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DREAM A LITTLE DREAM- (1989)
DIRECTOR:
Marc Rocco.
STARRING:
Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Meredith Salenger, Harry Dean Stanton, Jason Robards, Piper Laurie.
- Posted Oct 22, 2010
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Dream a Little Dream is the third Corey Haim/Corey Feldman movie and was released at what was most probably the height of their individual and collaborative fame. It's a little more mature than their previous two films (The Lost Boys and License to Drive) in that it takes itself a little more seriously, but in that whole 80s teen, whimsical way. In no way is it a story line to be taken seriously, depending in what context, as it still does explain how hard it sometimes is being a teenager.
Feldman and Haim play best buds, Bobby & Dinger. They're two crazy kids from middle class suburbia, a little rough around the edges and they dress/act as zanily as kids did as the 80s rolled over to the 90s. They like to cause a bit of trouble, but they mean no harm.
One morning, after a sleepover, Bobby admits to Dinger he is in love with Laney (Meredith Salenger), who unfortunately happens to be the girlfriend of the high school psycho, Joel (William McNamara). This is recognised as an issue, but Bobby stays keen nonetheless.
Bobby, Dinger, Joel, Laney and numerous other riff-raff are all apart of one big social group at school and they have numerous altercations with the local "grumpy old man", Coleman (Jason Robards), when they cut through his yard to get to school every morning, disturbing his precious garden. Coleman doesn't understand these youngens and makes it known to them every morning. But in return, they don't understand him and they too make this known. He experiments with dream therapy, human connection through meditation and other dreamy soul explorational type stuff. They drink, party and live the youthful 80s lifestyle to it's fullest.
One night when hanging out with his rapsclalian mates, Bobby goes off running into the darkness after not being able to contain his excitement over the love he has for Laney. Somewhere else in the local suburb Laney also goes cycling off on her bike after getting angry at Joel for coming onto her a little heavily in the sex department. Coleman and his partner, Gena (Piper Laurie), also happen to be doing this special connecting through meditating thing in their "school shortcut" yard. All this builds up into a revolutionary climax where Bobby and Laney smash into each other accidentally in the dark right by Coleman and Gena meditating. This creates a magical, only-in-the-80s, type deal where Coleman's soul enters Bobby. Gena's soul very partially, subconsciously enters Laney and Bobby is left floating in a dream type limbo world. For other insanely coincidental and basically impossible body/soul transfer situations please refer to the following older person in younger person's body movies released around the same time:
BIG (1988)
Vice Versa (1988)
Like Father, Like Son (1987)
18 Again! (1988)
Wow... talk about a trend! All within 2 years of each other! Fuck me, I guess that'll be the next big thing once 3D dies down... AGAIN!
Bobby speaks to Coleman in a dream and tells him he needs to not only sort out how to exchange souls back into the right bodies, but to also sort Bobby's life out romantically and otherwise. One would deem this rather irresponsible of Bobby... but fuck it... he's a teenager, right? That shit is all about him!
I'm aware that thus far you're thinking, "So... is that really the whole story?" You'd be forgiven for thinking it sounds shit. But somehow this film has been passionately and masterfully whittled into not only a statement on teenage life in the late 80s, but also a succesfully dramatic, comedy.
Through a series of fish-out-of-water type events and dramatic teenage situations Coleman eventually turns Bobby's life around and manages to put everything back the way it was. With this, a greater understanding of each other is established and everybody is happy with each other, but not in as corny a way as I make it sound. This movie is actually VERY, VERY good at making what should technically be corny, bullshit, cinematic tripe and turning it into a quirky, artistic film full of some serious messages and heavy content. For instance, I knew I should be questioning the fact that now Coleman has left Bobby's mind, should Laney technically be less attracted to his personality now that Bobby is back in charge? I mean, COLEMAN is the one who charmed her, not Bobby, and their personalities are most definitely not alike. But, instead you continue forward, sip some coke and shove more popcorn in your mouth, accepting the silliness.
This movie shows the potential that both Corey's had. Actually, it shows the potential of the entire young cast. Clearly, acting heavyweights, Jason Robards and Harry Dean Stanton, have nothing to prove, but some of the younger cast are definitely showing their prowess. But the Corey's show their ability to work with one another, whether it be scripted or improvised, and it's a fucking shame that this was their last film together of actual quality. Haim excels as the comedy relief character, Dinger. A character who Haim apparently created and was added to the film fom his idea. Feldman does a great job when portraying an old man existing inside a younger man who lives in an era of bizarre fashions and styles.
Speaking of fashions and styles - sometimes it feels as though this movie has literally been written and directed by a teenager from the era. The attention to detail on the clothes, the attitudes, the language, the whole emotional rollercoaster of being a teenager is something else, if not, at times, a little overly dramatic (but hey, it's a movie right?). This is obviously thanks to writer, Daniel Jay Franklin, and director, Marc Rocco. Sadly, these fellows have nothing to do with the sequel. Which probably explains why it's a total piece of shit.
The music also defines the era this film is set in, showing an appreciation for the current pop/rock hits but mixing it up with some more sentimental older hits (further enhancing that feeling of young & old) making the soundtrack a classic and quirky mix. It features the following the songs:
Dream A Little Dream Of Me - Mel Torme
The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuk 3
Young At Heart - Frank Sinatra
Time Runs Wild - Danny Wilde
Into The Mystic - Van Morrison
Where Is She? - Larry Weir
Dress To Kill - Steve Plunkett
It's The End Of The World As We Know It - R.E.M.
Rock On - Michael Damian
Dreams To Remember - Otis Redding
Dream A Little Dream Of Me (rock version) - Mickey Thomas
That is a pretty diverse range of music that really reflects the feel of this movie. The movie overall is pretty funky for its time, except for the "history making" scene where Corey Feldman first does a Michael Jackson dance session in one of his films (a trend that was repeated far too often in his following career). Although, to give the movie some credit, this is probably by far the best and most barable version of the Feldman Jacko dance. Although no matter WHAT version of Michael Jackson's dance Feldman does, he can never seem to hide his obsession for our favourite dead, white negro singer! You can actually see the passion and pain in his eyes as he performs Jackos number. The fire burning in his pupils as he thinks about how much he would like to fuck, kill and eat his favourite pop idol of all time. Luckily, they cut the film well before he starts foaming at the mouth and screaming, "I FUCKING LOVE HIM! MICHAEL JACKSON IS A PART OF ME! I WANT TO BE INSIDE HIM! I WANT TO EAT HIS FLESH AND MAKE HIM A PART OF MY SOUL!". Ahem...
While we're digging on Feldman... it's a shame to see the lack of effort put into the soundtrack of the sequel. Which consists of two Corey Feldman songs (of which one sounds like Michael Jackson) and then two other piece of shit pieces of musical genius made by a guy who never did music for film before OR after DALD 2?! What the fuck?! :S
So, in closing, apart from the impending sense of dread experienced while watching the film. You know, like knowing that anything following this film for our young Corey lads will only be downhill and that they're probably high as fuck on cocaine through most of the film (well if you observe their mouth spasms and nostril flares closely enough you'll know it)? APART FROM THAT... it's quite a fucking top notch film that defines it's era, almost sitting in the alternative cinema/arthouse category due to it's bizarre body swap storyline and at times "socially intelligent" themes. If you're a fan of 80s John Hughes films, the Coreys and just 80s teen movies in general, you'd be a complete "Corey post-1990" if you didn't go see it asap!
While explaining that calling someone a "Corey post-1990" is defining them as a loser, I give this movie:
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3.5 OUT OF 5 JAGER-BABIES.
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