REALITY television is ripe for satire, yet cinema hasn’t touched it until now. Unless, of course, you believe every second horror film plot - eight pretty/handsome teens trapped in a house - is a mild variation of Big Brother.

The biggest reality television phenomenon of them all is Idol. Ratings for Australian Idol may have softened last year but American Idol remains, comfortably, the highest rating show on television.

American Dreamz, the new film by About A Boy and In Good Company’s writer-director Paul Weitz, skewers the pop culture hit. And in a brave bit of casting, one-time teen queen Mandy Moore is one of the talent show’s final contenders.

Moore, who speaks with some authority on the matter having spent her teenage years in the spotlight, admits she’s just as flummoxed as anyone about how reality television now means fame has become an end in itself.

"Completely, and that’s like my character in the film," she says of trailer trash progeny, Sally Kendoo. "There is a definite difference between being famous and being a star, and it’s crazy now that if you ask a kid what they want to be when they grow up they say, ’famous’ and there’s no occupation attached to it. It’s kind of terrifying."

Moore’s Kendoo is exactly that kind of terrifying. A competent singer with ambition to burn, she enters the hugely successful singing contest, American Dreamz, hosted and created by manipulative Pom, Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant). As the series peaks, Tweed promotes an Arabian singer and potential terrorist (Sam Golzari) to the final two and the dithering President (Dennis Quaid) to the judge’s seat.

Willem Dafoe, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Klein and Stifler’s mum from American Pie, Jennifer Coolidge, also star in an ensemble that suggests Weitz is well beyond his American Pie reputation for gross-out comedies. "The opportunity to work with Paul and Hugh and Dennis, and just everybody he assembled for the movie was kind of amazing for me," Moore says.

"And the script was very smart, satirical and very timely."

She clearly feels she’s an actress with a lot to learn, even if she delivers one of the better performances in the film.

But Moore had many disparate, desperate Idol contestants to draw upon, all of them encapsulated in her win-at-all-costs Sally.

"I’m a fan of the shows, and kind of astounded the bigger and bigger they get," says Moore who, at 22, already has five albums and a ’best of’ compilation behind her.

"The number of people watching Idol each week (more than 30 million in the US) is crazy. And every channel you flick to now has a reality show on.

"But as far as the American Idol kids go, I would never discredit any of them because they work super-duper hard to get where they are. The fact they have to compete each week and it’s overwhelming, and they have to figure out what kind of performers they are; what their style is; how they’ll appeal to this audience and each week have to sing a different style of song - I don’t know that I could pass that kind of test."

"So they’re doing it in a perfectly legitimate way," Moore adds. "In terms of the other reality shows and those people getting their 15 minutes of fame, I guess it’s just the way of the world right now. It’s surprising to a lot of people and a lot of people are over it."

Moore is consolidating her own fame, and separating herself from the pack of Britneys and Christinas, through movies. American Dreamz is the first of an upcoming raft of much stronger films than Moore has became known for - A Walk To Remember, Chasing Liberty, Saved! among others.

"I don’t know why, but people just keep giving me these great opportunities," she says. "Even in the past some of the movies maybe weren’t with huge celebrities but everything is a stepping stone to the experience that I have under my belt now."

Much of the renewed attention came from her performance as a fictionalised version of herself in the HBO series, Entourage (which screened on Arena here).

The Hollywood satire: "Just opened people’s eyes to think ’OK, she’s older now’," Moore admits. "I really had no idea how many people, especially in the business, watched that show. It was cool, although I don’t think it’s necessarily helping me get parts because there wasn’t much heavy acting required, but it was a lot of fun and a cool thing to get myself back out there after working on films that hadn’t come out."

Those include the latest from Donnie Darko director, Richard Kelly, Southland Tales, which has just been selected to compete at May’s Cannes Film Festival.

There’s also the romantic comedies Because I Said So, with Diane Keaton, and Dedication, with Billy Crudup and Tom Wilkinson, still to be released. And Moore begins work on Licence To Wed with Robin Williams next month.

"Just trucking along, having a good time," Moore laughs.

Then there’s the album she’s currently recording. She’ll always come back to music.

"Even if it’s me playing in clubs without a record deal ten years from now, I’ll still do it. I love music with a passion."

# American Dreamz opens today

When will I be famous? Reality television promises little other than a prize at the end. Fame, riches and careers in entertainment or media are what contestants believe might greet them after their stint on Big Brother, The Block, Australian Idol, etc. Most have tried their hand at the fame game and failed; some have tried and still have jobs.

# Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini

The graduates of the first American Idol series were promptly thrown into the woeful movie, From Justin To Kelly. Clarkson somehow survived that stinker and continues to grow as a popular singer, consolidating the theory that only contestants from the first series of an Idol show will attain long-term success. Guarani sank like a stone.

# Hotdogs

Simon Deering’s (Big Brother’s Hotdogs) stint hosting Ten’s inane The Up Late Game Show appears to be a reality TV career writ large. Is it possible to go backwards while cashing in with your own TV show? Yes. Yet his indefatigable energy, while trying to prod viewers into participating in games via the phone after midnight, is almost charming. He also proves some people will do anything to stay in the spotlight - or at least infomercial hell.

# Amity Dry

She was the lighthouse after she turned a stint on The Block into a fantastic cross-promotion for her budding singing career. Her first album went gold, her second, True To Me, was barely heard but she’s still plugging away.

# Blair McDonough

The runner-up on the first Big Brother has possibly just made a fatal career mistake - believing he could make something more out of his five years on Neighbours. The boy known only for his passion for footy was last seen in the nightly soap this month. McDonough has since moved to London and interminable seasons of Christmas pantomimes.

# Peter Timbs

The former wine seller and Big Brother contestant became a columnist for TV Week although he’s carved a better niche for himself as co-host of the subscription TV show, The Know, on Max.

# Ben Williams

The first Big Brother winner had a crack at his first love, sport, by becoming a columnist with The Australian. It didn’t quite work out so he became a budding sports manager and participated in much charity work with World Vision.

# Elisabeth Filarski

She made the final four on Survivor: The Australian Outback and has turned a slot in the final four into a hosting gig on the US Style Network’s makeover show The Look For Less, then married gridiron star Tim Hasselbeck, before being offered one of the plum gigs on US TV, a co-hosting gig on Barbara Walters’ chatfest The View.