This is not a big budget Hollywood feature film. "In Your Wildest Dreams" was never intended to be released theatrically. It is a direct- to-video production made by a relatively small production company which, at that time, had not made very many films.
Aside from this being a low-budget independent film, it is also intended as a family-friendly, quasi-educational film. It is intended to teach positive values, a fact which has always been a prominent feature of its marketing.
As with other Feature Films for Families productions, this film avoids offensive content such as graphic violence, racism, profanity, etc. This is one of the reasons families and conscientious film viewers choose this company's films.
These factors shouldn't cause anybody to avoid this film. Although it intentionally conveys positive values, this is a story-driven film and not just an educational video. "In Your Wildest Dreams" is a drama, and doesn't come off as propaganda or didacticism. In fact, it is far less prone to hitting the viewer over the head with a "lesson" than many of the supposedly purely "artistic" or commercial films made by Hollywood.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I began watching this movie, but I was soon drawn into an interesting story featuring very engaging characters.
One can't help but care about the characters and desire to find out what happens to them. I found the film not only watchable, but compelling. So while I enjoyed "In Your Wildest Dreams," I should point out that it is a deeply flawed movie. Perhaps the biggest problem is the sound. After a few minutes of listening to the poorly made audio track I became mostly accustomed to it and rarely thought about it during the rest of the film. But with its high levels of ambient noise and low-contrast levels, the audio track is pretty bad. The movie's sound editor is a real pro who recently worked as a sound designer on "Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998). I'm assuming that the problem with the sound on "In Your Wildest Dreams" must be attributed to a lack of proper budget or equipment, or to poor mastering. The people who made this film did an impressive job with very little money, but they may have skimped too much in this area.
My other major complaint is with the terrible music. Some kind of ugly techno sound going on. There are a few okay songs, but for the most part the music on this film really drags it down.
Fortunately, the film looks great! The photography is a delight to watch, yet serves the story and atmosphere without drawing undue attention to itself. A range of difficult settings, lighting conditions, and subjects are handled with aplomb, including the imaginative ultra- low budget filming of an artificial intelligence at work.
The acting is a bit of a mixed bag. There are many talented actors in the cast, but also some amateurs who should have received better direction or not been cast. Lead actress Lise Wilburn as Holly really lights up the screen. She's attractive and watchable. She delivers a very natural performance, seeming like a real person more than a highly- coached actress. This is a good thing. There are a few wrong notes, but she is on screen a lot, and the part is a difficult one without many actor-friendly "hooks" to hide behind.
Trevor Black, the star, is good, but not great. His performance was never distracting, and he let me get into the story. But he didn't seem to bring extra depth to the character the way a much more talented performer might have done with this so-so script. Some of the smaller roles went to some really amazing actors, including Steve Anderson as a company insider, Jeff Olson as Mark's father, and Robert Nelson as Holly's father.
There's nothing offensive about the film. Not a great film by any means, but except for the sound and music, it's nothing to be ashamed of.
Overall I enjoyed watching "In Your Wildest Dreams." I wouldn't mind watching it again. Plot-wise, it's fairly original and unusual for such a small-budget film. I even learned a little about the stock market, insider trading, and trade commission investigators. (Countless movies and TV shows have homicide investigators. How many films can you name that feature trade commission investigators?) The story pulled me in and kept me involved with some interesting "what if?" situations. What would I do if I were in a similar situation? It's meant to
