American Son (2008 film)


American Son is a 2008 drama film directed by Neil Abramson and starring Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz and Matt O'Leary. The film follows a young man, Mike as he returns home to Bakersfield, California for Thanksgiving leave. Mike faces telling his friends and family of his nearby deployment to Iraq while dealing with a troublesome home life.
It competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Plot

A 19-year-old who has enlisted to go to Iraq falls in love with a girl, but is afraid that he might not come back alive.
Young marine Mike is shipping out for uncertain fortunes in Iraq, and has 4 days left to visit back home in Bakersfield California. The story is about his parting relationships with his best friend Jake, a new girlfriend Christina, his mother Donna, and father Eddie over these 96 hours. None of these people initially knows he's shipping out, and each of the significant other's reactions to this news, one-on-one with Mike, make up the bulk of the story. The story also gives some insight into Mike's motives as to why he enlisted in the first place.