Dreamin' Wild

IN A NUTSHELL: This heartful movie is based on the true story of musical duo Donnie and Joe Emerson, who spent everything they had to produce a record in the 1970s. After thirty years of obscurity, their music was suddenly hailed as a lost masterpiece.

The movie has already been nominated for the "Graffetta d'Oro for Best Film" at the Venice Film Festival in 2022.

The film was directed by Academy Award and Emmy-nominated Bill Pohlad, who also wrote it with Steven Kurutz.

THINGS I LIKED: We all knew Zooey Deschanel could sing, but I didn't know Casey Affleck could! They make a great pair in this movie, although I would have loved to see and hear Zooey more than she appears in the film.

The rest of the great cast includes Walton Goggins, Beau Bridges, Chris Messina, and young actors Jack Dylan Grazer and Noah Jupe. Well done!

The movie was filmed in Spokane, Washington in 2021.

I think a lot of viewers are going to be able to relate to the story of trying to be successful, yet not quite getting there when they want to. It's an inspirational story that will encourage you to be persistent and never stop dreaming.

We get to hear clips of some really great music.

We get to see some video clips of the real people the movie is based on at the end of the movie.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Some viewers might be confused by the timeline and flashbacks.

I thought it was interesting that we don't see the opening credits until 20 minutes into the movie.

I would like to have learned even more about the brothers and where to find their music today. For example, are they making more albums? Are they still actively performing? How can we support them?

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Some kids may be bored.

Siblings fight.

No profanity or objectionable content.

Kissing.

A gem of a story, reminiscent of a short story by Sherwood Anderson, Richard Ford, Eudora Welty, Raymond Carver, Jim Harrison, or the Irish writer Claire Keegan. There's a surface plainness and apparent accessibility, seemingly easily penetrable.

But small issues of moral choice build up, we see mature feelings wrestle with the idealism of youth.

Characters we thought we could easily understand become more complex. This focus on the seriousness of life goes to the heart of the matter: family loyalty, honor, compassion, forgiveness (and self-forgiveness). "Dreaming' Wild" has a fundamental directness that casts a profound, direct light on the austere interior of the Emerson family.

Its precision and pacing is writerly, it gives the viewer time to think.

Remarkable performances by Casey Affleck, Beau Bridges, Walton Goggins, Noah June, and Jack Dylan Grazer. And Chris Messina.

This was a sweet story, art house for sure, and a bit slow. It is moody, and needed another rewrite and an edit to pick up the pacing. As is, the story does not do the massive talent onscreen justice. And they are excellent, so it is the direction that is the problem. Too slow, too disconnected and belabored. It is the pacing of the writer/director that is the problem.

Too many scenes of people doing nothing, driving, partying in the distance for too long, and on and on.

Casey is clearly brilliant as usual. He is really the king of understated performances, and suprise talents, like being a musician.

Basically it is a quiet, understated story, running a bit too slow.

"Dreamin' Wild" is an artful, lovingly wrought tale, enchanting in its wistful melancholy and profound love of music. The film's defining feature, and also its main flaw, is the inherent smallness of its story. The key key facts about the Emersons are revealed in the movie's first few minutes: two Washington farmboys poured their heart and finances into producing a privately pressed album in the late 70s, which decades later is rediscovered and championed by a boutique rock label.

We're treated to extensive flashbacks of the making of the album, but not much really happens from there in terms of plot. Casey Affleck and Noah Jupe give pitch-perfect performances as the adult and adolescent versions of Donnie. The support is excellent, with Beau Bridges disappearing into the role of a self-sacrificing father. Affleck and Bridges together are a delight to watch.

Much of the film's narrative conflict revolves around Donnie Emerson's difficulty accepting sudden vindication after decades of thwarted attempts to break into the music business. His bitterness and reticence to embrace his good fortune can be frustrating at times, but it does feel psychologically authentic. The sheer acting firepower given to these small conflicts can feel a bit overwrought.

The best part of the entire film is when we get to witness the adult, real-life Emersons play a small live gig. Donnie Emerson's voice has matured into a wonderfully soulful instrument, and their performance wraps up this small but tender tale very movingly. Here's to more forgotten artists like the Emersons getting their chance to shine!

When I saw the trailer, I was intrigued about this story, so I checked out the background of it online and thought this might be a movie worth watching.

The music aspect of the movie is well done. And the actors all play their parts well.

But I felt a lack of connection at the end of the day. It really was a half hour or hour MTV special that was stretched out too long. I really couldn't buy into the angst that Don was feeling, even though I could understand where it was coming from. It just felt repetitive. Especially all of the speeches that happen in the movie. Usually a movie will have one or two big speeches. This one seemed to have many 'oscar' moments that just weighed it down too much.

I also didn't like the cliched 'older self meets younger self'. I think that's been played to death, and is just cheesy now.

I am glad for the Emerson family and I hope they are continuing to rake in the money from the album. It was nice seeing the real voice of Donnie as it is today, he definitely is a gifted singer. But the movie just didn't resonate with me, and that's coming from a music lover.