Topic: The Dream Team

[Dr. Hasslein]

The Dream Team



Director: Howard Zieff
Year: 1989
Running Time: 113 Minutes
Rated: PG 13
Genre: Comedy

Plot
We begin with four patients of a sanitarium in New Jersey.
There’s Billy (Michael Keaton) who is a pathological liar and prone to violent behaviour. Henry (Christopher Lloyd) who is an obsessive compulsive and thinks he is one of the doctors on staff at the hospital. Jack (Peter Boyle) a former advertising executive who believes he is Jesus Christ. And finally Albert, (Stephen Furst) a man-child with an unusual obsession with baseball, constantly repeating phrases he has heard during games.

Their psychiatrist Dr. Jeff Weitzman (Dennis Boutsikaris) persuades the hospital’s administration to allow him to take them into the city to attend a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, convince that some fresh air and time away from the hospital will do his patients a world of good.

While in city during bathroom stop for Albert, Dr Weitzman witnesses a murder then he is attacked and hospitalized. When our four patients learn that their doctor is going to be murdered, they must each overcome their delusions and work together as a team to save him in time. 


My Thoughts
The movie starts off well, we’re introduced to the characters through a session of group therapy which gives us a good insight into each of their personalities. How the four patients interact with each other and their doctor as well as the dialogue is hilarious. The second half is when the plot begins to suffer. I think the idea these four delusional characters out roaming the streets of New York city provides an endless list of possibilities, but the plot of saving their doctor from corrupt police officers is not very creative I think. There are still quite plenty of laughs to be had, how ever it begins to drag and actually gets a little boring up until the end.

Performances all round are decent, Michael Keaton and Christopher Lloyd’s in particular.
A young Lorraine Bracco has a supporting role as Billy’s former love interest. A year later she earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.
 
On a musical note the movie does features some hit songs such as Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles and 80’s hit Walk the Dinosaur by Was Not Was.

Overall I found this to be an entertaining comedy but it does have its draw backs.
The characters are the main reason to keep watching in spite of the unimaginative direction the plot takes later in the film.



DVD Details
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widscreen
Audio: Dolby Digital
Region: 1 NTSC (North America)

Special Features

• Original Theatrical Trailer

[Dr. Hasslein]

I think I may be posting these reviews at the wrong time of day. The majority of members seem to be offline during the night hours in Australia.

[Najemikon]

Well it is truly an international forum, so there's usually someone around. I'm in the UK and it's currently 10.15pm...

Don't be concerned if no-one comments though. We're definitely reading.

I really liked this film, but I haven't seen it for years. I tend to think of it in the same vein as the Dudley Moore one (Crazy People?), where he plays an advertising executive who tells the truth in his ads and ends up in an asylum for it.

[Critter]

Yeah Kevin, you should get used to people not commenting on everything. A lot of people here will get comments on maybe 1 in 5, or even 1 in every 10 reviews they post. I was slightly worried when I first joined as well that maybe no one was reading what I wrote, but I see now that people are, the fact is just that not everyone has thoughts on every film. You can be assured though that people will read it, I personally read a lot more reviews here than I comment on, and I know that's the same for many other members.

[Kathy]

I read every review. Most times though I don't comment on them. But, I really enjoy them and often order the DVDs or place them on my wish list.

[Dr. Hasslein]

Thank you everyone, it's good to be so awesome! 

[Kathy]

Thank you everyone, it's good to be so awesome! 

I said I read every review...I didn't say they were any good! 

 

[Dr. Hasslein]

You don't have to, I know they're good. 

[Tom]

Maybe I will check out this movie because of Christopher Lloyd. There isn't much I had the chance to see him in, where he has a bigger role (besides BTTF). Only Roger Rabbit, Star Trek 3, Taxi, Addams Family and Toonstruck come to mind.

[Antares]

I really liked this film, but I haven't seen it for years. I tend to think of it in the same vein as the Dudley Moore one (Crazy People?), where he plays an advertising executive who tells the truth in his ads and ends up in an asylum for it.

Volvo...it's boxy!

[Najemikon]

I really liked this film, but I haven't seen it for years. I tend to think of it in the same vein as the Dudley Moore one (Crazy People?), where he plays an advertising executive who tells the truth in his ads and ends up in an asylum for it.

Volvo...it's boxy!

  I love the epilogue too, with Sony's ad: Caucasians can't make decent electronic equipment because they are too tall. Short Japanese people are closer to the components when working on them...

You don't have to, I know they're good. 

Oooh, smartass! 

Maybe I will check out this movie because of Christopher Lloyd. There isn't much I had the chance to see him in, where he has a bigger role (besides BTTF). Only Roger Rabbit, Star Trek 3, Taxi, Addams Family and Toonstruck come to mind.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest? Only a very small role, but worth seeing the film anytime anyway.

[Tom]

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest? Only a very small role, but worth seeing the film anytime anyway.

I didn't list it because it was a small role
I have watched it recently though.

[Dr. Hasslein]

I haven't watched One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest in years. It's a great movie but I don't even have it on DVD yet, only VHS. It's one of those titles that always seem to slip by.