Bad Dream

Scott Hardie | September 29, 2005
Has anyone else seen the trailer for "Dreamer"? (link) This is a rare thing for me, but... I think I'm actually offended by this movie. It's not offense that such a bone-dry well of creativity now passes as an uplifting tale of inspiration, which has been going on in Hollywood for decades, but that the premise takes for granted that I'll agree with it. If I have to see an "Old Yeller" movie where, against their parents' wishes, a kid befriends an animal that is obviously doomed, can I prefer that the doom be portrayed with the realistic outcome? Am I asking too much of movies that they realize that perfectly plausible stories can be powerfully moving too? Seriously, I'm offended at the insult to my intelligence that this movie represents, validating the little girl's ludicrous hopes for her doomed horse, a horse that, realistically speaking, would be being kept alive in miserable pain because this little girl didn't want to say goodbye to her "friend." Every time I see the moment where she overhears Kurt Russell say he should have put the horse to sleep, which would have been the right thing to do by the horse and for the family, and the movie takes her side, I just want to scream "You are not the horse! Your dad is not saying that he should have put you to sleep! Stop empathizing with an animal! It's only a fucking horse!" It's only natural for little girls to get ridiculous notions like these in their heads, but it's wrong for movies to encourage them, and it's downright offensive for movies to expect me to agree with them.

Scott Hardie | September 29, 2005
Speaking of falsely uplifting trailers, don't miss the one for the new father-son comedy "Shining." (link)

Mike Eberhart | September 29, 2005
Never even heard of this movie. From the sound of it, doesn't sound like something that I would watch anyway. Besides that, I do agree with you on your point.

Jackie Mason | September 29, 2005
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Michael Paul Cote | September 29, 2005
I've seen some of the trailers but missed the part about putting the horse to sleep. From what I gathered, possibly mistakenly, is that the dad bought the horse for the little girl and allowed her to make all the decisions. Supposedly this is based on a true story. Not sure about more than that.

Jackie Mason | September 30, 2005
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Scott Hardie | October 16, 2005
Well, so's Kurt Russell, but he could use a paycheck I think.