American Son (film)

American Son
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Neil Abramson
Written by	Eric Schmid
Starring	Nick Cannon Melonie Diaz Matt O'Leary Chi McBride April Grace Tom Sizemore
Production company	Map Point Pictures Night & Day Pictures Winghead Films
Distributed by	Miramax
Running time	85 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

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 (Cannon) as he returns home to Bakersfield, California following United States Marine Corps Recruit Training. Mike faces telling his friends and family of his deployment to Iraq while dealing with a troublesome home life.

It competed in the Dramatic Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

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 (Nick Cannon) 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 (Matt O'Leary), a new girlfriend Christina (Melonie Diaz), his mother Donna (April Grace), and father Eddie (Chi McBride) 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 the how/why reasons Mike ever even enlisted as a Marine rifleman in the first place.