Daydream Believer

This film was very well received at the Newport Beach Film Festival in April of 2001. Writer/Director/Cinematographer/Editor/Producer Debra Eisenstadt did an incredible job on this story of a small-town girl who heads to New York to become a stage actress.

There is a lot to admire in this movie. The story seems very real, the characters aren't monsters or saints and it avoids the dramatic conventions of filmmaking; there is no big dramatic ending and the main character learns about life not through some epiphany but just through the process of making it through. She might not even say she had learned anything at all. At the same time, I didn't find it terribly compelling. It's interesting and there are some good moments, and it has a wonderful sense of realism from the script, direction and acting, but those dramatic conventions can make for a more powerful experience and without them this movie needs to compensate with something more than it gives. I don't regret seeing it but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone and I wouldn't watch it a second time. So: admirable, intelligent and very true to life, but just a tiny bit boring.

This film was shot on a shoestring, seemingly with home video equipment. The story is one of a young woman who decides to take a chance and make it in acting in New York.

What follows, however, is not a typical Hollywood story. The film takes you through various stages of hope and disappointment.

The real feature of this film, however, is that in spite of a shoestring budget and occasionally distracting editing, there is not a false moment or character in this film.

Even at this small budget, the film presents supporting actors who may seem over the top for big budget fare, but are spot on for their reality as I have witnessed it in the Big Apple (I'm esp thinking about the woman director). For not flinching at presenting such characters in their full dimension, while not losing reality, this movie deserves praise.

Most of all, we believe and care about the characters, something which many big screen productions fail to do.

The story shows the descent of this young woman who has risked it all to fullfill her "That Girl" dream. Instead, however, she is greeted with one nightmare after the other.

The ending presents resolution, but be prepared for a bumpy ride.

I recommend this film.

I originally stumbled upon this movie after I was home sick, channel surfing. As an actress, it caught my attention. As a human, it struck me as thoughtful, poignant and extremely funny.

The best thing about this film was it's devotion to harsh and real looking reality. I loved it that Valerie (the main character) had bushy eyebrows, pimples and bad hair for much of the film. Hello...most girls look like that. Her confusion and perseverence was really sweet. I took a real liking to the characters and was very impressed by the quality of the story and actors, considering the extremely low budget. I am going to show a copy of it to my other actor friends, knowing they will get just as much a kick out of it.

It's really a shame the more movies today don't have the heart of this film. It's a movie I will remember for while because it felt so real.