Dreamin’ Wild movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Dreamin’ Wild

Roadside Attractions will release the biopic Dreamin’ Wild in theaters on August 4, 2023.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 50 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B

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?