The movie includes appearances by Jay Leno, Meat Loaf, Tommy Lasorda, and Chief Dan George, with a musical performance by Elvis Costello.

Roosevelt, an overly optimistic man who frequently quotes positive affirmation slogans, organizes a series of highly publicized fundraising events, all of which ultimately fail.

Real financial assistance comes in the form of loans from a cartel of Native Americans led by billionaire Sam Birdwater, who controls Nike (styled as National Indian Knitting Enterprises during the film's release when they were still emerging as a company).

Dorothy Stratten appears, uncredited and in a brief non-speaking role, in a Playboy bunny style outfit during a scene where Meat Loaf's character donates blood.

Director Neal Israel has a cameo as a protesting rabbi holding a picket sign reading "The President Is a Yutz" (Yiddish for "a stupid, clueless person").

The soundtrack album, released August 18, 1979, features "It's a Beautiful Day" by The Beach Boys, "Crawling to the USA" by Elvis Costello and "Get a Move On" by Eddie Money.

[2][3][4] In a scene that features a song by Vietnamese singer Mouling Jackson (Zane Buzby, better known as a TV director and philanthropist), a large poster of actor Burt Kwouk can be seen.

"[7] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote "The premise of Americathon is strong enough to sustain a 15-minute skit, but the movie has the ill fortune to drag on for an hour and a half.

"[11] Judith Martin of The Washington Post called the movie "a gross comedy that depends for jokes on President Carter's teeth, Governor Brown's psychoculture and other nationally recognized targets that anyone can hit blindfolded.