Dreamland

This 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.

DREAMLAND 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

This 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.

With 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.

Dreamland 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.