Out of Omaha

If you've never been to Omaha, you're doing good and if you've never watched this movie, you're doing better than me.

This movie is as exciting as Omaha - and Omaha is not exciting.

A script that is as lame as the bland, vacant, uninteresting of Nebraska.

If you live in Nebraska, I now know what your life must be like. My heart goes out to you.

Movie "California Dreaming" 2007 (Orig title "Out Of Omaha") 5/10 score

There is this scene where the son says he is afraid to swim in the ocean because sharks might kill him.

Dave Foley, the dad, says, "Statistically speaking, you are much more likely to get killed by your sister, than you are by a shark." LMAO

The movie is similar to "RV" 2006. California Dreaming is about an RV road trip for a vacation. They are to leave Omaha and head for Cal. They never get out of Omaha. There is even a snot nosed teenager in it! There's a fresh twist! The movie is dumb, but kinda likeable too. I just watched it, and it seems like it could have been written better. And, it certainly could have been directed waaaay better. The director, Linda Voorhees, really stinks! The mom person is Lea Thompson. She and Dave Foley make a really sweet, believable couple. // The Bushwacker 11/27/2021.

Oh, my Gosh! This has to be the most horrible film I've ever seen in my entire life, and I'm Lea's age! I cannot believe the awful acting. I don't care how dysfunctional the family is supposed to be. The entire movie made me sick. My 13 year-old girl could have written something better than this junk. Such absurdly ridiculous lines and predictable responses from the characters gave me a knot in my stomach and a severe headache. I cannot believe Lea Thompson could make such good movies in her past such as "Back To the Future," and then turn around and play an overbearing, neurotic, judgmental blabber-mouth of a mother. What is happening to her ability to recognize BAD material? If you watch this film and don't get sick, my hat's off to you! I really wanted to cry it was so BAD.

Wow. I am shocked that with the considerable charm and talents of Dave Foley and Lea Thompson that someone with access to enough money to finance this could have actually put this turd to film. It is that bad. There is almost nothing even mildly amusing. The alarm bit was horrible. The stowaway boyfriend and his parents--horrible (but I did like the acting of that dude that was on Star Trek).

All in all it is simply worse than I could come up with in about five minutes, including the complete script idea, the casting of the daughter/boyfriend, and the "comedy."

Foley was so good in "Blast From The Past" and Thompson was very appealing in "Back To The Future." I can understand how folks will do such things as THIS movie when they need money. I just feel sorry for them both and I hope better days are ahead.

I love films about family dynamics and lost dreams, so California Dreaming (aka Out of Omaha) seemed like a winner. With engaging actors including charismatic "News Radio" alums Dave Foley, the thinking man's comedy icon, and wacky Vicki Lewis; the wonderful Patricia Richardson, winsome and lovable Lea Thompson, and the under-appreciated Ethan Phillips, how could this comedy go wrong?

Incredibly, in so many ways, it's difficult to count. The worst performance of her career, and one that almost broke my heart, was the strange and almost surreal work of Patricia Richardson. In one inappropriate moment after another, she reluctantly chews up the scenery, making me want to disgorge it myself. Tragically, she sort of spoils every scene she's in, and since she intrudes upon the action more and more as the story lurches forward, the film doesn't so much end as screech to a merciful halt.

I kept asking myself, how did these wonderful, wonderful actors get involved in such a mess of a film? The real problem is the script, which forces the cast into doing and saying the most ridiculous and unmotivated things that one can only sit, jaw agape, and wonder what in the world is going on here. Technically, the film looks and sounds quite good, though devoid of any cinematic mercy; the camera lingers on every tiny imperfection in the faces of its aging cast. Other than that, I can't bring myself to list the many offenses against craft, so let's just say avoid this (with the caveat below) and keep your good memories of these actors and wish them well on their next outing. It can only get better from here.

But the buck stops at the directors chair, and that brings up a host of issues. As a director, you have an obligation to keep your actors from making fools of themselves. I wonder if this director learned that lesson in the end. I would hate to be in her shoes right now. How will she ever get another gig? Will she even want to? Maybe there's a film there about lost dreams. (But perhaps someone else should make it.) I just hope that enough people stay away from this film long enough for its cast to resume their careers with a minimum of disruption.

I give the film a 4/10 for its "reality bites" educational value.