| An American Rhapsody | |
| Director: | Éva Gárdos |
| Cinematography: | Elemér Ragályi |
| Editing: | Margaret Goodspeed |
| Music: | Cliff Eidelman |
| Distributor: | Paramount Classics |
| Runtime: | 106 minutes |
| Gross: | $970,676[1] |
An American Rhapsody (Hungarian: 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.
The film stars Nastassja Kinski, Scarlett Johansson, Tony Goldwyn, and Mae Whitman.
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.
An American Rhapsody received mixed reviews, currently holding a 51/100 rating on Metacritic based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 55% approval rating based on 60 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".