“American Generator” apparently “traces the footsteps we all take to find our way to someday.” If that sounds vague to you, you aren’t alone, but trust me when I say it makes sense in the context of the movie. Centering around three friends, the film focuses on their struggles as they try to make something of themselves. Two of the friends are lovers (Tag, played by Scott Haro, and Addison, played by Meagan Mangum), while Billy (Dane Hereford) just sort of exists with a perpetual smile that left me thinking his character may have been mentally disabled. (He’s just really happy.) Addison, who is a writer and bartender, is helping Tag find an audience for his paintings. It’s almost mandatory that any movie about artists has to feature a struggling painter, which is a redundant description, but fits nonetheless. At least the Tag character isn’t as annoying as most movie painters.
The characters and their situations are just a little too bland to actually engage viewers, and their stories are nothing new. Nor are their struggles dealt with in any kind of meaningful way. All of it adds up to a tolerable movie, but one that lacks any real kind of story or plot. These types of stories can be handled effectively, but it usually takes a writer and director who have been through this sort of thing to actually make a good tale. The people involved in making this film seem like they’re still finding their niche, and we’ve been forced to take their ride.
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