Honestly, the late 1980s were a fever dream for cinema. We had Corey Feldman and Corey Haim—the "Two Coreys"—ruling the box office, and Hollywood was throwing money at anything that smelled like teen angst mixed with a hint of the supernatural. But then there’s Dream a Little Dream. This movie isn't just another teen flick. It’s a bizarre, existential, body-swapping meditation wrapped in a denim jacket and doused in hairspray. If you watched it as a kid, you probably remember the Van Halen vibes and the shuffling dance moves. If you watch it now? You realize it’s one of the most structurally chaotic films ever to get a wide release.
Released in 1989, it arrived right at the tail end of the decade's obsession with body-swap comedies. We’d already had Big, Vice Versa, and 18 Again!. But Dream a Little Dream took a hard left turn into "metaphysical romance." It stars Jason Robards and Piper Laurie as an elderly couple, the Ettingers, who are practicing a form of meditation designed to let them live forever in a state of pure dream. Naturally, a biking accident involving Corey Feldman and Meredith Salenger disrupts the ritual. Suddenly, the old man’s consciousness is stuck in the teen’s body. It's weird. It's confusing. And yet, it has this cult gravity that keeps people coming back thirty-five years later.
Why the Plot of Dream a Little Dream Makes Absolutely No Sense (And Why That’s Okay)
Most movies try to explain their "rules." In Back to the Future, we get the flux capacitor. In Dream a Little Dream, we get... transcendental meditation in a backyard? Coleman Ettinger (Robards) is obsessed with reaching a dream state. He believes if he and his wife Gena (Laurie) can sync their minds, they can transcend physical death. It’s heavy stuff for a movie marketed to 13-year-olds.
When the "swap" happens, it’s not a clean break. Bobby Keller (Feldman) doesn't just wake up as an old man. Instead, Coleman’s mind inhabits Bobby’s body, while Bobby’s consciousness is essentially locked in a "waiting room" in his own head. He appears as a ghostly version of himself in a tuxedo, wandering through a dreamscape.
Does the movie explain why Bobby’s friend Lainie (Salenger) is also affected? Not really. She becomes the vessel for Gena, but she spends most of the movie just feeling "off" rather than being a totally different person. The logic is thin. Thinner than a pair of 80s leggings. But the film relies on atmosphere. Director Marc Rocco used a hazy, soft-focus aesthetic that makes the whole experience feel like you’re actually running a slight fever.
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The Peak of the Corey Era
You cannot talk about Dream a Little Dream without talking about the Coreys. This was their third pairing after The Lost Boys and License to Drive. By 1989, the "Corey Mania" was reaching its breaking point.
Feldman is doing a full-blown Michael Jackson impression for about 40% of his screen time. The loafers, the jacket, the rhythmic snapping—it’s all there. It’s fascinating to watch because he’s playing an old man trapped in a teenager’s body who is also trying to act like a cool teenager. It’s layers of performance that probably shouldn't work. Haim, on the other hand, plays Dinger, the best friend. Dinger is... a lot. He wears multiple pairs of sunglasses at once. He has a fringe that defies gravity.
Critically, the movie was panned. Roger Ebert famously gave it zero stars, calling it "unbelievably incoherent." He wasn't necessarily wrong about the coherence. But Ebert missed the "vibe check." For a certain generation, the incoherence was the point. It felt like a music video that accidentally became a feature film. The soundtrack alone, featuring the iconic title track covered by Mickey Thomas, did a lot of the heavy lifting.
The Supporting Cast is Secretly Incredible
While the teens got the posters, the grown-ups brought the weight.
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- Jason Robards: A literal Oscar winner playing a guy who thinks he can think himself into immortality. He brings a strange dignity to the role of Coleman.
- Piper Laurie: The legendary actress from Carrie and Twin Peaks. She’s ethereal here.
- Harry Dean Stanton: He plays the neighbor, Ike. Seeing Harry Dean Stanton in a teen comedy is like seeing a fine wine at a frat party. He’s too good for it, but he makes it better just by being there.
The "Dream" Aesthetic and the Michael Jackson Influence
Marc Rocco was obsessed with the visual language of the time. The film is packed with slow-motion sequences, neon lighting, and strange transitions. The most famous scene—the one everyone remembers—is the dream sequence where Feldman dances to "Dream a Little Dream of Me."
It’s almost a shot-for-shot homage to MJ’s style. Feldman was famously friends with Jackson, and he leaned into that persona hard. For some, it’s cringey. For others, it’s a time capsule of a very specific moment in pop culture history. The movie doesn't care about being "grounded." It wants to be a daydream. It uses subjective camera angles and a disjointed timeline to keep the audience as confused as Bobby/Coleman is.
Is Dream a Little Dream Actually a Good Movie?
That depends on your definition of "good."
If "good" means a tight script, logical character arcs, and clear stakes, then no. Dream a Little Dream is a mess. It forgets its own rules. It ignores subplots. It has a sequel (1995's Dream a Little Dream 2) that is even more nonsensical.
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However, if "good" means a film that captures a specific emotional frequency—that weird, lonely, slightly hopeful feeling of being a teenager—then it’s a minor masterpiece. It’s about the fear of growing old and the terror of being young. Coleman wants the vitality of youth; Bobby wants the wisdom (and the girl). It’s a trade-off that neither is fully prepared for.
The film also tackles some surprisingly dark themes. There’s a sense of loss throughout. The Ettingers are essentially trying to commit metaphysical suicide to stay together. That’s dark! It’s a far cry from the lighthearted fun of Big.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and First-Time Viewers
If you’re planning to revisit this cult classic or watch it for the first time, keep a few things in mind to actually enjoy the experience.
- Don't look for logic. Treat the movie like a long-form music video. If you try to map out the body-swapping mechanics, you’ll get a headache. Just accept that the "bridge" between minds is built on meditation and 80s magic.
- Watch the backgrounds. The fashion and set design are peak 1989. From the oversized blazers to the specific brand of mountain bikes, it’s a visual history lesson.
- Listen to the soundtrack. Beyond the title track, the score by John Debney and the various synth-pop hits define the era. It’s one of those rare cases where the music is more coherent than the plot.
- Check out the 2022 Blu-ray release. If you’re a collector, Vestron Video released a restored version that includes interviews with Corey Feldman and executive producer Lawrence Kasanoff. It provides a lot of context on why the movie turned out as strange as it did.
What to Do Next
If the nostalgia bug has bitten you, start by tracking down the original 1989 soundtrack on vinyl or streaming; it’s a perfect entry point back into the film's atmosphere. After that, look for the Vestron Video Collector’s Series Blu-ray to see the film in its best possible quality, as the old DVD transfers are notoriously grainy. Finally, if you want a double feature that actually makes sense, pair it with The Lost Boys to see the Coreys at their peak before the 90s changed the industry forever.