Dream Boy (2008) User Reviews

Ambitous, low-key gay love story

[preppy-3 · 7/10 · 23 May 2011]

Shy teenager Nathan (Stephen Bender) moves into the deep South with his parents. Right next door to him is teenager Roy (Max Roeg) who is out-going and friendly. They form a friendship which quickly turns into a physical relationship. Naturally they can't tell anybody. Half way through things about Nathan become clearer--and more disturbing--and the movie gets dark.

I read the book years ago and loved it but I hated the ending cause it's so ambiguous. I bought this movie cautiously because I didn't think it could be as good as the book and I was curious HOW they would end it. Well the movie IS as good as the book. It's low-key but the book was too. Bender and Roeg perfectly play two teenage boys in love--you can see the confusion and passion in their faces. The sex scenes are very tastefully done (nothing remotely graphic) and these two are so obviously not teens it's not disturbing to watch. I also like how their kissing and having sex is treated so casually--as it should. It (sort of) retains the ambiguous ending of the book. Like I said I hated that ending but I'm glad the movie didn't change it. All the acting is good--Roeg especially. He has the wonderful actress Theresa Russell as his mom and obviously inherited her acting abilities. There's some beautiful cinematography and a good music score too. Low-key and somewhat disturbing but effective. I give it a 7.

Powerful and underrated film

[Figaro14 · 7/10 · 16 February 2010]

I began watching the film with mild interest and very quickly was drawn into the quiet intensity of the film. One must avoid any discussion of specific plot elements, which would ultimately spoil the experience of the film. It is NOT as some have called it, a "Brokeback Mountain" about teenagers. It is different. It is unique. It is beautiful photographed, sensitively told and atmospheric. I was especially impressed with the performances of Stephan Bender as Nathan and Max Roeg as Roy. While I had no idea what the exact outcome of the film would be, there is a "foreboding" that overshadows the entire story; You get clues along the way that "something is wrong." But the final 20 minutes or so will probably really surprise you. There is much more going on here that can be easily summarized in a user review or with a catch line that describes the plot's formula. I think it's the type of film that will provoke a great deal of discussion and it deserved to be released on DVD.

This great American Movie deserves a major release

[endecottp · 12 June 2008]

Wow! What a nice surprise. Saw this gem at Newfest film festival in NYC June 12-08. Was drawn in from the very first moment. The film takes place in rural Louisiana in the mid 20th century. The film has a quiet intensity and power, is beautifully paced with excellent attention to detail, which gives it a very genuine feel. There is a simplicity and sparsity to the film that makes it feel like classic Americana, like the Last Picture Show, Hud or East of Eden or a Eudora Welty story. The two actors Stephan Bender and Maximillian Roeg that play the teenage boys are outstanding and should have very fruitful careers after this film. They give beautifully controlled nuanced performances that give the characters an honesty and depth. Diana Scarwid plays one of the boy's mother and is amazing. This actress is really underused in films and her performance here is a powerhouse and should be nominated for a best supporting Oscar. The singer Rickie Lee Jones plays the other boys mother and in a small part creates a memorable and touching character.Don't want to give too much away about the plot but the center of the story is about two teenage boys. One who just moves into town and the friendship that develops as they gravitate to one another. Keep an eye out for this film, it is a sleeper and true jewel.

Reality and Dreams and Where They Intersect

[gradyharp · 7/10 · 27 August 2010]

Back in 1995 Jim Grimsley published DREAM BOY, the second novel of his continuing examination of the coming of age in the South and followed by the equally popular COMFORT AND JOY, BOULEVARD, FORGIVENESS, MY DROWNING etc. It took many years of for James Bolton ('Eban & Charley', 'The Graffiti Artist') to decide to adapt this story to the screen, and while Bolton elected to replace much of the lyricism of Grimsley's prose with extended periods of non-verbal communication in the screenplay, the story of two high school kids coming to grips with a mutual attraction in the dank repressive aura of the South manages to still come through intact.

Nathan (Stephen Bender) is a quiet, reclusive sophomore in high school who is settling in to yet another move by his alcoholic, Bible-pounding, abusive father (Thomas Jay Ryan) and his sympathetic mother (Diana Scarwid). Next door lives handsome jock Roy (Maximillian Roeg) who befriends Nathan, shares homework, and when he is not with his girlfriend, offers Nathan rides in the school bus he drives. Exchanges of glances and the growth of mutual attraction between the boys lead to a very private but sincere physical relationship: Nathan does not share with Roy that he has suffered sexual abuse from his father. Roy and his buddies - Burke (a very promising Randy Wayne) and Randy (Owen Beckman) - begin to join the boys on swimming gigs and finally a camping trip that includes visitation of an old deserted and possibly haunted plantation house. What happens in this mysterious place provides the climax of the story - a brutal surprise ending that then transports the film into another dimension - a region the viewer must decide is satisfying or not.

There are some fine moments in this little low budget movie and the presence of Maximillian Roeg, Diana Scarwid, and Randy Wayne lifts the cast to a higher level of competence. Whether or not the viewer is willing to go along with the ending will make the vote for or against the film. Bolton does have a fine touch with stories about the coming out of young men in his films and his ability to capture the Gothic atmosphere of the South is solid.

Grady Harp

The potential for a good story that just got lost

[Coralknight · 5/10 · 7 October 2017]

I typically do not like the "traditional" gay cliché genre where all relationships have to end in tragedy. But I COULD have made an exception here had the writer/filmmaker decided to go in the direction of a ghost story...which was alluded to about mid-way. Meaning, there were many elements of horror/psychological thriller, beginning with the character of Nathan's family life. Then, we see the tension between Nathan and one of Roy's "alpha male" friends, foreshadowing some negative story line. But all in all, this is just too linear and has a very "made for TV" feel (the sound-track gets very annoying). And the ending seems to make this just too "cutesy" and negates the entire horror/ghost story direction (it's almost as if the writer got stuck and didn't know where to go and wanted to end on some "feel good" note...just lazy). Also, there were several instances where either the writer or the director didn't seem to understand the setting they were portraying (Baptists in the South would NEVER have a crucifix on the wall...let alone in a church...that's Catholicism). In other words, a) do your research b) pick your "mood" and where you want to go and c) be consistent. The acting was in fact superb and I think the best thing about this...so I wish all involved an excellent career.

Near perfect depiction of young, inarticulate love

[timothyjasonarnold · 9/10 · 18 September 2011]

People watch movies for different reasons. Some people like an elaborate, fast-paced plot. Others enjoy the visual and audio experience. I am the kind of movie watcher who enjoys a well executed and consistent tone and mood. In "Dream Boy," the mood is both melancholy and sweet and there is a constant, if not always apparent, hint of anxiety and apprehension that builds throughout the movie. Capturing a mood is very difficult, and it relies on a number of factors including acting, cinematography, and music. While the acting of the supporting cast in "Dream Boy" can be somewhat inconsistent, the acting of the two main characters, Roy (Max Roeg) and Nathan (Stephan Bender), is very strong. I was particularly impressed with Bender whose performance reminds me of Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious." While it is true that the awkward, inarticulate teenager is well-trod territory in gay cinema, I've never seen the role acted so flawlessly. I was completely convinced that Bender was Nathan. Here we have a rare example of the kind of role that doesn't seem "acted" at all; it's as if Bender embodies the character. Sadly, I think actors with roles that are over-the-top, histrionic, and melodramatic often get the most praise, but it seems equally if not more difficult to portray a shy, introverted character, and the actors who really nail these roles often don't get the recognition they deserve (re: Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain). I've read some criticism that Bender's performance was "wooden," and it strikes me that if you were not an awkward, inarticulate teenager you might not be able to identify with the performance, but if you were the kind of kid who stayed inside most of the day you will probably find the portrayal of your former self incredibly accurate and moving.

There is a lot of attention paid to subtle, non-verbal forms of communication - glances, stares, half-smiles, physical contact - all of which create a much more realistic depiction of young, gay love than the more chatty gay coming-of-age movies that I'm used to seeing. All of that being said, I understand the disappointment with the ambiguous denouement, but plots are relatively tangential for me. If the actors and director manage to depict a convincing mood, then that is all I need to be satisfied, and they have certainly done that with "Dream Boy."

Missed opportunity

[foxc-2 · 4/10 · 16 May 2011]

I'm a gay man so I can speak with some credibility about the portrayal of the main characters in this film. There is no chemistry portrayed here and although the leads are cute and the situations realistic, for the most part (teenagers take every moment for personal connections no matter how inappropriate or imprudent they may be) we are left with a coming-of-age story that while sweet and tender against all apparent odds is betrayed by a thin-as-paper, muddled plot that is formulaic and unsatisfying. The adults are cardboard and the parallelism with "Brokeback Mountain", hyped on the cover, are obvious and contrived. Nowhere do we get the deeply religious/conservative milieu of the 70's Deep South in which the primal and quite beautiful emotional drive of these two boys is cast, beyond episodic church scenes with flatulent pastoral murmurings. So much could've been made of the story but it's a wasted effort I'm afraid.

Very Nice Movie Spoiled by Overbearing Music Soundtrack

[xscd · 6/10 · 15 September 2013]

I enjoyed the atmospheric, thoughtful and sensitive slow pace of this movie, but the dialog in important parts, and especially during the climax, was drowned out by some of the worst, most inappropriate, extremely annoying, repetitive, cloying and very loud music I've ever heard in a movie soundtrack.

The dialog volume should have been turned up and the music _way_ down in this movie, and absent altogether in parts where the dialog was of utmost importance for revealing the plot. As it was, there were parts in which I could only guess what was being murmured because the music was deafening by comparison. I almost stopped watching this movie, despite liking the story and characters, specifically because of the awful "background" music that was much too often in the close foreground. Extremely poor choices regarding the music. Everything else was fine.

Keep The Book Ending

[azzabar2003 · 6/10 · 17 April 2020]

This would have been a much better and NOT confusing movie at the end had they kept the books ending. Who in their right mind thought the end of this movie was a better decision to make than the book????? Bad choice.

Meh of a movie

[holden_dog · 2/10 · 1 September 2010]

I found this first half of the movie to be alright. There isn't a lot of talking and the small amount where someone does pipe up is hardly profound, this coupled with the worst music selections EVER! The lack of talking would have been better if the acting was better, I just found the acting to be incredibly awkward.

The second half of the movie left me thinking to myself, 'What just happened?' But not in a good way. The supernatural vibe at the end came out of no where, and the move between the dream world and real world plus the flashbacks was just too much. I was highly bemused by the whole movie. I understand this was a book so maybe taking something out of the book and turning it into a narration wouldn't have gone astray.

Well-made, imperfect, multilayered gem

[moiestatz · 9 August 2012]

The direction was exquisite in portraying the allure of the initial phases of attraction. With the skillful editing and the above-average to beautiful cinematography, the movie had a well-paced, rich, atmospheric delivery.

The director, James Bolton, handled the actors deftly. Bolton carefully spent enough time on the characters to let us know the possible layers of meaning of the way they gaze at each other. The two leads were quite effective. Stephen Bender especially provided an intriguing aura to the character. Diana Scarwid and Thomas Jay Ryan were remarkable in their few scenes. Even Randy Wayne, Owen Beckman, and Rooney Mara delivered.

The soundtrack was good but had mixed applications. At the music's best, it delivered subtle meaningful tonal contrasts. At its worst, it was obtrusive and distracting.

I haven't read the book, so I'm judging the screenplay on its own. A gay growing-up story has been told over and over again ad nauseam. This movie had all the clichés. What was interesting was the surreal shift with the potential for multilayered interpretations. Not everyone will like this. Personally, this makes me want to read the book. I was satisfied enough with the delivery of this aspect, but I agree it could have been better. The ending was a unique and thought-provoking way of escaping gay media triteness.

Don't waste your time

[lpadilla-93844 · 4/10 · 16 November 2020]

Could have been a sweet coming-of-age story, but it falls very flat. Slow moving,. Cheesy music. The ending makes no sense at all and ruins what was left of the film. Waste of time. They never explain why a high school kid drives the school bus either. So odd.

Amazingly Touching Movie

[kjones67 · 9/10 · 10 October 2018]

Last night I sat down to scroll through some OnDemand movies. This movie caught my interest, but I almost scrolled past it because of the lousy reviews it received. I thought it was well-acted, and Stephan Bender and Max Roeg were incredible. The gradual and developing love between these two boys was incredibly touching. It reminded me of my own childhood crush and the taboo of not being able to be public about it at the time. It was one of those movies in which I didn't want to get so invested in the characters because I was afraid getting too emotional. Yet, it hit a personal chord. The ending was so tragic however that I choked up and couldn't believe the shocking conclusion. It was a bittersweet movie and I was sad that it was so underrated and critically reviewed. This is an amazing movie, even if there is little dialogue. I'm glad I scrolled back and ordered it. It's simplistic, yet poignant. I recommend it highly.

Needed a rewrite and a different score.

[DankShadows · 4/10 · 25 June 2011]

I thought I would like this film based on the first half. Then the story goes downhill like a runaway pickup truck. I can't help but think of "The Mudge Boy" (and "Fishbelly White") which also starts out with a lot of potential but the writer puts in a story arch that ruins the tale and turns what could be a good experience into a downer.

The two lead actors were very good in their roles and the photography is lovely. The music was often annoying. This may have made a better short than a feature-length film with a rewrite of the turn of events. If it's a tender love story you want, don't watch the second half of this film. And the title "Dream Boy" is completely misleading. The film is based on a novel which I haven't read but if the stories are the same, neither should be called "Dream Boy."

Decent Movie/Terrible Ending

[zingbot1000 · 29 October 2011]

I was thoroughly enjoying this film, with its talented and attractive two leads, the evocative setting, and a decently realistic premise.

Then came the final act.

What happens in the ending is both poorly written and a waste of a potentially fantastic film. In a story that felt so natural and real, the entire third act comes seemingly out of nowhere in effort to force the characters into a specific type of ending. An ending which, though I would have preferred otherwise, could have been achieved much more organically with story pieces already in place (the father) instead of driving an underdeveloped secondary character into an unjustifiable decision, and forcing a main character to passively accept their fate with no fight.

Awful. Truly awful.

zero!!!!

[vladisavrakic · 1/10 · 16 June 2020]

If there was any possibility to mark this "film" with zero i would give it -10! beside core of the story, nothing else was even decent! acting like in 70s erotic C production, not convincing at all. unfinished scenes, unexplained and undeveloped characters and ending ... like on some cheap synthetic drugs. all over, compete disaster.

A bad movie which was lacking to important scene's

[Irishchatter · 2/10 · 7 June 2015]

I have to tell ya, this movie might be romantic as you say but really it lacked a lot of stuff that I don't understand!

I think there shouldve been lines involved in this movie, this is the worst movie I've ever seen and ended up giving me a headache!

Glass Menagerie meets Stand by Me

[Suradit · 5 November 2011]

Unfortunately, just before I watched this movie, I read a review here stating that the story was based on a "thin-as-paper, muddled plot." With that in mind and the somewhat awkward, uncomfortable interactions between the actors at the start, I almost gave it up. The timid, brittle interactions, however, were very true to the decidedly dysfunctional family of the main character rather than tentative acting.

Yes, the plot may have been overly ambitious in all that it attempted to include. Some of what takes place was a bit formulaic and stereotypical, but the events were still integral to the story development and it felt totally realistic if not ground-breaking. There is, after all, a fair amount of shared common experience in the coming-of-age saga of most young gay men. In fact, many of us are drawn to films like this because reliving some of those common experiences, distressing as they may have been when we were young, now contribute to a comforting feeling of connection to others.

The distant, confused, tender-brutal, hateful-loving relationship between father and son, I suspect, drove a great deal of this story although it wasn't the central focus. That tension and force was very effectively accomplished without belaboring the obvious.

The movie has its rough edges as quite often happens when a complex plot is carried from book to movie. Still, I found it well worth watching.

Almost perfect!

[dave_vogel_1 · 9/10 · 19 July 2021]

If hot steamy love is your thing, you will enjoy this one!

Art.

[raywalk-32246 · 10/10 · 8 August 2021]

This film takes you on a trip. Good, bad, ugly. Definitely a southern classic story, respectfully. The emotional spectrum is explored to perfection here. Beautiful film. Great performances from the actors. A bravo is due for them all.

WELL DONE

[fabiotrastamara · 10/10 · 23 December 2018]

This movie is well directed and written. Very good job!!

A truly well acted and cautionary tale.

[richardjones282 · 9/10 · 21 September 2020]

This was a great movie. Well written ant masterfully acted..