An American Rhapsody

{{Infobox film

| name = An American Rhapsody

| image = American rhapsody.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Éva Gárdos

| writer = Éva Gárdos

| producer = {{Plainlist|

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Elemér Ragályi

| editing = Margaret Goodspeed

| music = Cliff Eidelman

| studio = {{Plainlist|

}}

| distributor = Paramount Classics

| released = {{Film date|2001|6|20|Nantucket|2001|8|24|United States|2002|2|28|Hungary}}

| runtime = 106 minutes

| country = {{Plainlist|

United States
Hungary

}}

| language = {{Plainlist|

English
Hungarian

}}

| budget =

| gross = $970,676{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0221799/ |title=An American Rhapsody (2001) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=March 19, 2023}}

}}

An American Rhapsody ({{langx|hu|Amerikai rapszódia}}) is a 2001 biographical drama film written and directed by Éva Gárdos. Based on Gárdos' life story, the film tells the story of a 15-year-old girl from a Hungarian-American family.{{IMDb title|id=0221799|title=An American Rhapsody}}

The film stars Nastassja Kinski, Scarlett Johansson, Tony Goldwyn, and Mae Whitman.

Plot

In 1950, a Hungarian couple, Peter and Margit, are forced to flee from the oppressive Hungarian People's Republic for the United States, taking along their eldest daughter Maria. Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen complication they leave behind their infant daughter, Suzanne, who is then raised by a kind foster couple. Five years later, Peter and Margit arrange for the American Red Cross to bring Suzanne to their new home in Los Angeles. There, the perplexed young girl is forced to accept her sudden change in home and country, which leads to a troubled upbringing. At age 15, Suzanne, rebellious and unsure of herself, tries to come to terms with her roots and decides to travel back to Budapest, Hungary, to unravel her past and to find her true identity.

Cast

Nastassja Kinski as Margit Sandor
Scarlett Johansson as Suzanne Sandor (age 15)
Kelly Endrész Banlaki as Suzanne (age 5–6)
Raffaella Bánsági as Suzanne (infant)
Tony Goldwyn as Peter Sandor
Mae Whitman as Maria Sandor (age 10)
Larisa Oleynik as Maria Sandor (age 18)
Ági Bánfalvy as Helen
Zoltán Seress as George
Zsuzsa Czinkóczi as Teri
Balázs Galkó as Jeno
Lisa Jane Persky as Patti
Colleen Camp as Dottie
Emmy Rossum as Sheila (age 15)
Éva Soreny as Eva
Kata Dobó as Claire
Jacqueline Steiger as Betty

Reception

An American Rhapsody received mixed reviews, currently holding a 51/100 rating on Metacritic based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{Metacritic film|title=An American Rhapsody}} Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 56% approval rating based on 61 reviews, with an average rating of 5.61/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Though obviously a labor of love, American Rhapsody is an uneven, heavy-handed effort, particularly in the second half".{{rotten-tomatoes|american_rhapsody|An American Rhapsody}}