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Beautiful Dreamers (1990)
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Song of Whitman, 31 July 1998
Author: Matthew Ignoffo (mermatt@webtv.net) from Eatontown, NJ, USA
Rip Torn does an excellent job bringing Walt Whitman to life in this fact-based story of his meeting with Dr. Bucke who ran a mental institution in London, Canada. Whitman the poet breaks the Victorian boundaries and causes Dr. Bucke to deal with the patients in an unconventional way.
The real-life Dr. Bucke was profoundly influenced by his encounter with Whitman. Dr. Bucke later wrote a book called COSMIC CONSCIOUSNESS in which he discussed the great mystics throughout history -- and he thought Whitman was one of the greatest. This film shows us why he was so impressed with the poet.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Caseman is hypercritical, 26 August 2007
Author: mdunn202 from United States
This movie treats the mentally ill as human beings, and presents a fictionalized but more-or-less historical encounter between the director of a mental institution in Canada and the very controversial Walt Whitman. If you dislike movies that ask you to think AND feel, you will not like this movie. But for anyone with any knowledge of how the mentally ill have been treated throughout history and who have actually known people who are mentally ill, this movie touches something that as human beings we all share. You do not have to be religious at all to recognize the fundamental truth of Matthew 36 - 40 (or at least 39 - 40). Have a look before you jump to any conclusion.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Historically Inaccurate, 23 January 2007
Author: space_girl27 from Canada
Please note that I haven't seen the film since I discovered it in 2007, and my town is smaller and doesn't carry it. However, I really want to say something about it. I'm actually doing research for university on the title character Richard Maurice Bucke and would like to point out that the person they based the main character on was in reality completely different!!! Hollywood's ideas of people and artistic license granted, the real Dr. Bucke totally endorsed hysterectomies to cure insanity in women, and would never have practiced anything as liberal as represented in the film. I think it's laughable to see various film critics who write for legitimate newspapers who say this film has some historical basis! The only actual fact I can see is the friendship between Dr. Bucke and Walt Whitman. Please don't waste your time on a film with such a disregard to the horror that real women experienced at the hands of this doctor who has now been glorified by the film industry.
A worthwhile movie about Walt Whitman. A kind of 19th Century "Awakenings", 31 October 2006
Author: ericursus from Canada
I found the one and only comment about this movie entirely uninformative and altogether too harsh, so I have decided to write my own. I first saw this movie when it came out and have caught it a few times more since then. First of all let me say that, overall, the things that this movie gets RIGHT are what make it worthwhile. It doesn't matter that it has some low budget quirks and other faults. It is worth watching. The idea of basing a movie on Walt Whitman's visit a restrictive, narrow-minded Anglo-Canadian community in Southern Ontario and bringing people to life is a brilliant mis-en-scene. The movie is about the kind of humanizing catalysis Whitman inspired in people. And in that sense it is exactly accurate. The acting - especially by Rip Torn (Whitman) and Colm Feore as the doctor - is very good. The scripting and dialogue are strong and pay proper attention to the mores and inflections of the time. Overall, what's not to like? Besides, name another film in which Whitman is brought so vividly to life?
Rare look at one man's power to change mental health, 20 August 2006
Author: solaraine from United States
The rating is only a 5 because it's a movie that could have used better acting and direction (or at least music!). However, for the achievements of Walt Whitman, it deserves a 10. A previous poster calls the movie cheesy, however, I think it's a simple case of not seeing the forest for the trees. The film makers were apparently more interested in getting the story out there than to have a Hollywood shiny feature film. And for this, I applaud them - the fact it is non-mainstream reflects the life of Whitman as well. This film is more documentary than for the sake of acting. To be fascinated with a story such as this, when you rarely hear of these types of stories that shape current day mental health, is the most important thing. I found it a highly enjoyable look at history.
most viewers missed the heart of this movie, 15 September 2005
Author: babyhawk22 from United States
This little film had long been on my "keeper" list. Do people realize how stressed out, menopausal, emotionally abused women (as well as the mentally retarded) were REALLY treated by the medical profession at the turn of the century??!! All of the pious uptight Christian attitudes of that time were deadly to exploring TRUE emotional feelings that would allow us to embrace suffering souls, let alone explore what it means to embrace our humanity. Can you really imagine (by today's standards) that Walt Whitman's books were banned because he acknowledged women as having feelings and emotional responses as great as a mans? Think about that! The sensitivity of this movie still gets me and I give credit to the director for capturing this through his eyes.
3 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
A cheesy story that could have been much, much better., 23 August 1999
Author: Caseman- from Seattle, WA
This was a complete disappointment. The acting isn't bad, but the production was just so bad that at times I felt I needed to stop it, but I sadly made it through and was able to finish it a bit embarrassed by the whole poor movie. It is o.k. if you are o.k. with cheesy moral plots and don't mind watching a movie that vastly misconstrues Whitman. If you want a cheesy fictional story go for it.
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