Title: CALIFORNIA DREAMING
Year of Release: 1979
Director: John D. Hancock
Genre: Drama, Romance
Synopsis: A young man comes to California from Chicago to live the surfing life, but finds that things are not greener on the other side of the fence for his friends and surfing acquaintances.
Within a film history context: Films about characters whose lives are marked by their experiences on the beach have been shown in cinema on many occasions. The first movies in this vein began onscreen in the late 1950s, a trend that has continued until the present day. Paul Wendkos' GIDGET (1959), was the first film released by a major Hollywood studio with a beach and surfing background. Its popularity led to two sequels, several television movies, and television series in the years after. Henry Levin's WHERE THE BOYS ARE (1960) unlike GIDGET, which had musical accompaniment, was MGM's entry in the genre. Starring a youthful cast including singer-actress Connie Francis, George Hamilton and Paula Prentiss, it was a popular film that appealed to young audiences at the time. One of the major films with a beach theme, though, was to arrive on screen in the early 1960s.
GIDGET and its counterparts were followed by the Beach Party movie cycle, filmed by American International Pictures. Beginning with BEACH PARTY in 1963, directed by William Asher, it led to a spate of sequels, frequently starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Some of the sequels included MUSCLE BEACH PARTY (1964), BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965) and HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI (1965), with increasingly darker variations such as DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE (1965). They were films made on tight budgets which, in most cases, returned handsome profits to the studio. The movies were also notable for the big name stars they attracted, with actors such as Eve Arden, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, and Mickey Rooney featured. This filmic fad, though, eventually petered out in prominence, largely replaced by the biker genre, which would take hold in the mid-1960s, finding its zenith in the late 1960s with EASY RIDER (1969). One of the 1960s' best films of the beach, exploring the lives of the people who frequent it, is Frank Perry's LAST SUMMER (1969). An intensive study of four characters and their life on the beach at Fire Island, it was one of the finest dramatic motion pictures with a plage setting.
The rise of surf culture in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in the U.S., Hawaii and Australia, also played a great role in the attractiveness of these movies to audiences. Thoroughly influential in this movement was Bruce Conner's documentary THE ENDLESS SUMMER (1966). A film featuring major surfing stars of the day including Michael Hynson and Robert August, and shot in locations such as the Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, it was a box-office success, and spawned a sequel in 1986, THE ENDLESS SUMMER II. The director himself was a surfer, and this showed itself in the film's authenticity and verisimilitude. As with the beach party movies, THE ENDLESS SUMMER had a disarming humor and joie de vivre that resonated with viewers at the time, and is still fondly remembered many years after its release.
With the 1970s came increasingly complex narratives which were completely different in nature from the more innocent, benign teen based films of the 1960s. LIFEGUARD (1976), directed by Daniel Petrie, was the character study of a lifeguard in his 30s, contrasting his life with that of his younger colleague. A film that showcased lead actor Sam Elliott in a swimsuit for the majority of its running time, it was more than a celebration of male beefcake. It showed the personal side of its protagonist in detail, providing a sympathetic portrait for viewers to consider. John Milius' BIG WEDNESDAY (1978) was another film that explored the private lives of its characters. In the case of this movie, it charted the exploits in detail of three characters over the course of approximately a decade. There were less serious films such as MALIBU BEACH (1978), directed by Robert J. Rosenthal, which followed the hijinks of teenagers on a Californian beach. Different in handling from other beach theme films was Al Adamson's SUNSET COVE (1978). In this instance, an environmental theme was at play, with the teenage visitors of a beach protesting the construction of an apartment complex on their beach. In contrast, CALIFORNIA DREAMING contained elements of the less-serious movies such as the Beach Party series, but had more in common with the dramatic efforts such as BIG WEDNESDAY and LIFEGUARD.
The film contained the ingredients which were present in all of the films mentioned above - beautiful settings and attractive players, giving audiences, upon initial inspection, a pleasing visual experience. In this film, though, these were employed in a more naturalistic manner by the director, drawing the viewers in with these at first sight, but, nourishing the spectator with a credible story to back these up. While CALIFORNIA DREAMING had several comedic interludes, somewhat in common with non-beach movie AMERICAN GRAFFITI, as with this film, these bits were not included just for the sake of having comedy, but fit into the movie in a comfortable manner. CALIFORNIA DREAMING was also more of a multi-character narrative than the other beach films, offering vigorous coverage of several groups of characters that the viewer learns to care about over the course of ninety minutes.
With CALIFORNIA DREAMING, the film is akin to the beach party movies to a small degree, but, instead, delves further, and more intimately, into the lives of its protagonists than those films ever did. The sexual content, while not of itself extremely explicit in nature, goes beyond what the other films could present, not only because of the censorship of the 1960s but also, as CALIFORNIA DREAMING has a more mature outlook on all matters pertaining to its characters. The characters in this film also deal with love issues and the like, but in addition, other themes such as family, personal responsibility, marriage, and guilt. Another aspect sets the film apart from others of its type. While largely set on the beach and its environs, it does not feature endless sequences there, or of the characters surfing to a great extent. It is balanced between both its indoor, and outdoor scenes, without becoming a travelogue, or a surfing documentary. One of the most thoughtful films on the beach theme presented to viewers, CALIFORNIA DREAMING is a movie that deserves recognition, and discussion, for the sensitive treatment of its characters and milieu.
Within a film history context: Films about characters whose lives are marked by their experiences on the beach have been shown in cinema on many occasions. The first movies in this vein began onscreen in the late 1950s, a trend that has continued until the present day. Paul Wendkos' GIDGET (1959), was the first film released by a major Hollywood studio with a beach and surfing background. Its popularity led to two sequels, several television movies, and television series in the years after. Henry Levin's WHERE THE BOYS ARE (1960) unlike GIDGET, which had musical accompaniment, was MGM's entry in the genre. Starring a youthful cast including singer-actress Connie Francis, George Hamilton and Paula Prentiss, it was a popular film that appealed to young audiences at the time. One of the major films with a beach theme, though, was to arrive on screen in the early 1960s.
GIDGET and its counterparts were followed by the Beach Party movie cycle, filmed by American International Pictures. Beginning with BEACH PARTY in 1963, directed by William Asher, it led to a spate of sequels, frequently starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Some of the sequels included MUSCLE BEACH PARTY (1964), BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965) and HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI (1965), with increasingly darker variations such as DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE (1965). They were films made on tight budgets which, in most cases, returned handsome profits to the studio. The movies were also notable for the big name stars they attracted, with actors such as Eve Arden, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, and Mickey Rooney featured. This filmic fad, though, eventually petered out in prominence, largely replaced by the biker genre, which would take hold in the mid-1960s, finding its zenith in the late 1960s with EASY RIDER (1969). One of the 1960s' best films of the beach, exploring the lives of the people who frequent it, is Frank Perry's LAST SUMMER (1969). An intensive study of four characters and their life on the beach at Fire Island, it was one of the finest dramatic motion pictures with a plage setting.
The rise of surf culture in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in the U.S., Hawaii and Australia, also played a great role in the attractiveness of these movies to audiences. Thoroughly influential in this movement was Bruce Conner's documentary THE ENDLESS SUMMER (1966). A film featuring major surfing stars of the day including Michael Hynson and Robert August, and shot in locations such as the Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, it was a box-office success, and spawned a sequel in 1986, THE ENDLESS SUMMER II. The director himself was a surfer, and this showed itself in the film's authenticity and verisimilitude. As with the beach party movies, THE ENDLESS SUMMER had a disarming humor and joie de vivre that resonated with viewers at the time, and is still fondly remembered many years after its release.
With the 1970s came increasingly complex narratives which were completely different in nature from the more innocent, benign teen based films of the 1960s. LIFEGUARD (1976), directed by Daniel Petrie, was the character study of a lifeguard in his 30s, contrasting his life with that of his younger colleague. A film that showcased lead actor Sam Elliott in a swimsuit for the majority of its running time, it was more than a celebration of male beefcake. It showed the personal side of its protagonist in detail, providing a sympathetic portrait for viewers to consider. John Milius' BIG WEDNESDAY (1978) was another film that explored the private lives of its characters. In the case of this movie, it charted the exploits in detail of three characters over the course of approximately a decade. There were less serious films such as MALIBU BEACH (1978), directed by Robert J. Rosenthal, which followed the hijinks of teenagers on a Californian beach. Different in handling from other beach theme films was Al Adamson's SUNSET COVE (1978). In this instance, an environmental theme was at play, with the teenage visitors of a beach protesting the construction of an apartment complex on their beach. In contrast, CALIFORNIA DREAMING contained elements of the less-serious movies such as the Beach Party series, but had more in common with the dramatic efforts such as BIG WEDNESDAY and LIFEGUARD.
The film contained the ingredients which were present in all of the films mentioned above - beautiful settings and attractive players, giving audiences, upon initial inspection, a pleasing visual experience. In this film, though, these were employed in a more naturalistic manner by the director, drawing the viewers in with these at first sight, but, nourishing the spectator with a credible story to back these up. While CALIFORNIA DREAMING had several comedic interludes, somewhat in common with non-beach movie AMERICAN GRAFFITI, as with this film, these bits were not included just for the sake of having comedy, but fit into the movie in a comfortable manner. CALIFORNIA DREAMING was also more of a multi-character narrative than the other beach films, offering vigorous coverage of several groups of characters that the viewer learns to care about over the course of ninety minutes.
With CALIFORNIA DREAMING, the film is akin to the beach party movies to a small degree, but, instead, delves further, and more intimately, into the lives of its protagonists than those films ever did. The sexual content, while not of itself extremely explicit in nature, goes beyond what the other films could present, not only because of the censorship of the 1960s but also, as CALIFORNIA DREAMING has a more mature outlook on all matters pertaining to its characters. The characters in this film also deal with love issues and the like, but in addition, other themes such as family, personal responsibility, marriage, and guilt. Another aspect sets the film apart from others of its type. While largely set on the beach and its environs, it does not feature endless sequences there, or of the characters surfing to a great extent. It is balanced between both its indoor, and outdoor scenes, without becoming a travelogue, or a surfing documentary. One of the most thoughtful films on the beach theme presented to viewers, CALIFORNIA DREAMING is a movie that deserves recognition, and discussion, for the sensitive treatment of its characters and milieu.
Overview: John D. Hancock is the director of eight feature films in his nearly fifty year career. After his debut in 1971, he has released his latest movie in 2020, with many television credits between. Mr Hancock's inaugural film, LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971) was a horror movie, and he followed this with one of his most famous films, BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY (1973). The story of two baseball players and the relationship which blossoms between them, it was an excellent vehicle for stars Robert De Niro and Michael Moriarty. Next came BABY BLUE MARINE (1976) with Jan-Michael Vincent. Following the adventures, and mis-adventures of a young marine, set during World War II, it offered its star ample opportunities to display his winning charm for viewers. After an eight year hiatus from cinema, Mr Hancock released WEEDS (1987). With Nick Nolte in the lead role, it was about a jailed lifer who writes a play, this piquing the curiosity of a reporter. Mr Hancock's most recent movie, THE GIRLS OF SUMMER (2020) is a character study of a young woman who yearns of becoming a musician, but events throw her many curve balls along the way. CALIFORNIA DREAMING, as with all of his movies, is character-driven in nature, that also treads on dramatic, but realistic situations, that could easily have occurred in life.
This focus on realistic situations and scenarios is something that permeates all of Mr Hancock's work, and is sharply in evidence in CALIFORNIA DREAMING. Mr Hancock offers portraits of his characters who, at the outset, would appear to be two-dimensional or lacking depth. The talk of surfing, girls and tans is shallow, making the characters seem partial to judging others on a superficial level. As the film progresses, and the viewer becomes accustomed to the characters ands their quirks, the director strips away the veneer, showing these people with all their flaws, making them very real, and in many instances, moving. There is more to them than suntans and swimwear, and laying on the beach all day.
The tight concentration on character groups in the movie serves it well, making the film flow soundly, without the necessity of unnecessary scenes that otherwise might bog down the action. While one of the character groups, without doubt, would have benefitted from deeper examination, instead of being present just for comic relief, in retrospect, this decision works. It serves to balance the film, especially in the final acts, where it is at its most heart-rending. What is not as attractive to witness was the sexual scene between T.T. and Corky in the movie. It is tasteless in nature and takes too long onscreen to unravel, hampering the film's reflective nature to an extent. It added nothing except possibly embarrassing the actors in question, but it is the one segment of the film that could have been shortened without any issue. This, though, is a minor quibble when considering the film's impact overall. CALIFORNIA DREAMING is one of John Hancock's smoothest, most accessible films, which packs an emotional wallop that one will remember long after seeing it.
This focus on realistic situations and scenarios is something that permeates all of Mr Hancock's work, and is sharply in evidence in CALIFORNIA DREAMING. Mr Hancock offers portraits of his characters who, at the outset, would appear to be two-dimensional or lacking depth. The talk of surfing, girls and tans is shallow, making the characters seem partial to judging others on a superficial level. As the film progresses, and the viewer becomes accustomed to the characters ands their quirks, the director strips away the veneer, showing these people with all their flaws, making them very real, and in many instances, moving. There is more to them than suntans and swimwear, and laying on the beach all day.
The tight concentration on character groups in the movie serves it well, making the film flow soundly, without the necessity of unnecessary scenes that otherwise might bog down the action. While one of the character groups, without doubt, would have benefitted from deeper examination, instead of being present just for comic relief, in retrospect, this decision works. It serves to balance the film, especially in the final acts, where it is at its most heart-rending. What is not as attractive to witness was the sexual scene between T.T. and Corky in the movie. It is tasteless in nature and takes too long onscreen to unravel, hampering the film's reflective nature to an extent. It added nothing except possibly embarrassing the actors in question, but it is the one segment of the film that could have been shortened without any issue. This, though, is a minor quibble when considering the film's impact overall. CALIFORNIA DREAMING is one of John Hancock's smoothest, most accessible films, which packs an emotional wallop that one will remember long after seeing it.
Acting: The acting in CALIFORNIA DREAMING is one of its best qualities, taking the film from what could have been an ordinary scenario, and making it into something special. As Duke, the owner of the beach café, this is one of Seymour Cassel's best, most shaded performances. As the gentle dreamer Duke, Mr Cassel provides the film's most moving scenes. Everything about it, from Mr Cassel's quiet voice to his careful movements, adds up to a wonderful interpretation of the wistful Duke. He is matched by Dennis Christopher as T.T., the young man Duke takes under his wing, only to have events in their friendship spin out of control. A lively actor adept as playing both the friendly but also, utterly reprehensible sides of his character well, Mr Christopher excels as the believable T.T. As Fay, Dorothy Tristan works well as a team with Mr Cassel's Duke, her subtle mannerisms and quiet voice used to great effect. Their estrangement, and subsequent reconciliation are handled with self-assurance by the two actors. There are three other performers in CALIFORNIA DREAMING who warrant recognition for their contribution to the film.
John Calvin, as macho, conceited surfer Rick, offers a complex interpretation of a character who normally would have seemed one-note. Mr Calvin is a capable actor who seems to be comfortable in any environment, be it on the beach wearing a swimsuit as he is here, or in a three-piece suit in FOOLIN' AROUND (1980). He has a certain teasing nature in this film that is both humorous, but also, contemptible when necessary. As his girlfriend Stephanie, Tanya Roberts is just right in CALIFORNIA DREAMING. An actress who was excellent in Charlie's Angels as Julie Rogers, in this film she displays acting attributes that, unfortunately, were largely underutilized in the other films in which she starred. Here Miss Roberts plays the patient, understanding young woman seeking to make a life with a man who just sees her as a pretty diversion. It is interesting to note Miss Roberts' use of her eyes in the film to show her unsureness, and silence when faced with certain truths. While the scenes could have been played with a more overt flashiness, Miss Roberts wisely eschews this, underplaying her role. She uses her facial expressions, and body language, to convey her feelings to the audience. The final performance of note in the movie was that of Johnny Fain as Tenner, surfer friend of Rick, in what was his last screen appearance. A real-life champion surfer who acted in several movies over the years, here he was employed in an effective but too-brief capacity on screen. His reaction to Rick's words in the film ring true, and his contribution rounds out the great acting in CALIFORNIA DREAMING.
John Calvin, as macho, conceited surfer Rick, offers a complex interpretation of a character who normally would have seemed one-note. Mr Calvin is a capable actor who seems to be comfortable in any environment, be it on the beach wearing a swimsuit as he is here, or in a three-piece suit in FOOLIN' AROUND (1980). He has a certain teasing nature in this film that is both humorous, but also, contemptible when necessary. As his girlfriend Stephanie, Tanya Roberts is just right in CALIFORNIA DREAMING. An actress who was excellent in Charlie's Angels as Julie Rogers, in this film she displays acting attributes that, unfortunately, were largely underutilized in the other films in which she starred. Here Miss Roberts plays the patient, understanding young woman seeking to make a life with a man who just sees her as a pretty diversion. It is interesting to note Miss Roberts' use of her eyes in the film to show her unsureness, and silence when faced with certain truths. While the scenes could have been played with a more overt flashiness, Miss Roberts wisely eschews this, underplaying her role. She uses her facial expressions, and body language, to convey her feelings to the audience. The final performance of note in the movie was that of Johnny Fain as Tenner, surfer friend of Rick, in what was his last screen appearance. A real-life champion surfer who acted in several movies over the years, here he was employed in an effective but too-brief capacity on screen. His reaction to Rick's words in the film ring true, and his contribution rounds out the great acting in CALIFORNIA DREAMING.
Soundtrack: CALIFORNIA DREAMING is peppered with melodic pop tunes throughout its running time which enhance what is taking place onscreen. Always appropriate and never overpowering, the use of music only makes the film a more pleasurable viewing event.
Mise-en-scene: The film has a naturalistic approach to its locations and sets, and this works to the advantage of CALIFORNIA DREAMING. The vast majority of the movie is filmed on the beach, giving it a feeling of veracity. A studio could in no manner have duplicated the authenticity that a actual location provides, and the beach and water provide an excellent backdrop to the scenes. The film is also measured in both its indoor, and outdoor locations, providing a good balance between both of these. A number of examples stand out in the movie of this. Duke's bar is suitably casual without being over the top or 'beachy', Duke and Corky's home feels like a real beach house, and Stephanie's family home is comfortable and lush while still retaining a seaside vibe.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Seymour Cassel, Dorothy Tristan, Dennis Christopher, Tanya Roberts, John Calvin, Johnny Fain.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Seymour Cassel, Dorothy Tristan, Dennis Christopher, Tanya Roberts, John Calvin, Johnny Fain.
Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, female nudity, male nudity, adult themes, low-level violence.
Overall Grade: B
Link: IMDB Page
Trailer
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment.