Year: 2006
Director: Jason Matzner
Writer: Tom Willett
Type of Indie Film: Drama / Romance
Out of 5 Stars (Bad, OK, Good, Great, Awesome): 4 ½
Some coming-of-age movies focus on love, others on the teen in question finding him or herself, but they don’t often focus on both in equal measures. One usually compliments the other. However, the 2006 indie film “Dreamland” takes you to a place where anything is possible and people are healed.
Audrey (Agnes Bruckner) has just graduated high school and lives in Dreamland, a small trailer park in the middle of the desert. Although everyone knows that she’s a good writer and encourages her to move on to college, Audrey knows that she can’t leave her friends and family. Her father, Henry (John Corbett) is well-meaning and loving, but also an agoraphobic who can’t leave the trailer park. Her best friend, Calista (Kelli Garner) is a beautiful blonde who has been diagnosed with MS. Although Audrey continues to receive acceptance letters from colleges, she hides them in her room and refuses to consider going.
Everything is going fine until one day a handsome boy rides into Dreamland. Mookie (Justin Long) is a basketball player who blew out his knee. Needing some time to heal, his parents bring him to Dreamland, where anything is possible.
Although Calista has set her sights on him, it’s Audrey that Mookie is truly in love with. However, not wanting to turn down a dying girl, Mookie allows himself to feel for her, all the while growing closer and closer to Audrey.
This movie is a rare find. It focuses as much on the presentation of the story as it does the plot and characters. There are so many moments in this movie that you just want to freeze, put in a frame and hang on your wall. The film itself is so photogenic that you can’t help but fall in love with every single character. They each have their own story, their history, and by the end of this movie you will want to move there yourself. The most brilliant part of this film is having Audrey’s father be so in love with his deceased wife. Listening to him talk about her is heart-breaking, but you will wistful at the same time. You want someone to love you like that. This movie will give you hope, and if you’re lucky, it will awaken something inside of you.
You can find “Dreamland” at any of Tulsa’s local Blockbuster and Family Video stores.
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