An American in Amsterdam mixes real-life tourists coming to Amsterdam with actors in their role and a few Dutch characters to form an original comedy. The story is about an American woman, Shirley, who has been in Europe too long and tries to avoid deportation by directing a reality show. Shirley is in her early 50's and only likes younger men after having her heart broken too many times by men her age. There is a funny chase to get the young editor who is working on the reality production. At night, Marcia and Shirley hilariously let loose by getting high in coffee shops and drinking in different bars.