Dreamchild (1985)

Director:

Gavin Millar

Writer:

Dennis Potter (writer)

Release Date:

4 October 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Fantasy

Plot:

Exploring the somewhat darker and more mysterious side of the Lewis Carroll's classic book, the movie...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Coral Browne	...	Alice Hargreaves
Ian Holm	...	Reverend Charles L. Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll)
Peter Gallagher	...	Jack Dolan
Nicola Cowper	...	Lucy
Jane Asher	...	Mrs. Liddell
Amelia Shankley	...	Little Alice
Imogen Boorman	...	Lorina
Emma King	...	Edith
Rupert Wainwright	...	Hargreaves
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Mr. Duckworth
James Wilby	...	Baker
Shane Rimmer	...	Mr. Marl
Peter Whitman	...	Radio Producer
Ken Campbell	...	Sound Effects Guy / March Hare (voice)
William Hootkins	...	1st Radio Actor

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #27722)

Filming Locations:

Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Company:

PfH Ltd.

Trivia:

Two of Liddell children who also spent time with Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) are not mentioned, Alice's older brother Harry and her baby sister Rhoda. Around the time when she met Hargreaves (the man she later married) there was another edition to the family, the last child Violet.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the tea dance Jack and Lucy waltz to "I Only Have Eyes For You." The scene is set in 1932, but the song was not written until 1934.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Verity Lambert: Drama Queen (2008) (TV)

The Viewer in Wonderland

Very moody and stylish movie - whose plot switches between three venues - the 1860s when Lewis Carroll introduced the Wonderland tales to young Alice and her sisters - the 1930s when the aged Alice visited the U.S. months before her death - and the surreal world of the Alice in Wonderland stories with story characters portrayed by wickedly designed Jim Henson puppets

Four actresses stand out in my memory - Coral Browne as the starchy old Alice - Amelia Shankley as the young selfcentered Alice - Nicola Cowper as old Alices companion and love interest to the young American reporter played by Peter Gallagher - and - in a small role - Caris Corfman as a wistful newspaper reporter - in addition to many fine British and American actors

My only gripe is Ian Holm's age - Holm was in his early 50s when he portrayed Lewis Carroll - who was closer to 30 when he first told the stories - there were concerns in his time about the purity of his interest in his child friends and photography subjects - such as Alice - Ian Holm brings that frightfully to life

This film took great care in evoking the respective time periods - using beautiful set designs and photography - as a result - the movie is itself an exotic journey into other times and places - with Alice still as protagonist