The Lathe of Heaven

I find it hard to believe that a film this popular is out of reach. This was one of the few films that leaves the viewer rethinking one's philosophy about the future, the past, the present, and human kind!! Did I dream it? Is there some strange power that prevents us from sharing it with others? Was it meant to be seen by a few chosen people who let it into their collective souls and minds? I'm not crazy! What if the Augmenter is at work here? Dream well tonight..under the other moons light..remember the lessons..reserved for our sight..it may be forever..or later tonight..that this films message..finally takes flight. Everyone who mentions this film feels changed at least a little by it. Lets find out if its meant to be seen again. We must stop the Augmenter and change the future. Lets see it again!! Ha! Dream on!!

To those who came to this one expecting the A&E remake, don't worry. You've come to the right place. Although the A&E version has all the glitz and glamor, this 1980 PBS production has all the rest (which the A&E is sadly missing).

1. It is fairly loyal to the material, Ursula K. Le Guin's novel.

2. It is well acted, arguably very well acted.

3. Characterization is loyal to that in the novel.

4. It communicates the somewhat convoluted plot quite effectively.

5. It carries the message forward. (No spoilers here.)

(The A&E remake accomplishes *none* of these.)

So snag this one on DVD while it's still available. Watch it. It's a little treasure. Although the glitz and glamor of the A&E remake are missing, it has everything else.

"Antwerp"

I had public television on several days ago (March 10, 2001) and "Lathe of Heaven" was starting on their series "Movies Worth Taping". I'm glad I happened to turn the TV on, as it was a movie well worth watching! It was made in 1987 as the first made-for-public-TV film, and is based on a novel by Ursula Le Guin.

This movie explores the notion of "effective dreaming", where one's dreams actually come true. It explores the strange dreams of George Orr (Bruce Davison). When he has these dreams, he wakes to find that his dreamt-up situations are now not only reality, but other people suddenly have adapted as if this reality has been with the world for some time.

George is traumatized by these dreams, and seeks the help of Dr. William Haber (Kevin Conway). Dr. Haber's intentions are good, to harness the power of these effective dreams to the betterment of the world, but he clearly abuses the doctor-patient relationship and hypnotizes George to have specific kinds of dreams. One motto of this film might be "be careful what you dream about"!

I found the special effects sometimes interesting, but often heavy-handed and not so smoothly executed. The setting, sometime in the near future in Portland, Oregon, was inexplicably dreary, beyond the rain that the city is well known for. The character development could have been stronger, with ancillary characters like Dr. Haber's secretary and the very few others seeming to be made out of cardboard and lacking emotion. George and Heather LeLache (Margaret Avery), however, enjoyed more solid and believable depictions.

In spite of these criticisms, the film was an exciting journey into inner space that indulges us to think about deep philosophical questions. What is reality? Are there parallel realities? What is or should be knowable about the nature of existence (to me reminiscent a bit of "2010", one of my favorite science fiction films)? What happens if we dream each other into or out of reality? "The greatest good for the greatest number" or rights of the individual? Can we design a utopia or will we be doomed to experience accidents we never considered that render such a proposed utopia much less than ideal? "The Lathe of Heaven" doesn't have the fresh and exciting visual effects of earlier science fiction films like "2001" or later ones, but is an interesting film that is a must see for science fiction fans.

I found this during late-night channel surfing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The effects were sometimes cheesy but often cool. The direction was creative and quite effective in bringing Ursula K. LeGuin's classic story to life. But BE WARNED: this is a WEIRD MOVIE. You have to be wanting a weird movie in order to really enjoy it. It takes quite a bit of thought to really follow the plot if you haven't read the book, but it's worth watching several times. It is not an action flick (there is very little action, and some people find it boring, possibly with good reason) but it brings up all kinds of interesting ideas and possibilities that sent my mind racing. Every situation is presented in a way that makes you really look at it and ponder it. And the emotional aspect is powerful at times and made me smile more than once. The camerawork, acting, and electronic background music are artistic and place the viewer in another world, one which I personally found beautiful, exciting, and awe-inspiring. If you like artsy, strange, contemplative film, you might want to check this out.

The Lathe of Heaven has just been re-released. It's being shown on many PBS stations, and is also now on video. This was all due to high fan demand.

This is a dreamy, scary sci-fi flick with strong moral lessons. It's almost like a play: set mostly in one place, with only three characters involved. The special effects aren't stunning, but they're perfectly effective. The story is wildly original: what would the world be like if your dreams all came true- not your daydreams, but the uncontrollable ones at night?