Dreamland Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Life blooms in extraordinary places.
A young woman who lives in a desert trailer park must choose between caring for her hapless father and sick friend or fulfilling her own destiny.
| Agnes Bruckner | Audrey |
| Kelli Garner | Calista |
| Justin Long | Mookie |
| John Corbett | Henry |
| Gina Gershon | Mary |
| Brian Klugman | Abraham |
| Chris Mulkey | Herb |
| Luce Rains | Dreamer |
| Jason Matzner |
5.80 out of 10 (382 votes)
Visitor Reviews
An excellent coming of age story with terrific performances
posted on 14 Sep 2008This is a compelling, evocative coming of age story that has uniformly terrific performances and expert cinematography. The film invites and earns comparison with indie landmarks like GAS FOOD LODGING and RUBY IN PARADISE but is far more than a mere imitation. The stunning photography eschews the grainy, hand-held look of many independent films in favor of a classical expressionism that beautifully conveys the emotions at the story's core. Those emotions are in turn beautifully portrayed by a flawless cast that is given solid support by an unusually strong score and collection of source songs. For viewers looking for a solid character-based dramedy, this is a must see.
riveting
posted on 16 Jun 2008With echoes of Allison Ander's "Gas, Food, Lodging", "Dreamland" tells a believable and engaging coming of age tale through the eyes of Audrey, a recent high school graduate caught at a personal crossroads. She lives in the ironically titled trailer park in the middle of the desert called Dreamland, which acts as a place to dream of something more, but few hold the hope required to get anywhere else. It's a stunning work with a muted visual canvas, showing images that evoke the desolation and abandonment the characters feel. Agnes Bruckner, who gave a stand-out performance in the little seen gem "Blue Car", again shows true skill as she keeps her highly conflicted character from becoming maudlin.
A good independent movie
posted on 15 May 2008I've been really down on independent movies lately for their tedious pace and bland characters. However in Dreamland, while we do have a slow pace so common in independent movies, the characters here a very interesting to watch and there is an emotional story in the movie. In the movie, we have an eighteen year old high school graduate whose life revolves around taking care of her alcoholic father and her best friend diagnosed with MS. She has a chance to leave the trailer park for college but feels that she would be selfish to move away from the people that depend on her. She even lets her best friend date the new guy in town even though she has feelings for him. We see that it is her father and her friend who are actually being the selfish ones for for being too dependent on her kindness and not letting her move on with her life. The performances here are outstanding and the characters are interesting especially John Corbett and Gina Gershon in a bit role. But I do have to agree with some reviewers here that Justin Long was miscast as the basketball prospect/ love interest. It would have been more believable if he were a track star and not a basketball star.
A poetic indie chick-flick...
posted on 21 Apr 2008..."Dreamland" showcases a number of rising young talents both in front of and behind the camera. Neophyte director Jason Matzner (who is this guy and why isn't he at work on a new project?) breathes life and beauty into Tom "nobody's heard of me, either" Willett's freshman screenplay with grace and love, ably assisted by DP Jonathan "The Omen 2006" Sela's evocative camera-work and a winning cast. Agnes "Blood and Chocolate" Bruckner plays Audrey, a young writer fresh out of high school who seems tied to her role of caregiver to a grief-paralyzed father (John "Northern Exposure" Corbett) and her best friend Calista (Kelli "Thumbsucker" Garner), who suffers from MS and dreams of being the next Miss America. The arrival of Mookie (Justin "Live Free or Die Hard" Long), gives rise to a love triangle that eventually leads to Audrey's freeing herself from a self-imposed martyrdom. Though perhaps overly sentimental and a little too neatly wrapped-up at story's end, "Dreamland" remains an effective coming-of-age film, and one that is significantly superior to most of its big-budget competition. Bruckner and Garner shine as young adults aching to shed their adolescent skins, Long rises above his physical miscasting (UNLV basketball prospect? I think not), and Corbett and the rest of the supporting cast handle their roles with an easy naturalness. I found myself drawn into the unlikely trailer park community of "Dreamland" despite myself, and wanting to know what happened to its residents after all was said and done. Though far from a classic, "Dreamland" is certainly worth a watch, if only to see Bruckner and Garner strut their stuff amidst the gorgeous New Mexico scenery.
Engaging Film
posted on 08 Mar 2008The film's acting, cinematography, story line and all other major film mechanics were all there. I think, for a first and only film, the director did an incredible job of capturing so much of a slice of life; the pains of growing up and the strength of family ties despite external obstacles. I read a lot about the film being called "slow" as if that was something negative. It's not at all.........so much happens beneath the surface and in the eyes of the actors that to miss it means you really should be watching more mainstream popcorn movies or crash bang boom films that seem to dominate the market. This film, if watched and not just on for noise, is a treasure trove of action, but it's deep down and requires an imagination and an emotional Geiger counter to know the heart and depth of the filmmaker's journey.My only quibble was with the casting. The acting was superb but the casting of type was not. Or more specifically the make up mirrors were working overtime. I doubt if anyone as attractive as the two lead females would be in a trailer park setting with perfectly coiffed hair dos and flowing sensual clothing roaming the desert in dream like fantasies. The harsh realities of that lifestyle and some of the redneck thinking and prejudices were totally missing and replaced with ego trips to the make up mirrors....too bad as it's the only false note in the film.I'd like to find out what other films Jason Matzner has planned or if the low box office on this film prevents him from doing another. It's a shame if it does because it's a wonderful film that engages you unknowingly and holds you to the end, which BTW, is a perfect ending to an almost perfect film.I hope the film gains an audience and a second breath in the DVD and Netflix market. Too bad we can't go back and muss up some of the gals lipstick and hair dos! Or introduce some characters, at least one, with more downtrodden existences in their trailer community.....they do sometimes, have those folks in trailer parks.....sometimes too often.
White trash inside out
posted on 04 Jan 2008This is one of those movies that chills the heat out of your bones. It depicts a world in which white trash circles within its own boundaries and can't seem to escape from it. It's a movie about feelings and how to handle them in your daily business. Two young girls seem to be stuck in a provisionary trailer park called "Dreamland", those two girls only have themselves to cling to until a new family moves in, one of the new members is a college boy that aims at being a star at pro-basketball at a the local club. He's just a jerk with little prospects but he impresses both girls and hooks up with the one who has MS and is due to die soon. Maybe it's his compassion, that is not clear, she's the most beautiful of the two (not to my opinion), well if you like big breasts then maybe. However, the relation those two girls had, after the boy arrived deteriorates; for the girl with MS spends all of her time on him (who doesn't recognize that?) so the two girls don't have these long hours together reminiscing about their future anymore. But it's about more than that, it's about loyalty, caring for the ones next to you without consent, longing for an escape to break the inevitable circle of life. Despite some cheap scenes this movie is a desolate cry for help to the humans next to you, a solemn oath to the ones closest to you.
Casting?
posted on 29 Nov 2007Who cast this movie? First off, Justin Long seems like a nice enough fellow, but a college basketball prospect? He's about 30 years old, 5'6'' and 125 pounds. And how come a trailer park has so many nice looking residents around? I'd move there! I don't mean to trash trailer parks, but statistically speaking, over 50% of the residents could not be that attractive in just about any place. It's a shame the casting is so poor because the film had potential. I love how John Corbett suddenly overcomes his "ailment" at the end of the film without a hitch. I wonder why the actors did not tell the director about altering some of these scenes, but then, if you're going to have Justin Long cast as basketball stud, I suppose no one either cared or was paying attention. Still, if you can get by all of the setbacks (maybe a miraculous intervention or drunken flurry?), Dreamland just might be entertaining enough for you.
Much better than you might expect!
posted on 28 Jul 2007Last night I was in the mood for a movie - any movie - and so I popped "Dreamland" out of the unseen stack of my DVD collection.I did not expect all too much, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that it was actually very good.The first thing I noticed was the beautiful photography. There are some really breathtaking shots, at least if you watch it on a big enough screen.Secondly the story, while slow paced, is kinda nice and comes in several layers. Sort of a "feelgood-movie", even if all of the characters have their problems throughout the movie.The acting was pretty good, but especially John Corbett blew me away. No more nice guy like in Sex and the City or the Greek Wedding. Instead he sometimes reminded me of Jeff Bridges in "The Big Lebowski". Which in fact is a big compliment, coming from a guy who watched Lebowski for Idontknow how many times.Definitely a well-earned eight on my scale!
Absurd claptrap
posted on 22 Jun 2007This is cliché-ridden nonsense not worth the time of day. Why even bother making a movie when the story is almost non-existent and the characters are thin retreads from a thousand other films? What on earth convinced a fine performer like Gina Gershon to take such a tiny, nothing role? Why on earth would the filmmakers hire a short and petite actor like Justin Long in the role of a potentially hot college basketball prospect? And how could the director not realize that exposing Kelli Garner's enormous chest in bikinis and plunging necklines would take attention away from everything else in her scenes? Regardless, nothing could cure this film from its essential ailment of triteness. C'mon, a coming-of-age love triangle? The intertwining lives of struggling dreamers in a small community? Ugh, Sundance/IFC Storyline Class 101. In fact, a small town young-people-in-love-triangle is as old as silent movies. Even getting past that, the filmmakers don't even have enough courage to make the characters tougher. They're all so soft, especially Corbett as the disconsolate alcoholic father. He's supposed to be such a handful that Agnes Bruckner's character feels the need to take care of him rather than go off to college, but he's such a mild drunk (no wild jags, no barking at the moon, no violence, no buried in his own vomit, etc.) and written without any clinging neediness for his daughter, that we never get any sense that he needs her around as his keeper. And when Garner needs watching over later in the film, Corbett drops the emotional burnout routine in thirty seconds flat and comes to her aid with barely a ripple of personal struggle. We also simply get told that Bruckner is brilliant and in demand as a potential college student with acceptances pouring in the mail, even though she lives out in the middle of nowhere in a trailer park. And with Long going back to college and Bruckner's nerdy work buddy going off to college, it seems Dreamland could create its own fraternity. Then there's poor Kelli Garner stuck with the cliché "sick-girl" role straight out of the Hallmark Channel (although there's no Sally Field-type mom/aunt rubbing her forehead). Sure she's got MS, and is supposed to be doomed, and even gets to be in the climactic accident, but she's filmed in swimwear and other revealing outfits and never looks less than quite healthy and voluptuous. And she gets to fool around with various absurd gimmicks to relieve her MS, including bee swarms and clutching live power lines. It's such nonsense that I half expected the filmmakers to take it to its ultimate combination at the finish -- by having Garner clutch a power line while in the middle of a bee swarm while wearing a bikini (and maybe a tin foil hat, too). Wait, perhaps I'm all wrong: could this film just be a bad joke played on the audience? You can only hope.
Hey Crispy_Owl
posted on 11 May 2007I just saw this movie and while I liked it mainly throughout, I did feel the ending was slightly disappointing, not to mention that the movie was a bit weird, but still worthy of watching, at least once.But that is not why I am writing you. I too am a weather station addict, and soon I believe that there will be meetings like AA for us weather addicts as it is very compulsive and addicting, so since you do claim that you are empathetic, cut your guy a little slack as he probably has trouble controlling his weather urges, especially if there is an exciting storm coming or brewing somewhere. Weather is cool! We humans are a very weird group, are we not? And of course, I guess that does screw up your movie though if he watches for long, but just let him watch on commercials.Ahhh! Just my worthless two-cents worth.You take care, and I agree that overall this was an interesting movie.The Leum
Keep on dreaming
posted on 09 May 2007This film requires a huge suspension of disbelief. You take for granted what is presented, the setting, the characters, you go into the somewhat exotic world, a trailer park in the open sky world of the Southwest. But after about a slow moving half hour you start shaking your head at what is going on. How do most of these people survive here? How does an agoraphobic man end up in the desert? Who pays for the beer that he's been drinking for two years? You can't buy beer with Food stamps! And who gave him a job with a car no less after two years of doing nothing? It would be much tougher to write and stage his job interview. Who pays for the hospital stay? What kind of a hospital is this that leaves pills by the side of patient's bed? When you discover in the end that we were watching a young poetry genius you wonder why didn't some of that genius come out in her earlier words and actions.
Dreamy
posted on 30 Mar 2007This is an introspective film about a young girl named Audrey. Her mother has died, her father is agoraphobic, and her best friend is struggling with her health as well. They live in a beautiful area of New Mexico, but their home is a dismal trailer park. Audrey would like to escape this dead end life but sees no way out since most of the people she loves depend on her. This movie is about her (and their) journey to discover how they can escape their ruts.The film is well made; the characters are all well developed, and Agnes Bruckner, John Corbett (in a big departure from his usual persona) and Justin Long (among others!!) all do a great job portraying their respective characters.Unfortunately, this film won't reach a wide audience, but for what it's worth, I enjoyed it.
Young woman's coming of age drama
posted on 07 Jan 2007This film premiered at Sundance.It is a beautifully photographed, sensitively presented, leisurely paced drama set in "Dreamland", a trailer park in New Mexico. Unlike most coming-of-age stories that focus on young males, this is one that centers on an 18-year old female. The main character, Audrey (Agnes Bruckner), is a recent high-school graduate who gets involved in a love triangle that includes her ailing best friend, Calista (Kelli Garner), and Mookie (Justin Long), a newcomer to Dreamland.John Corbett's nuanced portrayal of Audrey's concerned but agoraphobic father is the best film acting he's done yet. The young actors all have good screen presences and create believable characters.Although the main audience for this movie may be teen-aged girls, it may also be appealing to young men (Audrey and Calista look quite fetching as they hang out in a hot tub). The film may provide valuable insights to anyone who deals with teens and their issues--and it may strike an emotional chord with adults who went through loyalty or love-triangle issues when they were teens.I saw it again at the Gen Art Film festival in NYC last night, and appreciated it even more the second time around. Most of the people in the audience (an almost full house at the Ziegfeld Theater) seemed to respond to it favorably, and the overall "buzz" sounded enthusiastic to me.
Mediocre, kind of lame.
posted on 22 Dec 2006Pretentious plot. Okay acting. Shallow characters The verdict? So-so.What first turned me off was Calista, or Cindy, or whatever her name is, the character had about the same IQ as your average eggplant. She changed her name to Calista because it sounded "hot" like a porn star name? It just shows why the rest of the world hate America, ha. And as the story progresses, some cute basketball player moves into the trailer park that both Audrey and "Calista" were drooling over, but you know, since Calista was dying and everything, Audrey as her best friend backed off of the guy (not spoiling anything, it's made fairly obvious what's going on from the beginning). And the two start dating and whatever while Audrey watches from the side and she realizes that she's in love with him or something. Ha, ha, little girls, we'll talk when you can tell the difference between love and infatuation. It's just stupid teenage melodramatic bull, aren't you supposed to go through that stuff when you're like 14? Okay enough ranting, now for the good parts of the film, the cinematography, absolutely gorgeous, I cannot even imagine how many hours and days someone would have to film at that same spot to get those stunning shots of the sky. Conclusion? The plot and the characters aren't so great but it is quite something to look at.
It's pretty, but so absolutely ridiculous I can't stop trashing it
posted on 25 Oct 2006Saw the premiere at GenArt festival in NYC on 4/5. The audience couldn't stop laughing. Unfortunately, "Dreamland" is not a comedy. It IS the biggest ego trip I've seen a filmmaker go on in years. "Let's extend this shot for another fifteen seconds so they can really FEEL the emotion. No, THIRTY seconds!" I'd blame the casting director for the hilarious choices, but I have a feeling final calls were made by Mr. Matzner. As ridiculous as it is to have us believe that four of the most beautiful humans on the planet (Gershon, Corbett, Garner, Bruckner) live next door to each other in a trailer park, the casting of Justin Long takes the cake. Even my sports-hating PR girlfriends have heard of UNLV -- we're supposed to believe a 5'8" 130-lb weakling plays basketball for an elite program? Now THAT's comedy! SKIP THIS MOVIE
Great movie *contains spoilers*
posted on 01 Oct 2006This was an amazing movie. I swear, It was amazing. First off, Agnes Bruckner was a great actress. How she always makes the drama so real. It's almost as if she's not even acting. She's making it like "Dreamland" is her life. Second, Kelly Garner did great with the romance. Only thing is, she acted too much like Justin Long was her boyfriend. But she did the whole, "I'm dying" thing perfectly. When she was (Spoiler! If you don't wanna know, don't read.) hit by a car and put in the hospital, she made the drama more real than Agnes Bruckner did. Third, Justin Long was a terrible actor! He always looked like he was ready to say, "Can I try that again?" I mean, a 5'8, 28 year old playing some 19 year old athlete wasn't good acting. He was terrible! He made the movie seem more like a comedy than a drama/romance. Aside from JJL's bad acting, this movie was great. I highly recommend it.
Caring for Others, Taking Care of the Self
posted on 24 Apr 2006DREAMLAND is one of those little Indie films that sneaks up on you, draws you in and leaves you feeling fulfilled. Written by Tom Willett and directed with great sensitivity to both style and message by Jason Matzner, the film boasts a truly remarkable cast in every role and the ensemble acting is some of the finest in this year's lineup."Dreamland" is the name of a very small trailer park in New Mexico, out in the sticks, yes, but surrounded by the magnificence of majestic clouds in crystalline blue skies and a land free of industrial detritus - except for the powerlines that play such an important role in the story. In a sad trailer house live Audrey (Agnes Bruckner), a poet who has given up chances for college to remain with her father Henry (John Corbett), a man decimated by the death of his wife to the point that he is unable to leave the trailer even to buy the beer and cigarettes that sustain his life. Audrey also is caring for her closest friend Calista (Kelli Garner), a beautiful girl who dreams of becoming Miss America but knows her life is to be shortened by the fact that she suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Audrey writes her poetry but her life is consumed by being the caretaker for Henry and Calista.Into the trailer park moves a new 'family' - hunky young Mookie (Justin Long) and his mother ex-singer/performer Mary (Gina Gershon) and her live-in boyfriend Herb (Chris Mulkey). Audrey and Calista watch them unpack and while both girls find Mookie attractive, Audrey talks Calista into dating him. Audrey's only male contact is her 'sex-buddy', tacky and gawky Abraham (Brian Klugman) who works at the local convenience store with Audrey. Mookie and Calista begin an affair while Audrey looks on longingly, and when Calista lets Mookie know she has MS the relationship is strained: Mookie also is leaving for the university soon.Audrey confesses her feelings for Mookie and Calista flees on a motorcycle to chase the now departed Mookie. She is in an accident and is hospitalized and since she has broken her relationship with her caretaker Audrey, Henry manages to draw enough courage to leave his trailer to sit at Calista's hospital bedside - along with visits from Mookie. Calista's accident makes her even more aware of her fractured future and she releases her feelings for Mookie, reconnects with Audrey, and Audrey's father discovers her many letters of acceptance to college she has hidden to prevent abandoning her role as caretaker and convinces Audrey to flow with her dreams instead of being imprisoned in Dreamland. And the manner in which each of the characters in the film resolves the changes now facing them is the tender ending of the story.DREAMLAND is created by a very strong cast of fine actors who dwell solidly within their characters' psyches, making this somewhat surreal story very real indeed. The setting is extraordinary in its ordinariness and the camera-work by Jonathan Sela is impeccable. This is a strong story about coming of age, about quality of love, and about being human. It is a treasure. Grady Harp
Almost Great
posted on 24 Apr 2006Dreamland is a film about hopes and dreams, fear and regret. Audrey and her father Henry live in a trailer park after Henry's wife has passed away. Henry is a drunk and deathly afraid of physically leaving the trailer park, where he has lived for the past several years. Calista, Audrey's best friend, is a beautiful, aspiring Miss America who has MS, counting the days until she dies. Dreamland explores a common theme of breaking personal boundaries (real or perceived) and having to face your own truth. It works because the context is exquisitely executed. The imagery is extremely well done, and Kelli Garner's performance, a hint of Marilyn Monroe, is the most difficult and deserves recognition. John Corbett's character does push his limits but he does a fine job. Gina Gershon has a bit part but does it well. The main flaw is the ending, and I wish they would have taken a more risqué approach rather than wrapping everything up in a nice bow.
I loved this film...it made me feel like eighteen again!
posted on 01 Mar 2006This is an excellent film about love, friendship and believing in yourself. The cast does an awesome job - especially Justin Long as the guy caught in the middle of two best friends. I also really liked John Corbett's performance - he really had me routing for him.Agnes Bruckner plays Audrey, the faithful friend and dutiful daughter. Instead of pursuing her dream to go to college, Audrey worries that her widowed father and best friend couldn't survive without her. When a new cute guy arrives on the scene, Audrey is forced to choose between love and friendship. In the process, she learns how to let go and fulfill her dreams while those around her learn how to embrace their independence.Dreamland is a place I'd like to visit!
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Satisfying Movie: Daughter Rehabs her Dad and Gets a Life
posted on 31 Dec 2008Agnes Bruckner plays Audrey, a self-sacrificing friend and daughter. Audrey dreams of leaving the Dreamland cocoon and experiencing life. Instead of acting on her college and life's desires, she puts herself at the disposal of others (her devastated, widowed father and her chronically ill best friend).Pragmatically speaking, she simply has to nudge her dad out of his comfort zone. Teach him how to live again by dragging him out of the trailer and going places - initially with her. Like many challenges in personal relationships, this is easier said than done because feelings trump practicality.In the end the father helps himself in order to help his daughter. When he finds her letters of acceptance to the various colleges that she has kept hidden from him, he realizes he MUST step-up, and transform from being Audrey's dependent to being her dad. This is a very satisfying Dad and Daughter movie with an interesting cast, nice music and scenery.