnár)
Zsuzsa Czinkóczi	...	Teri
Balázs Galkó	...	Jeno

Storyline

In 1950, a Hungarian couple, Peter and Margit, are forced to flee from the oppressive communist country for the USA with their eldest daughter Maria, but are forced to leave behind their infant daughter Suzanne who is raised by kindly foster couple. 6 years later, Peter and Margit arrange for the American Red Cross to bring Suzanne to their new home in Los Angeles where the perplexed youth is forced to accept her sudden change in home and country which leads to a troubled growing up. At age 15, the rebellious and unsure-of-herself Suzanne tries to come to terms with her roots and decides to travel back to Budapest, Hungary to find her true identity.

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Plot Keywords:

hungarian | usa | 1950s | american red cross | girl | 

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Taglines:

One family struggles for survival, for justice, for freedom.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violent content and thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount [United States]

Country:

USA Hungary

Language:

English Hungarian

Release Date:

28 February 2002 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

Uma Rapsódia Americana

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$40,200, 12 August 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$850,023, 7 April 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fireworks Pictures, Seven Arts Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Éva Gárdos met actress Colleen Camp on the set of Apocalypse Now (1979), when she was a casting director for the film. During shooting breaks, Éva told Colleen her true story of her childhood as a Hungarian émigré and Colleen encouraged her to turn it into a film. Colleen Camp would ultimately help produce the film, and played a small role in it as a neighborhood housewife.

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Goofs

In 1955, Suzanne's father is shown with a bottle of Stolichnaya Russian Vodka which was not imported to the United States until 1972.

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Crazy Credits

Film has the following dedication before the credits: For my Mother and Father

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Soundtracks

Tweedle Dee
(1954)
(Also called "Tweedlee Dee")
Written by Winfield Scott
Performed by Georgia Gibbs
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises & Unichappel Music, Inc. (BMI)

User Reviews

A comparison of life in 1950's - 1960's communist Hungary and the United States i.e. California.

Having had friends who made the escape from Hungary in what similar fashion during the 1956 uprising I could fully relate to the events that took place during the inspiring American Rhapsody. The stories were similar...in the real life one I knew it involved a married couple and the husbands brother. They had escaped as far as a canal that needed to be crossed to reach Austria. At the last moment the man who was to transport them demanded more money. He only complied when my friends brother put a gun on him and told him to row.

American Rhapsody covers the escape from Hungary and the eventual uniting of the family members, but it involves much more. In it you are seen that the importance of family can be over shadowed by the care and love provided by a surrogate family. The performances of the actresses playing Suzanne are all excellent, but the girl who portrayed her as a five year old child in Hungary and her arrival in California,n Kelly Endelez-Banaki was particularly outstanding. Her performance will be remembered. I found Nastassja Kinshi and Tony Goldwin to also be very real. It is a very rewarding film.

Another commentator compared the film to "Sunshine," another film developing a somewhat similar story but isolated on the Jewish community of Hungary. It is a longer more powerful story, and one that I have had Jewish friends tell me in someways is to horrific in its treatment of Hungarian Jews. Whatever both films, though carrying a somewhat similar theme are excellent examples of the cruelty in man and also in human humanity.