I Dream Too Much

As someone who craves movies about interesting people and who has no love for movies about "superheroes" or movies that glorify violence I was delighted to see this lovely heartfelt movie "I Dream Too Much." The movie revolves around a charming young woman played winningly by Eden Brolin who has a unique presence void of clichés and who has a fertile imagination which serves her in navigating her post college path. Her counter point in this movie is her irascible Great Aunt played with great charisma and conviction by Diane Ladd who is a standout in this production. The movie is shot in Saugerties, New York which is captured beautifully by DP Alex Rappaport. Writer/Director Katie Cokinos has made a movie you can enjoy for it's subtle currents of evolving sensibilities about the things that matter in navigating the contours of lead character Dora's life and may remind all of us about the importance of what we already have when we are searching for what we desire.

I do think this had the potential to be something really great. Unfortunately, it never gets there. It doesn't even come close. The acting in this is really fine and solid, and the characters have the outline for being great but what really stops the film from becoming that much more interesting is that the story doesn't always allow them to feel like real people, no matter how good the actors are trying. I don't just want to focus on the negatives however. It's still very watchable and walks a fine line between being obnoxious and endearing (just like its lead character, which I do admit I have to warm up to) but ultimately lands on the positive side. One can do worse than see this film, but one could also do better.

I just loved being able to see myself in each of the women characters and highly recommend to all my friends and families to pursue your dreams even when you or others don't believe in yourself.

Diane Ladd's performance was stellar. Happened to catch Diane Ladd just before her press conference at the SXSW Austin Conference Center/ Meeting Diane at SXSW was an absolute joy she is so warm and personable.

Christina Rouner plays the Mom and as a Mom myself I could so relate to her performance made me cry. What a wonderful and talented actress!

What an awesome surprise that Danielle Brooks has such a beautiful voice and her song is very catchy.

Eden Brolin, filled the shoes well of a bored brat in the coming of age movie "I Dream Too Much".

"I Dream Too Much" is a film that impressed me because of the acting...and that's probably reason enough to make the film worth seeing for some of you. Diane Ladd might not be a name you recognize, though it's very likely you've seen her in films or television over the years. Now at 80, I can only say that her acting is like a fine wine...it's improving with age.

The film is about a rather odd college graduate who is ambivalent about applying to law school. Law school is really her mother's dream...and Dora (Eden Brolin) is much more of a dreamer and wants to experience life before considering doing anything as mundane as graduate school. But her mother is insistent...and Dora seems to feel that she might as well do as her mother wants without arguing. However, when Dora ends up going to spend time taking care of her injured Great Aunt Vera (Ladd), he plans and her outlook for the future end up changing significantly.

While Eden Brolin is quite likable in the lead, I was a bit disappointed in some aspects of the character she portrayed. At times, it was very easy for me to dislike Dora...especially when she gave out her Great Aunt's private diaries for others to read...and without telling Vera! This and a couple other thoughtless moments made it hard for me to love the film...a serious problem with the script. Still, with acting this good, it's not a film I want folks to neglect. It was nice to see how Brolin did in her first starring role and I can only assume she's learned a bit from her father, Josh, and her grandfather, James Brolin.

But the real star of the film was definitely Ladd. While she was a supporting character, she dominated all the scenes in which she appeared. She made her lines seem less like an actress reading a script and more like her actually being Great Aunt Vera. She was simply amazing to watch.

What a treat to see the many, many faces of super talented Diane Ladd in the context of a coming of age story with a diverse cast. Danielle Brooks shines - breaking all stereotypes with her powerful performance. Eden Brolin makes her film debut as a naive millennial trying to find her way out of the nest of a helicopter mom who has choreographed her life up to college graduation. Viewers can relate to the inspiring mentor relationship between Vera (Diane Ladd) and Dora (Eden). Millenials and their grandmothers will be pleased to see the bond between generations. The sweeping cinematography captures the wintry chill of Saugertes, New York in a chilly, frozen time of the lives of the characters. Be surprised by new talents and new energy from the music and poetry.