In Dreams (1999)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers (WGA):

Bari Wood (novel)
Bruce Robinson (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You don't have to sleep to dream

Plot:

Claire Cooper dreams strange things from time to time. One night, she dreams about a little girl being taken away by a stranger...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Suicide Attempt | Girl | Padded Cell | Psychiatric Hospital

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Annette Bening	...	Claire Cooper
Katie Sagona	...	Rebecca Cooper
Aidan Quinn	...	Paul Cooper
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Vivian Thompson
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Detective Jack Kay
Kathleen Langlois	...	Snow White
Jennifer Berry	...	Hunter
Emma J. Brown	...	Dwarf
Jennifer Dragon	...	Dwarf
Samantha Kelly	...	Dwarf
Jennifer Caine Natenshon	...	Dwarf
Bethany M. Paquin	...	Dwarf
Erica Sullivan	...	Dwarf
Amelia Claire Novotny	...	Prince
Kristin Sroka	...	Wicked Stepmother
Robert Walsh	...	Man at School Play
Denise Cormier	...	Woman at School Play
John Fiore	...	Policeman
Ken Cheeseman	...	Paramedic
Dennis Boutsikaris	...	Doctor Stevens
Devon Cole Borisoff	...	Vivian Thompson - As Boy
Stephen Rea	...	Doctor Silverman
Prudence Wright Holmes	...	Mary
Lonnie Farmer	...	Nurse Rosco
Margo Martindale	...	Nurse Floyd
June Lewin	...	Kindly Nurse
Pamela Payton-Wright	...	Ethel
Krystal Benn	...	Ruby
Dorothy Dwyer	...	Foster Mother
Geoffrey Wigdor	...	Vivian Thompson - As Teenager (as Geoff Wigdor)
Wally Dunn	...	Walter
Eric Roemele	...	Security Man - 1970's
Dossy Peabody	...	Vivian's Mother
John Michael Vaughn	...	Helicopter Pilot
Brian Goodman	...	Policeman in Squad Car
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Judge (voice)
Pete	...	Dobie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Bruno Borgman	...	Man Trapped in Car (uncredited)
Alan Francis	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Mylan Janoplis	...	Diver (uncredited)
Dee Nelson	...	Teacher (uncredited)

Directed by
Neil Jordan

Writing credits (WGA)
Bari Wood		(novel "Doll's Eyes")
Bruce Robinson		(screenplay) and
Neil Jordan		(screenplay)

Produced by
Charles Burke	....	producer
Redmond Morris	....	co-producer
Stephen Woolley	....	producer

Original Music by
Elliot Goldenthal

Cinematography by
Darius Khondji

Film Editing by
Tony Lawson

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Nigel Phelps

Art Direction by
Martin Laing

Set Decoration by
Gretchen Rau

Costume Design by
Jeffrey Kurland

Makeup Department
Enzo Angileri	....	hair stylist: Ms. Bening
Carrie Angland	....	makeup artist: Ms. Bening
Matiki Anoff	....	makeup artist
John Caglione Jr.	....	makeup artist
Felice Diamond	....	makeup artist
Lori Hicks	....	makeup artist
Bill Johnson	....	key special makeup effects artist
Erwin H. Kupitz	....	wig maker: Ms. Benning (as Erwin Kupitz)
Bill Messina	....	special makeup effects artist
Jackie Payne	....	hair stylist (as Jacqueline Payne)
Aaron F. Quarles	....	hair stylist
Scott Spencer	....	makeup effects assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Nan L. Bernstein	....	production manager
Rafael Cuervo	....	unit manager: Mexico
Eve Light Honthaner	....	production supervisor: DreamWorks
Lori Johnson	....	production supervisor: NC
Judy Richter	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Clayton	....	first assistant director
Bac DeLorme	....	second second assistant director
Christo Morse	....	second assistant director
Ronan O'Connor	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Jonathan Askew	....	construction grip
Jim Astbury	....	art department assistant
Alice Baker	....	assistant set decorator
Todd Bakerian-Devane	....	on-set dresser
James R. Barrows	....	set dresser: Mexico
Jon Billington	....	set designer: Mexico
Merideth Boswell	....	set decorator: Mexico
John T. Browell	....	set dresser: North Carolina
Sarah Jackson Burt	....	assistant decorator
Marco A. Campos	....	construction foreman: Mexico
Juliet Carter	....	set dresser
Jeffrey DeBell	....	set dresser
Robert E. Denne	....	gangboss painter: Mexico
Robert E. Denne	....	paint supervisor: Mexico (as Robert Dante' Denne)
Mary E. DiCicco	....	scenic foreman
Anthony Dunne	....	construction coordinator
Jennifer Engel	....	props
Hal Gardner	....	set dresser: North Carolina
Julia Garrison	....	painter
John Grimolizzi	....	construction foreman
David Gulick	....	property master
Jane Gulick	....	set dresser
Christine Hughen	....	assistant props: Mexico
Neil Hyman	....	props: North Carolina (as Neil A. Hyman)
George Jenson	....	storyboard artist
J. Luther Jones III	....	carpenter: North Carolina (as Luther Jones)
Chris Kaseta-Cornelius	....	stand-by scenic
James V. Kent	....	leadman
Mark David Kersey	....	stand-by greens
Gary A. Krakoff	....	construction coordinator: Mexico
Gary B. Krakoff Jr.	....	propmaker foreman: Mexico
Jack Laspada	....	labor foreman: Mexico
Charles Dwight Lee	....	set designer: Mexico
Eric Levenson	....	scenic foreman
Edward 'Tantar' LeViseur	....	assistant property master (as Tantar LeViseur)
Ryan T. Mennealy	....	set dresser: Mexico
Karen Menze	....	scenic foreman
Kris Moran	....	assistant property master (as Kristine Moran)
Mark Morgenstein	....	set designer
Lisa Nagid	....	art department coordinator
Fred O'Connor	....	propmaker
Eugene Pope	....	carpenter
Kathleen Rosen	....	set dresser
Kathy Rosen	....	set dresser
Kenneth Salter	....	carpenter
Tommy Samona	....	lead man: Mexico
Robert Schleinig	....	on-set dresser
Jim Schneider	....	set dresser
Jim Scott	....	carpenter
'Polar Bear' Shaw	....	set dresser: North Carolina (as Polar Bear Shaw)
Carl Sprague	....	assistant art director
Theodore Suchecki	....	set dresser
Jack Coyle	....	lead on-set carpenter (uncredited)
Paul W. Gorfine	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Kon Iliov	....	gangboss (uncredited)
Dana Schaefer	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Philip Alton	....	dialogue editor
John Fitzgerald	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Gaines	....	machine room operator
Pauline Griffiths	....	foley artist
Sara Hegarty	....	assistant dialogue editor
Joel Iwataki	....	sound recording engineer
Jenny Lee Wright	....	foley artist
Paul Massey	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Nicky Moss	....	foley editor
Douglas Murray	....	additional sound editor
Caroline O'Hanrahan	....	foley artist
Jon Olive	....	assistant sound editor
James Sabat	....	production sound mixer
Louis Sabat	....	boom operator
Leslie Shatz	....	sound designer
Leslie Shatz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ruth Sullivan	....	foley artist
Cathi Weldon	....	assistant foley editor
Gail Carroll-Coe	....	sound utility technician (uncredited)
Anthony Litton	....	additional assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ron Colucci	....	special effects technician
Yves De Bono	....	special effects supervisor
Scott Dwyer	....	special effects technician
Phil H. Fravel	....	special effects technician
Mark Griffin	....	special effects buyer
Kevin Hannigan	....	special effects coordinator: reshoots
John Herzberger	....	senior special effects technician
David Hill	....	special effects technician
Matt Kutcher	....	special effects coordinator: Fox Baja
Danny L. Swanson	....	special effects technician: Mexico unit
Andy Wilson	....	senior special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tom Debenham	....	visual effects designer
Adrian De Wet	....	digital compositor
Pete Hanson	....	studio manager: CFC
Libby Hazell	....	visual effects coordinator: CFC
Matt Kasmir	....	digital artist
Mark Nelmes	....	visual effects supervisor
Alison O'Brien	....	visual effects producer: CFC
Alex Payman	....	digital effects artist: CFC
Gavin Toomey	....	digital effects compositor
Dan Glass	....	visual effects designer (uncredited)
Dennis Michelson	....	visual effects: CFC (uncredited)
Kevin Phelan	....	scanning and recording producer: CFC London (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts
Dana D. Bertolette	....	stunts (as Dana Bertolette)
Richard L. Blackwell	....	stunts
Robin Lynn Bonaccorsi	....	stunts (as Robin Bonaccorsi)
Peter Bucossi	....	stunts
Eliza Coleman	....	stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunts
Danny Downey	....	stunts
Andy Duppin	....	stunts
Peter Epstein	....	stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunts
Gene Harrison	....	stunts
Donald John Hewitt	....	stunts (as Don J. Hewitt)
Don Hewitt	....	stunts (as Don Hewitt Sr.)
Jery Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
Jennifer Lamb	....	stunts
David Paul Lord	....	stunts
Kurt D. Lott	....	stunts (as Kurt Lott)
Steve Mack	....	stunts
Jack McLaughlin	....	stunts
John Patrick McLaughlin	....	stunts
Mike Nomad	....	safety diver
Charles Page	....	stunts
Janet Paparazzo	....	stunts
Susan Purkhiser	....	stunts
Jodi Michelle Pynn	....	stunts
Michael Russo	....	stunts
Keith Siglinger	....	stunts
Gene Harrison	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Charles Page	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alison Barton	....	grip
Josh Blakeslee	....	camera loader
Mike Blauvelt	....	camera loader: Mexico
Matthew Brookman	....	electrician
Scott Browner	....	camera operator: "b" camera, Mexico
Renzo Spirit Buffalo	....	assistant camera
Christian H. Burton	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera, Mexico (as Chris Burton)
Wanna Cam Cam	....	camera production assistant
Tony Campenni	....	dolly grip
Rick Cardillo	....	electrician
Chris Centrella	....	key grip
Christopher Centrella	....	key grip
John Choi	....	assistant camera
Bill Coe	....	assistant camera
Jerry DeBlau	....	gaffer
Kenny Dodd	....	electrician
Thomas Doran	....	key rigging grip
Tim Driscoll	....	grip
François Duhamel	....	still photographer
Stefan Forbes	....	additional first assistant camera
Richie Ford	....	rigging gaffer
Daniel Galiardi	....	assistant camera
Adam Gilmore	....	assistant camera
Peter Girolami	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Eli Golub	....	assistant camera
Eli Golub	....	crane technician: Technocrane
Oscar Gomez	....	best boy rigging grip
Steve Hastings	....	electric rigging best boy: Mexico
Alec Hirschfeld	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Marc Hirschfeld	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Marc D. Hirschfeld)
Jerry Holway	....	Steadicam operator
Oscar Inzunza	....	rigging electrician: Mexico
Jenny Kane	....	rigging best boy
Glenn Kaplan	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera, Mexico (as Glenn D. Kaplan)
Bronislaw C. Karol	....	electrician
Scott C. Keys	....	rigging electrician
Dean M. King	....	best boy grip
Jeff Kluttz	....	key rigging grip: Mexico
David Knox	....	Steadicam operator
Eric Komar	....	grip
Kevin J. Lang	....	rigging gaffer: Mexico (as Kevin Lang)
Dave LaRue	....	grip
David Larue	....	grip
Peter Letzelter-Smith	....	best boy rigging grip
Jay Levy	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, Mexico
Rick Maddux	....	underwater best boy: Mexico
Chip Matheson	....	underwater grip: Mexico
Patrick Murray	....	underwater gaffer (as Pat Murray)
Thomas C. Nisbet	....	electrician
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Tony Olivieri	....	first assistant camera: underwater unit
Brad Peterman	....	first assistant camera: underwater unit
Brad Peterman	....	underwater first assistant camera: Mexico
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator
Pete Romano	....	underwater photographer
James J. Sabat Jr.	....	video assistant
Abe Schrager	....	camera operator: second unit
Wayne Simpson	....	electrician
Mark Vollmer	....	grip
Guy Holt	....	electrician (uncredited)
Jordan Lapsansky	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Matt Bouldry	....	location casting assistant: Boston
Marty Cherrix	....	extras casting
Anya Colloff	....	casting assistant
Carolyn Pickman	....	location casting
Iris Hampton	....	background casting: Baja (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Debbie Holbrook	....	costumer
Chanthou Kozberg	....	on-set costumer: Mexico
Dawn Y. Line	....	costume supervisor
Suzanne McCabe	....	assistant costume designer
Winsome G. McKoy	....	set costumer (as Winsome McKoy)
Shoshana Rubin	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Jens Baylis	....	second assistant editor
Martin Cohen	....	post-production executive
Paul Ensby	....	color grader
Niamh Fagan	....	first assistant editor
Grainne Gavigan	....	assistant editor: lightworks
Kristen M. Johnson	....	first assistant editor
Andrea Lelievre	....	second assistant editor
Yvan Lucas	....	color consultant
Tricia Perrott	....	post-production coordinator
Caoimhe Doyle	....	additional assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Andy Brown	....	music contractor
Deaf Elk	....	musician: guitar
Robert Elhai	....	orchestrator
Elizabeth Fraser	....	additional vocalist
Robert Garrett	....	preview music editor
Matthias Gohl	....	music producer (as Teese Gohl)
Elliot Goldenthal	....	music co-producer
Elliot Goldenthal	....	orchestrator
Page Hamilton	....	musician: guitar
Andrew Hawkins	....	musician: guitar
Todd Homme	....	executive in charge of music
Eric Hubel	....	musician: guitar
Joel Iwataki	....	music scoring mixer
The London Metropolitan Orchestra	....	music performed by
Lawrence Manchester	....	score recording engineer
Rick Martinez	....	music producer: electronic score
David Reid	....	musician: guitar
Curtis Roush	....	music editor
Jonathan Sheffer	....	conductor
Mark Stuart	....	musician: guitar
Claudine Ward	....	assistant music editor

Transportation Department
Denise Avallon	....	driver
Steven Baldwin	....	transportation captain: North Carolina
Ron Bledsoe	....	transportation
Hugo Chew	....	transportation captain: Mexico
Tina Del Castillo	....	driver
Jimmy Flynn	....	transportation coordinator (as James Flynn)
Thomas A. Gordon	....	transportation coordinator: Mexico
Robert Martini	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Guy Adan	....	unit publicist
Darlyne R. Baugh	....	assistant production coordinator: North Carolina
Thom Bennett	....	assistant to director
Steve Berens	....	dog trainer
Laura Berning	....	assistant location manager (as Laura J. Berning)
Tyson Bidner	....	location assistant
Anthony Bixby	....	safety diver: Mexico Unit (as John Anthony Bixby)
Joseph Bouvier	....	production assistant
Christine Bown	....	assistant: Mr. Woolley
Mike Cameron	....	safety officer: Mexico Unit
Amy Carroll	....	production assistant
Ginger Cassell	....	production secretary: North Carolina
Al Cerullo	....	aerial coordinator
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Deb Clapp	....	medic
Iram Collantes	....	production assistant: Mexico
Felice Contreras-Still	....	assistant accountant: Mexico
Maria DeVane	....	post-production accountant
Timothy Donohue	....	set production assistant
Fernanda Echeverria	....	production coordinator: Mexico
Francisco Escobar	....	production assistant
Randi Feldman	....	script supervisor
Stephanie Fischette	....	production secretary: North Carolina
Damien Fitzpatrick	....	dive master: Mexico Unit
Lisa Furia	....	accounting clerk
Nicole Furia	....	production accountant
Hans Graffunder	....	assistant production coordinator
Lizz Grant	....	production coordinator
Jessica Hall	....	production secretary
A. Scott Hoffman	....	safety coordinator
Lance Holland	....	location manager: North Carolina
Erik D. Hutchins	....	production assistant
Marlon () Jackson	....	marine coordinator: North Carolina
Rudy Joffroy	....	key set production assistant: Mexico
Sarah Jordan	....	assistant: Mr. Jordan
Lisa M. LaBelle	....	production secretary
Eric Layne	....	assistant accountant
Dakotah Masset	....	stand-in: ms. benning
Kevin Foster McCarthy	....	stand-in
Bertha Medina	....	assistant production coordinator: Mexico
Jessica A. Milstein	....	production assistant
Steven R. Molen	....	production executive
Gavin Duffy Morris	....	production assistant
Kim Mozingo	....	assistant: Ms. Bening
Mike Nomad	....	swimming instructor
Jennifer Olivo	....	production assistant: Mexico
Tricia Perrott	....	assistant: Mr. Morris
Cathy Peterson	....	location assistant: North Carolina
Roger Phillips	....	title designer
Kimberly Rach	....	production coordinator
Brenda Rawn	....	executive assistant: Mr. Jordan
Demian Resnick	....	location assistant
Robyn Retblatt	....	production assistant
Horacio Rodríguez	....	location assistant
Vail Romeyn	....	production coordinator: Mexico
Esteban Sanchez	....	production assistant: Mexico
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator
Ivor Shier	....	helicopter pilot
Patrick Shiffrar	....	assistant accountant
Matthew Spirn	....	craft service
Robin Squibb	....	script supervisor
Sandra Suarez	....	production assistant
Bryan Thomas	....	location manager
Anna Tkatch	....	production assistant
Omar Veytia	....	production consultant: Mexico
Adam T. Weisinger	....	production assistant
Alan Williams	....	diving services: North Carolina Unit
Philippa Wood	....	assistant: Mr. Woolley
Timothy D. Orr	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Bill Richards	....	aerial coordinator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Amblin Entertainment
• DreamWorks SKG

Distributors

• DreamWorks Distribution (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (theatrical) (non-USA)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• DreamWorks Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Finnkino (2000) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2003) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Red Feather Photoplays
• SubTV (2003) (Finland) (TV)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (Argentina) (all media)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2001) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Computer Film Company, The (CFC)
• Spectrum Effects

Other Companies

• Ardmore Sound  sound post-production
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• London Metropolitan Orchestra, The  orchestra
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Blue Vision (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence/terror and language.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #36294) | Philippines:R-18 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Goofs:

Factual errors: During sentencing, the judge tells Vivian "the State of Massachusetts has declared you insane," thus making him ineligible for the death penalty. In legal parlance, Massachusetts is always referred to as a Commonwealth, and does not practice the death penalty.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Claire: [Helping daughter rehearse lines from Snow White while walking through trees by lake.]
[In sing-song voice]
Claire: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of us all?
Rebecca Cooper: [Skipping through trees by lake.]
[In sing-song voice]
Rebecca Cooper: You're the fairest in this hall but Snow WHITE is THE...
Claire: [Laughs] Come on Rebecca, forget it's a play. Just, say it like you're saying it to me.
Rebecca Cooper: [sing-song voice] Snow White's the fairest of them all.
Claire: And again.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Los sin nombre (1999)

Soundtrack:

IN DREAMS

What is insanity truly like? Watch In Dreams and you'll find out.

The color red is very significant in In Dreams, in everything from the apples that seem to represent Claire's (Annette Bening) fears to the red dress that she is dressed in the numerous times that she 'dies' to the weird red color of Vivian's (Robert Downey Jr.) hair towards the end of the film. The color red is used to constantly remind the audience of the tenseness and fear in the film.

Ironically enough, the first thing that went through my mind when I saw Robert Downey Jr. as the psychopath as he approached Claire toward the end of the film was that he was horribly miscast in this film, and that his presence would inevitably lead to the ultimate disappointment that I expected to feel after the movie ended. However, aside from the goofy contact lenses that he wore and the obviously dyed hair, I was surprisingly impressed with his contribution to the film. In the film's closing scene, in particular, he was able to deliver one final performance that left jaws dropped as the credits began.

In Dreams is definitely not for everyone. I think that for this particular film, there will be people who loved it, people who hated it, and people who just didn't understand it, with probably not much in between. Unfortunately, it was much more effective on the big screen than on video, but with a healthy twist of the volume knob, it can be made to have virtually the same effect. Just don't watch it alone if you live out in the woods!