miker75058

This is basically a show where they want you to believe that these comedians are doing improv and just "winging" it. What it really is, is Byron Allen asking a comedian a question like "So, where are you from?" and the comedian going into his or her bit that they have used a million times in the comedy clubs about where they are from, except they act like it was a random question. This show is set up like "Politically Incorrect" and "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn", but unlike those shows it is obvious that these comedians have come here with a planned bit. These are talented comedians, but don't try to pass this off as an improv show- it is just so obvious that it isn't.

I've been really down on independent movies lately for their tedious pace and bland characters. However in Dreamland, while we do have a slow pace so common in independent movies, the characters here a very interesting to watch and there is an emotional story in the movie.

In the movie, we have an eighteen year old high school graduate whose life revolves around taking care of her alcoholic father and her best friend diagnosed with MS. She has a chance to leave the trailer park for college but feels that she would be selfish to move away from the people that depend on her. She even lets her best friend date the new guy in town even though she has feelings for him. We see that it is her father and her friend who are actually being the selfish ones for for being too dependent on her kindness and not letting her move on with her life.

The performances here are outstanding and the characters are interesting especially John Corbett and Gina Gershon in a bit role. But I do have to agree with some reviewers here that Justin Long was miscast as the basketball prospect/ love interest. It would have been more believable if he were a track star and not a basketball star.

Don't be fooled by the premise of this movie. I rented this movie because I love movies about road trips but what I got instead was a movie about a washed up actor and a disgruntled supermarket cashier running errands while having "life-altering conversations." If you consider going to Target, the car wash, and Arby's a road trip then you will enjoy this movie. If you consider them your Saturday morning errands then you are probably like me and will consider them a little boring. As for the colorful characters they are supposed to meet during this road trip, I'm still waiting for them.

Maybe it's just me or have independent movies lost that edginess that used to make them so great to watch? Independent movies to me have become very laborious to watch over the past few years due to mainly long, drawn out, almost unwatchable conversations between characters that aren't very interesting in the first place. This movie is a perfect example of that.