Sonhando com a Califórnia

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.

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.

No one associated with this film knows the basic rule of movie making. There has to be someone in the film that the audience is routing for. This movie should have been called A**holes on Parade.

Everyone is twisted, but not even in a funny way.

The daughter is so stupid that she thinks her boyfriend can hide in the bathroom of the RV all the way to California. The boyfriend runs into the corn and gets lost in 10 secs. That might have been funny if the boyfriend character was dumb enough to be funny, but he wasn't. While he was in the corn, he used the word "infinate". (WHO wrote this script?) The daughter doesn't mind the fact that her "boyfriend" never told his parents about her and that the mother is a criminal and the parents (who by all standards are white trash) do not allow him to have a girlfriend. When does that happen? The father is so lame, I don't even have a comment about him. (and I really like Dave Foley). The mother is the one person I was trying to relate to, but then she turned into a psycho. The sister and the grandmother are twisted individuals.

The lovey dovey resolution at the end doesn't make up for the mess that this movie is.

This was one of the best movies I have ever seen. From amazing character development to incredible script this one has it all. It is a MUST SEE!! Dave Foley is HILARIOUS! I could not get enough of Lea Thompsons performance, she was brilliant. The daughter is funny and crazy and the son plays a gripping portrayal of a misguided youth trying to forget the world around him by surrounding himself in hand held video games. This is a star studded cast and it shows well as this disgruntled family of 4 tries to make their way to Dohini Beach in California for a dream vacation. Unfortunately for them they are thwarted by a run away dog, never ending alarm, pesky police, crazy families, and interesting situations.

The above information is false.

Rep the brand, <3 MB

I just finished watching California Dreaming with Dave Foley and Lea Thompson. It was so bad on so many levels it's impossible to decide where to begin the review.

It's too late for me. But you can still save yourself.