Have Dreams, Will Travel (2007)

Director:

Brad Isaacs

Writer (WGA):

Brad Isaacs (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

You're never too young to have a plan.

Plot:

Set in the 1960's, a magical tale of two 12-year-olds embarking on an adventure to find new, cool parents and escape their neglected, overly adult,existence.

Plot Keywords:

Trauma | Boy Girl Best Friend Romance | Orphan

Cast

Cayden Boyd	...	Ben Reynolds
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Ben's Mother
Matthew Modine	...	Ben's Father
Noah Grabowski	...	Ben at 2
J.D. Garfield	...	Father in Diner
Johnny Cotugno	...	Plumber (as John Cotugno)
Jeff Griffin	...	Roofer
Candace Campfield	...	Accountant
Mary Evans	...	Cassie's Mother
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Cassie Kennington
Mike Miller	...	Sheriff LeClaire (as Michael Miller)
William Lawrence Allen	...	Cassie's Father
Michael Clark	...	Truck Driver #1
Boots Southerland	...	Truck Driver #2 (as Boots Sutherland)
Val Kilmer	...	Henderson

Also Known As:

A West Texas Children's Story (USA) (working title)
West Texas Lullaby (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

Germany:86 min (European Film Market)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Thunder Bay Pictures

Trivia:

This feature film employed over 50 local New Mexicans.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ben: [narrating] I'm just a kid, there's a lot I don't know. But one thing I do know, is that my folks should never have married. And they definitely should never had a kid.

A Sweet and Touching Road Movie

In the 60's, in West Texas, twelve year-old Ben (Cayden Boyd) is a boy neglected by his parents. His mother (Lara Flynn Boyle) is obsessed by the movie stars of Hollywood and every afternoon she goes to the movie theater, while his father spends his spare time building a boat. One night, there is a car wreck in front of Ben's parents dining where only the girl Cassie (AnnaSophia Robb) survives with a broken arm. Ben's parents lodges Cassie during her recovery and she becomes friend of Ben. Later the mature girl convinces Ben to travel with her to Baltimore, where her modern and liberal aunt (Heather Graham) and uncle (Dylan McDermott) live. They hitchhike through Arkansas, Kentucky and Virginia in a journey of friendship and discoveries until they reach Baltimore. Their adventure ends when Cassie has a breakdown and is interned in the Mercy Psychiatric Ward in Virginia and Ben joins the Military Academy in North Caroline to stay close to Cassie. But the girl had a plan for them and Ben gives his best effort to make her dream come true.

One of these days I saw the trailer of "Have Dreams, Will Travel" and I liked it so much that I bought the DVD. I have just watched this sweet and touching road movie and I really loved the story, the screenplay, the performances and the direction. I do not know whether it is intentional or not, but there are many scenes of the camera against the light creating dark images that I did not like. AnnaSophia Robb is amazing, with another awesome performance in a complex role. Cayden Boyd is also fantastic in the difficult role of Ben. Val Kilmer has a minor participation, but I believe this is his best interpretation and role in the last years. The secret of Cassie is a heartbreaking moment in the plot and the conclusion is very beautiful. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Em Busca da Felicidade" ("Searching Happiness")