The story of “Dreamin’ Wild” is a pretty damn fascinating one beyond its terrific filmmaker (Bill Pohlad) and its excellent cast (led by Casey Affleck and Zooey Deschanel, to name just a few). In short, Light In The Attic, a fantastic Seattle record label that unearths undiscovered gems, did just that with Donnie and Joe Emerson. Teenage boys with dreams of rock stardom, they self-released Dreamin’ Wild in 1979, a bedroom-made album of rock, pop jams, raw funk, and yacht rock, and of course, no one really noticed; it fell into obscurity, and they went on with their “normal” adult lives. But, LITA somehow found and discovered the album in 2012, and it became something of a cult sensation in music rock critic circles.
“Dreamin Wild” the movie, is essentially that story, but mostly told from the adult perspective (Affleck and Walton Goggins as the older version of the boys), what happens when a dream you made in the 1970s—that everyone ignored—suddenly takes off, and what does your life look like as adult in the interim?
The film also stars Noah Jupe, Jack Dylan Grazer (who play the younger versions of Joe and Donnie), Beau Bridges, Walton Goggins, and Chris Messina.
Dreamin’ Wild, the true story of love and redemption, is about what happened to singer/songwriter Donnie Emerson and his family when the album he and his brother recorded as teens were rediscovered after thirty years of obscurity and were suddenly hailed by music critics as a lost masterpiece. While the album’s rediscovery brings hopes of second chances, it also brings long-buried emotions as Donnie, his wife Nancy, brother Joe, and father Don Sr. come to terms with the past and their newly found fame.
It’s an incredible tale by any stretch. The cinematic adaptation is written and directed by Bill Pohlad, a film producer (who co-produced Terrence Malick’s “The Tree Of Life“), and a former movie exec (he co-ran the short-lived indie film studio Apparition that released Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” and six other movies before quickly shuttering less than a year after their first release). Pohlad eventually turned filmmaker and made his directorial debut with the excellent music film/Beach Boys/Brian Wilson film, “Love & Mercy,” in 2014. Music is clearly in his blood beyond cinema, and this feels like another great fit.
“Dreamin’ Wild” premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year (read our review), and Roadside Attractions will release “Dreamin’ Wild” exclusively in theaters on August 4, 2023. Watch the new trailer below.
