of getting himself a nice basketball tryout at the local U.  Now just a bit of a problem here.  Basketball is a unique sport in that you can tell within about 3 seconds of somebody simply holding a basketball whether or not they have a grip on the game.  For instance, if you pass me a basketball, then watch me pivot and fire a J, you could tell that this is something I’ve done before on numerous occasions.  I have a beautiful jump shot, though I may only sink about 8% of my attempts, my form is flawless.  I could also regale you with tales of my college basketball days and reel off scoring averages, but that would just be me talking about me again.  My point is that Justin Long, though he’s a fine young actor (well, not so young, just young looking), ain’t getting no college scholarship for basketball.  Somebody should have taught the boy how to shoot a proper jump shot before rolling tape.  George Clooney perhaps, who has a very nice jump shot.  Movies are about selling the illusion.  In the tele-movie about late Loyola Marymount basketball player Hank Gathers, the producers cast two guys who have obviously never been on a basketball court in their lives.  Just because they’re black doesn’t mean they can play and thus the illusion was destroyed even before it could be established.  In ‘New Jack City’ Carl Payne and Wesley Snipes were supposed to be neighborhood basketball legends and they have this scene on the court.  Carl Payne is a fine hoopster, and it showed when he took a shot, whereas Wesley apparently had never held a basketball in his life and thus when he took his jumper, he looked like an idiot and the illusion was destroyed.  I know, what about ‘White Man Can’t Jump’?  Well sir, they took the time to train Mr. Snipes, who already had the athletic ability, just needed a little skill.  Whereas Woody Harrelson needed no training as the man actually turned down a basketball scholarship to LSU to pursue acting.  This long diatribe probably should been in an article by itself, but whattayagonnado.

Though Audrey is smitten by Mookie she inexplicably turns him on to Callista and the two hit it off quite well, though Audrey keeps falling deeper and deeper for the boy.  I should also mention that Kelli Garner is quite busty and her breast tend to dominate every scene she is in.  Just though I toss that in there.  Soon Audrey is simply overwhelmed by the responsibilities in her young life and start to completely unravel and she starts behaving in ways only an eighteen year-old would in an effort to find what the hell she is supposed to do with her life.

Jason Matzner certainly has a career as a film director with his deft and seamless handling of his camera, and his cinematographer, Jonathan Sela was certainly on his game as he practically made a New Mexico trailer park look like a little slice of heaven.  The performances are fine, particularly John Corbett who gives a real breezy turn as the screwed up father who still loves his little girl above all.  There was truly nothing wrong with ‘Dreamland’ in tone, narrative, look, performance… But I will say it’s an acquired taste of a film that could only be recommended to people who enjoy these small, somewhat inconsequential independent character study type films.  Anyone who is interested in the art of film should probably make it a point to see ‘Dreamland’, however I’m not sure it’s audience extends beyond that.