It follows Dennis Hopper at his home and studio during the post-production of the film The Last Movie, which he directed and starred in.

The American Dreamer was never released theatrically, though it was screened at film festivals and on college campuses.

The film was thought to be lost for over 30 years, until it was rediscovered, remastered, and released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2016 by Etiquette Pictures.

[1][2] The American Dreamer was screened at film festivals and on college campuses around the same time as the release of The Last Movie.

[4] In a retrospective assessment, Steven Heller of The Atlantic wrote: "The final cut of The American Dreamer represents a highly-constructed group effort that pushes the limits of documentary.