Customer Reviews

Pope Dreams

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

People in the film industry will tell you that every once in a while a film just deserves to be made. No matter that there is no money, no budget, no all-star cast. It simply deserves to be made.

And when the stars align just right, reviewers will tell you that same film simply deserves to be seen.

Pope Dreams is just that sort of film.

Made on a shoestring budget with only a handful of sets, an indie sound track, and a combination of young unknowns and seasoned vets working for scale or less, this film is a gem.

Combination boy-meets-girl and coming of age story, Pope Dreams weaves several subplots together to form a tapestry as rich as life itself. In fact, it is the interweaving of these subplots, so like the messy, cluttered, unplanned, and usually out-of-control reality most of us live, that gives this film its engaging attraction.

Andy (Phillip Vaden) is a going-nowhere 19 year-old. He plays the drums in a noisy alt band, works in the back of the stereo store his father manages, and seems mostly aimless. His one goal when we meet him is to fulfill what he believes to be his mother's dying wish.

He gets sidetracked when a local Valley Girl (Marnette Patterson), in an inane, unfeeling, and completely selfish attempt to con her father into something she wants, picks Andy virtually out of a hat to be her father's worst nightmare. The wrinkle in all this is that Andy is not only the sort of guy her father would like, but he is also the kind she might fall for.

The boy-meets girl parts are predictable enough...but the twist is that the clever script takes an unexpected left turn and delivers to Andy not only something he could never have foreseen, but something better than the girl. Andy DOES come of age, in more ways than one. We greet a boy at the beginning of the film, but say farewell to a man at then end.

This one come from the heart, and lodges there long after the credits have rolled.

Honest, earnest performances, a great score, and a compelling story that is largely believable move this film along.....and ought to move it off the video store shelf and into your hand. You won't be disappointed.

I watched this movie mainly because I wanted to see Marnette Patterson. Turned out this was a really good indie flick about love, music and growing up.
Watched mainly because of Patterson, but it was Julie Hagerty that really gives the most memorable performance. Her portrayal of the dieing mother was totally believable both emotionally and physically. She really appeared as if she was dieing.
As for Marnette. She's done numerous television and supporting roles, when is she going to get a really serious starring role? She's a good actress and is a lot more interesting than some of her peers. I mean if they can give Miley Cyrus a major dramatic starring role, then they should find one for Patterson because she's a helluva lot better as an actress. It's nice to see her in a movie where she isn't being terrorized by giant bugs or having her eyes burnt out with a cigar by a vengeful ghost.(i liked both those movies)
James(the 'Alice' fan)

I really shouldn't be writing this review in that I am in this movie. I don't promote every project I work on - but this is special and it is out of the mainstream enough that maybe you wouldn't likely see this film without a recommendation. Nothing about this movie is what you would think. It is a wonderful "coming of age" story that has not been told. The script is funny, very moving, and very unexpected. The performances are some of the best you will ever see in an ensemble film. Julie Hagerty gives a remarkable performance as does newcomer Philip Vaden - but everyone is at the top of their game. You will watch this movie many times. A film for grown ups and kids. Not to be missed....

I first heard about this movie a year ago and was so pleased that I could get my hands on it (thanks Amazon)! I enjoyed the movie tremendously, sometimes laughing and crying at the same time. Pope Dreams touched me and I highly recommend it to everyone. It's not a high budget action film, but a film that satisfies the viewer from the beginning, and most importantly, to the end.

It grows on you. It really does.

When the final credits rolled, I felt a bit disappointed. Somehow, all these gushing reviews had not quite panned out. But after a few hours, I admired this film more and more. There were a number of choices the film makers made that work, and because it was so subtle and so kind, this viewer at least took a while to absorb them.

Teenage coming of age films have a standard format. (See my review of Whip It, and how popular that storyboard apparently is, for an example...) Overbearing parents, misunderstood genius teenager, unattainable love interest, conflict in all areas, way too smooth resolution. Well, this film jettisons every one of those cliches. (Except one, unfortunately.) The dad, stuck in his crappy job, is way overbearing and controlling, but, there's far more to the story than first appears. The boy genius is, unfortunately, not always as nice as he seems. The girl, well, I'll leave that one for you. And the plot, while ultimately not surprising, is the least important part of the story. How do families pull together? Or why would they? When virtually every tale since The Glass Menagerie has been about escaping the clutches of stultifying drabness, it was delightful to spend time with a family that sees its survival as something worth achieving.

Much to enjoy here, and much to reflect on. What really matters. What do you do when life hands you not just lemons, but rotting lemons. Nice job. Well worth watching.

If you enjoyed "Juno," "The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio," and "Waitress," you will love this movie! Well paced screenplay with sincere, realistic dialogue. You know it is great acting when they don't even look like they are acting. Teenagers are not the only people who experience angst. Will make my list of best movies I've seen in 2009.

I have seen this film twice now. The first time was in Lubbock, Texas at the undergraduate residence of Jake Freakley over a couple cases of beer in 2005 before going to Iraq for the first time. The second was at the Nashville Fylmz Festival in 2007 where it won most inspiring film. This is without a doubt the greatest independent film of all time. Ok sure, you're probably thinking to yourself, "But you just think that because your best friend is the star of the movie." Lol, well, you're absolutely right. And I'm okay with that. And it doesn't make my opinion wrong. Definitely worth checking out. A story of hope, with just a little bit of edge so that you know it's real. What's worth living for if you can't make mistakes, not be perfect, and get hurt a little along the way? Most people can relate to Andy Venable: he's not perfect, and hurts just like you and me, but through a little determination accomplishes something far from perfect and finds something close to love along the way...and there's nothing wrong with that, at least not in my book.