Unreal Dreams was extremely well-received in its World Premiere at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. Premiering the film at SXSW was particularly appropriate since the events unfolded just north of Austin in Williamson County. The local showings were also enhanced by the presence of Michael Morton himself. His story unfolds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale of the innocent man accused of a crime he didn't commit. I kept wondering if Morton had seen the film Shawshank Redemption since he seemed to be human incarnation of the fictional Andy Dufresne. The miscarriage of justice carried out by the police and prosecutors in Williamson County is simply appalling. While his story is already well- known, this account told in the Morton own voice (along with the voices of many of those who worked for years to free him) provides a very personal account of what Morton endured. The film is remarkably professional, well-edited, and absolutely gripping – even though almost everybody in room already knew what happened.
This film has a relatively happy ending in that justice is ultimately done; in contrast to the even more tragic film, Incendiary: The Willingham Case (which premiered at SXSW in 2011) and tells the story of how Texas actually executed an innocent man under very similar circumstances. In both cases, junk science and dreadful work by police and prosecutors lead to a false conviction. Perhaps, the most remarkable element about the film is Morton's own lack of anger and vengefulness – even towards those who railroaded him. He seems to be a man at peace which seems almost unimaginable since anger and bitterness seem like entirely appropriate reactions. I can't recommend this film more and believe that it will be particularly useful for a variety of educational uses ranging from High Schools to Law Schools. This is an important story and I am really pleased that this film has honored its subject by telling his story in such a respectful and fair manner.
This film has a relatively happy ending in that justice is ultimately done; in contrast to the even more tragic film, Incendiary: The Willingham Case (which premiered at SXSW in 2011) and tells the story of how Texas actually executed an innocent man under very similar circumstances. In both cases, junk science and dreadful work by police and prosecutors lead to a false conviction. Perhaps, the most remarkable element about the film is Morton's own lack of anger and vengefulness – even towards those who railroaded him. He seems to be a man at peace which seems almost unimaginable since anger and bitterness seem like entirely appropriate reactions. I can't recommend this film more and believe that it will be particularly useful for a variety of educational uses ranging from High Schools to Law Schools. This is an important story and I am really pleased that this film has honored its subject by telling his story in such a respectful and fair manner.