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The Dream Catcher
The Dream Catcher *** ( R )
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Reviewed By George O. Singleton
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Catching the dream is having the right vision
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Freddy: Maurice Compte
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Albert: Paddy Connor
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Katherine: Jeanne Heaton
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Freddy's Father: Joseph Arthur
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Church Caretaker: Patrick Shining Elk
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Rhea: Amanda Lanier
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Raymond: Rohn Thomas
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Brenda: Melanie Johnson
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Fisherman: Fred Gloor
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Writer/Director: Edward A. Radtke
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30 Second Bottom Line: Two young men meet on the road, each in search of making an emotional connection with a parent they have not seen in years. They want to catch their dreams.
Story Line: Freddy (Maurice Compte) is a young man who can't face the responsibility of being a father with his expectant girlfriend Rhea (Amanda Lanier). He leaves town to find his uncle, who lives in a nursing home. Freddy's hope is to connect with someone in his family who can help him understand life. When he meets his uncle, Freddy is disappointed with the man he finds. The only good news Freddy gets is that his father has been released from prison after 12 years. Taking off from Philadelphia Freddy is now heading toward Oklahoma where his father reportedly lives.
Along the way Freddy meets Albert (Paddy Connor) at a rest stop. Albert has escaped from a juvenile detention home while on an outing and they become on and off hitch hiking partners. Albert is from Toledo and is heading to Reno to visit his mother after getting a postcard from her. Both boys dream that a parent who has not given them love in the past will come through for them now. Somewhere, deep down, we all know that is an illusion they are chasing.
As Freddy and Albert travel from town to town, they meet a cross section of American characters, who teach them about people in general and help to reveal a lot about each of them in particular. At one point they are hitching a ride with a religious couple Raymond and Brenda (Rohn Thomas and Melanie Johnson) who are kind enough to give them some money to buy food. Later they steal a car from a mentally handicapped fisherman (Fred Gloor), with his "permission." Their rationale is that he will get his car back; they are only borrowing it.
The two break into a church seeking shelter for the night. In the morning the caretaker (Patrick Shining Elk) catches them, assesses their pitiful condition and decides to provide comfort and aid rather than call the police.
Back on the road, the boys meet Katherine (Jeanne Heaton) who gives them some worthwhile advice along with a ride in her car. Although she tells them some things they need to hear, we begin to question just how much they should listen to her when it becomes clear that she's a person with habits that they don't want to develop.
Albert's inclination to steal will inevitably get him into a jam, which may cause a change in his timetable for arriving in Reno. Freddy has a way of painfully keeping in touch with Rhea, which provides hope that he may begin to look within himself rather than to others for his salvation. He finally meets his father and of course, it plays out differently than he dreamed.
Tell Me More About It: The Dream Catcher has the feel of a documentary film that tells a story, non interview style, and does not try to "play nice" with its subject. I found myself having to resist the temptation of wanting a Hollywood rollout ending for the film. You don't feel sorry for the boys, but you do have empathy for them. It hurts to see how close someone can be to doing the right thing without being able to pull it off.
For kids, the film could be therapeutic in helping them deal with reality. Dreams are often either what you want or what you are afraid of. If we have positive thoughts, which are hopefully realistically possible, they can help rather than hurt us. For the parents of children who are discarded and forgotten, this film allows you to see what you are doing to them and maybe even to the grandchildren that you may never see.
The Dream Catcher is a film about reaping what you sow. Even if the seed is not as good as you want, you can still have a bumper crop if you make changes within yourself. Time may run out for that loving relationship with the person you want to love you, but never let time run out on loving yourself. For some people it is a truism that you have to leave home to come home to find that love.
R ( some violence; language)
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George O. Singleton © 2001
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