The Lathe of Heaven

TV Movie
1980
1h 45m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

In a highly controlled and overpopulated society, a man who has terrifying dreams that affect reality is assigned a psychiatrist who takes advantage of the situation.In a highly controlled and overpopulated society, a man who has terrifying dreams that affect reality is assigned a psychiatrist who takes advantage of the situation.In a highly controlled and overpopulated society, a man who has terrifying dreams that affect reality is assigned a psychiatrist who takes advantage of the situation.

Directors
- Fred Barzyk
- David R. Loxton
Writers
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

2.9K

YOUR RATING

Directors
- Fred Barzyk
- David R. Loxton
Writers
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Photos28

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The night that this was first broadcast, there was a major power outage in the Pacific Northwest, which meant that author Ursula K. Le Guin was unable to watch the film based on her own book on its first run.

Goofs
On the government water distribution tanker truck, the word "mobile" is misspelled "MOBIL". Although, since this takes place in the future, it's possible the spelling has changed.

Quotes
Dr. Haber: You know what they say, neurotics build castles in the sky, psychotics live in them.
Heather: Psychiatrists collect the rent.

Connections
Featured in No Sleep TV3: Classic Episode #1: "Our All-Time Faves" (2015)

Soundtracks
With a Little Help from My Friends
(uncredited)
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

User reviews67

Featured review

Finally re-released!

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?