A Review of Dreamin’
Wild by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, PG
USCCB Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
Reel Rating, Three Reels
From Happy Feet and October Sky to Rudy
and Sing, the “misunderstood dream chasing teenager oppressed by his
parents” motif is one of the most overused in American literature and perhaps
has done more damage to society than any other cinematic trope. Dreamin’
Wild turns this narrative on its head and instead has a family that
supports their son’s artistic vision to their great sacrifice and his ultimate
failure. Monster University is the only other film I’ve seen try this. It’s
an important reality, sensitively and beautifully told by great acting,
writing, and directing. It didn’t get me to buy the album, but it gives me hope
for my own kids.
Donnie
Emerson (Casey Affleck) is a middle-aged musician barely scrapping by. He and
his wife own a struggling studio, perform minor gigs around town, and raise
their daughter in a small apartment. His life dramatically changes when an industry
executive tracks him down after a thirty year old album featuring himself and
his brother goes viral. They get offers to re-release the album, go on tour,
and even write new songs. Everyone seems ecstatic – except Donnie. For him,
this reopens old wounds and unresolved difficulties he worked hard to suppress.
Director
Bill Polhad reveals Donnie’s story with slowly and gently, frequently jumping
back to past to the see the brothers as they recorded their self produced unsuccessful
album at only seventeen years old. Although the glacial pace is occasionally overbearing,
it gives plenty of time to explore Donnie’s complex emotions. Sure, he’s “happy”
the album has been rediscovered. Yet, he’s also upset that the world seems to
completely negate his last thirty years of hard work. He also has deliberately
stayed away from his family, racked with guilt over his failure. The original
album was a duet between his bother and himself, but the first music executives
only wanted him as a solo act. Worse still, when he did move to Los Angeles, he
father had to sell huge areas of Washington farmland to pay for his son’s dream
only to never see it materialize.
All
of these pent up emoutions come spilling over in two important scenes. First,
during a practice session, Donnie’s brother Joey (Walton Goggins) is having
trouble playing the drums after thirty years out of practice. Donnie angrily snaps
at him. “This isn’t a game,” he yells. “This is my life!” His wife Nancy (Zooey
Deschanel) brings him back. “The song’s called ‘Good Times.’ Try having one,”
she retorts. Later, he apologizes to his brother and father, not just for his
absence and poor behavior, but ruining them financially. They are quick to forgive.
His father explains that he was happy to help his son; it is precisely why a
father works so hard.
His
father’s mercy illustrates the beautiful Christian life that seems almost
hidden behind the scenes. The Emerson family grew up in the woods of the
Pacific Northwest. Today this area of the country has a reputation of a baston
of the worst elements of secular
progressivism. Yet as a proud resident of the Willamette Valley, I can
assure you this is just the knuckleheads in Salem and Olympia. For the average
Cascadian, Christianity isn’t loud “loud and proud” like in the megachurches in
Texas but quiet, organic, and connected to natural world. The Emersons don’t
hand out leaflets at the Fair, but they pray before every show, eat dinner
together as a family every night, and have pictures of Jesus in every room. It also
is apparent in the conversations between the family members. They use odd
phrases not usually heard in American sitcoms: “God bless you,” “I forgive you,”
“God has a plan for this,” “I love you.” I had the pleasure of sitting down for
an interview with Donnie, and he mentioned “the crosses he had to bear” in his
life. It’s a faith that understands Jesus’ command to “not let your right hand
know what your left is doing.”
To
be honest, musical biopics are not my cup of tea. After our interview, I tried
listening to the original Emerson album and hard a hard time connecting. Yet,
what was enormously compelling is the love and sacrifice of a family who care
deeply about one another. In a graduation speech to Northwestern University,
Stephen Colbert wisely said,
“If you don’t
achieve your dreams, you haven’t failed. And here’s the hard part: if you do
achieve your dream, you haven’t ‘won.’ You can’t ‘win’ your life. All you can
do is love others, and hope they love you back.”
Donnie would agree.
This article first appeared in Catholic World Report on August 7th, 2023.
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