''I Am Nancy'' is a 2011 American documentary that follows actress

Heather Langenkamp Heather Elizabeth Langenkamp (born July 17, 1964) is an American actress. She is considered an influential figure in horror films and in popular culture, noted for her acting in several works of the genre and her behind-the-scenes work coordinat ...

as she explores her role as Nancy Thompson in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' films, the

fandom A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...

that surrounds the franchise, and why most of it focuses on

Freddy Krueger Freddy Krueger () is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. He was created by Wes Craven and made his debut in Craven's ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' (1984) as the malevolent spirit ...

, rather than Nancy.

Plot

Actress Heather Langenkamp attends several

horror conventions Horror conventions are gatherings of the community of fans of various forms of horror including horror cinema, goth lifestyle, and occasionally science fiction and fantasy. Historically the focus has been on the cinematic form rather than liter ...

across the globe as she interacts with fans to gain insight into why people are so drawn to the series and the characters of Nancy and Freddy. Additionally, she interviews

Robert Englund Robert Barton Englund (born June 6, 1947) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise), Nightmare on Elm Street'' film series. Class ...

and

Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...

to understand what qualities make Nancy a definitive film hero.

Cast

* June Douglas * Douglas Duart

Production

Langenkamp was inspired to make a documentary about herself and Nancy after a receptionist rebuffed her efforts to contact director

. The film was originally planned to coincide with the 25th anniversary of ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' but was delayed for her participation in '' Never Sleep Again''. Langenkamp felt that documentary did not answer all the questions that she had. Production took two years.

Release

''I Am Nancy'' premiered at the Days of the Dead film festival.

Reception

In a positive review for

Dread Central Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website f ...

, Emilie Noetzel wrote, "''I Am Nancy'' is a must-see for fans of the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' series and of Heather Langenkamp. It is at times funny, at times quite serious, and oftentimes very touching. What really makes the documentary about Nancy, and Heather, feel so real and personal is that Heather understands the fact that Nancy is secondary to Freddy to most people, and she has no problem poking fun at herself."

References

External links

* {{A Nightmare on Elm Street 2011 films 2011 documentary films American documentary films Documentary films about actors Autobiographical documentary films Direct-to-video documentary films Documentary films about women A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise) Documentary films about horror 2010s English-language films 2010s American films