American Me

American Me
Theatrical release poster
Directed byEdward James Olmos
Screenplay by
Story byFloyd Mutrux
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyReynaldo Villalobos
Edited by
  • Richard Candib
  • Arthur Coburn
Music by
  • Claude Gaudette
  • Dennis Lambert
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • March 13, 1992 (1992-03-13)
Running time
126 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Budget$16 million
Box office$13 million

American Me is a 1992 American crime drama film produced and directed by Edward James Olmos, in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Floyd Mutrux and Desmond Nakano. Olmos stars as Montoya Santana, who is loosely based on Mexican Mafia boss Rodolfo Cadena. Executive producers included record producer Lou Adler, screenwriter Mutrux, and Irwin Young. The film is a fictionalized account of the founding and rise to power of the Mexican Mafia in the California prison system from the 1950s into the 1980s. The film received positive reviews from critics but underperformed at the box office.

In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".