Dreamland (2006)

71% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(5,524 ratings)

A selfless teen who has always put the needs of others before her own experiences a personal crisis after setting her best friend up with her handsome new neighbor in an affecting coming-of-age drama starring Agnes Bruckner, Kelli Garner, and Justin Long. Ever since Audrey's (Bruckner) mother died,… More A selfless teen who has always put the needs of others before her own experiences a personal crisis after setting her best friend up with her handsome new neighbor in an affecting coming-of-age drama starring Agnes Bruckner, Kelli Garner, and Justin Long. Ever since Audrey's (Bruckner) mother died, the compassionate 18-year-old has dedicated her life to caring for her still-grieving father (John Corbett). Despite her desire to go to college and get an education, Audrey remains at her father's side in the remote New Mexico desert community, and passes her free time away in the company of her best friend, Calista (Garner). Calista wants nothing more than to become the next Miss America, though her dreams of continental acclaim are soon sidelined by a sudden, life-changing illness. In the lazy summer following her high-school graduation, Audrey is surprised to see a couple named Mary (Gina Gershon) and Herb (Chris Mulkey) move in to her neighborhood along with their handsome teenage son, Mookie (Long). Though at first Audrey sees Mookie's arrival as a chance to bring a little romance into the life of her friend Calista, after setting the pair up on a date and getting to know her new neighbor a little better, the young matchmaker soon begins to develop feelings for her best friend's new boyfriend. When you've dedicated your entire existence to bettering the lives of others, how do you find true happiness when the only way to be true to your feelings is to go against everything you've ever stood for? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Jason Matzner
Written By: Tom Willett
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 23, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Dec 19, 2006
Studio: Dreamland Motion Picture Co.

Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
The filmmakers were clearly not interested in the ending but in exploring the characters and the situation, and they do that with sophistication and genuine feeling, both for the people and the environment.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
As swoony and verbose and serious as an adolescent's journal entry.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
The gossamer spell is undone when the script topples into melodrama and then a too-tidy resolution.
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
An atmospheric ensemble piece boasting several richly portrayed characters.
Justin Chang, Variety
Despite some sketchy story elements, much of it is pretty intoxicating -- that is, until the unambiguous life lessons bring pic down to earth with an earnest splat.
Beverly Berning, culturevulture.net
As the mother of a preteen daughter who has dragged me to a number of teen movies, I was captivated by this strange mutant of a movie. There is skill here, and some poignant scenes that stayed with me, including a first kiss scene that's one of the bette
David Cornelius, DVDTalk.com
The cast is solid, the characters fascinating, the direction notable, the story shaky.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...there's little doubt that the film heralds the arrival of a promising new director.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
a long way to go for such a tepid lesson
Marrit Ingman, Austin Chronicle
The performances are all fine, with Bruckner and Corbett the standouts as a parent and child with roles reversed after a death in the family.
Jane Stevenson, Jam! Movies
The awe-inspiring New Mexico scenery and light and the performance of lead actress Agnes Bruckner lift this teen drama above the usual fare.
Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com
After all the put-upon jokes about trailer trash, finally here is a place where the terminology of community really defines itself.

Read all 12 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Thomas J

Others may not enjoy this movie as much as I did because I felt a real connection to the character with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) because I also have MS. The dreams to escape the reality of the situation she lives in is TOO familiar!! Dreamland could just as easily be where I am (and… More
Others may not enjoy this movie as much as I did because I felt a real connection to the character with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) because I also have MS. The dreams to escape the reality of the situation she lives in is TOO familiar!! Dreamland could just as easily be where I am (and it is)! Making the best of a bad situation and finding hope and learning to live with situations are all common elements of my life I saw on screen in this film. A personal connection is why I love this movie so much!
Nicki M

Liked this a lot. Very moving and the whole cast do a great job with this (even John Corbett who is normally the kiss of death in a film as far as I am concerned). It's a fairly small film in that not a lot happens, but it is beautiful to look at (who would have thought life in… More
Liked this a lot. Very moving and the whole cast do a great job with this (even John Corbett who is normally the kiss of death in a film as far as I am concerned). It's a fairly small film in that not a lot happens, but it is beautiful to look at (who would have thought life in a caravan park could be picturesque!), and Agnes Bruckner and Kelli Garner so convincing that you can't help but care about their lives and what happens to them.
Curtis L

I have a hard time believing that the only two girls in a small trailer park are so hot, nice, and okay with living in the middle of nowhere. Not a terrible movie, but not amazing either.
Christopher H

"Dreamland" is down-to-earth and everything an independent film should be. The cast is by far the gold lining of the film, with John Corbett delivering his most touching role yet. Kelli Garner shows off her stunning good looks while playing a struggling MS patient, adding a… More
"Dreamland" is down-to-earth and everything an independent film should be. The cast is by far the gold lining of the film, with John Corbett delivering his most touching role yet. Kelli Garner shows off her stunning good looks while playing a struggling MS patient, adding a much needed depth to her character. Never having experienced Agnes Bruckner before, she definitely earned herself an IMDB.com look up. Who would have thought a film about a trailer park in the desert could have so much heart?
Sarah P

I thought the plot was really boring and at times really cheesy (fast forward to the girl running to the bees, drawing a heart around herself in the sand, and then trying to get the bees to kill her (?) ) But I gave it 2 stars anyway, because it was so beautifully shot.
Moe E

Dreamland is a teen coming-of-age film with a female perspective. Agnes Bruckner is Audrey, a recent high school graduate who's torn between attending one of the many colleges recruiting her, or remaining in the rundown, isolated trailer park to care for her severely depressed… More
Dreamland is a teen coming-of-age film with a female perspective. Agnes Bruckner is Audrey, a recent high school graduate who's torn between attending one of the many colleges recruiting her, or remaining in the rundown, isolated trailer park to care for her severely depressed father (John Corbett) and her best friend, Calista (Kelli Garner), who's experiencing the early symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. Nice support from Justin Long, with bit parts for Gina Gershon and Chris Mulkey. Not the best indie flick that I've seen, but certainly not the worst, either.
Leo L

Interesting!
Eduardo C

A flawed film, especially one like this that dares to dream, is ambitious and made with passion can often be as interesting, or more so, than a more traditionally 'good' one. Dreamland is beautifully photographed, the setting, which I've never seen used in a film… More
A flawed film, especially one like this that dares to dream, is ambitious and made with passion can often be as interesting, or more so, than a more traditionally 'good' one. Dreamland is beautifully photographed, the setting, which I've never seen used in a film before, is wonderfully detailed and the performances, for the most part, are very strong. It suffers from a screenplay that is, at times, amateurish and by-the-numbers but is, at other times, brave, insightful, of rarely-seen maturity. Consider the scene, for example, where Agnes Bruckner and Justin Long meet just before he leaves to Las Vegas. What happens there, and more importantly what does not happen, is indicative of the level of maturity and ambition behind the movie. It is, I feel, the strongest scene in the film: for a while it seems to be heading in one direction but then, very consciously, heads in another, the only direction it could possibly take, all things considered. Agnes Bruckner is very good in the central role, and only made my crush on her grow. Justin Long does not look like he can play a lick of basketball, but it is nice to see him in a different kind of role, he brings good natured sweetness to the character which is escencial, John Corbetti, as Bruckner's father, is great, and Gina Gershon is very good in a tiny role. Kelli Garner is perhaps the weakest of the bunch, but it is only noticeable in the most emotional sequences, and even then barely so. My crush on her remains undiminished. The film's flaws begin to show when the screenplay begins to go on auto-pilot. There is a crisis moment (the kind of false crisis the film had, up until this point, very much avoided) and then the plot kicks in. The ending is rushed and even nonesensical. Even so, it manages to work on the most basic of levels because of the strength of the performances, photography, direction and score. A flawed film, to be sure, but a work of passion. Extremely beautiful to look at, absolutely harmless to sit through and a very good debut from someone who it might be worth keeping an eye on.