Dreamcatcher (2003 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 2003 |
Key people | Lawrence Kasdan (director, co-writer), William Goldman (co-writer) |
| Products | Film adaptation of Stephen King's novel "Dreamcatcher" |
Dreamcatcher is a 2003 American science fiction horror film adapted from the 2001 novel by Stephen King bearing the same title. The movie was directed by Lawrence Kasdan, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside William Goldman. It features Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis, and Timothy Olyphant portraying four friends confronted with an alien parasitic invasion. The ensemble cast further includes Morgan Freeman, Tom Sizemore, and Donnie Wahlberg.
Premiering on March 21, 2003, Dreamcatcher was produced with a budget of $68 million but earned only $75.7 million globally, marking it as a financial disappointment compounded by unfavorable critical reviews.
Plot
Jonesy, Beaver, Pete, and Henry are longtime friends who embark on their yearly hunting excursion in Maine. During their childhood, they acquired telepathic abilities known as "the line" after rescuing a disabled boy named Douglas "Duddits" Cavell.
Six months after Jonesy is mysteriously cured following a car accident, he reunites with the group on their trip. He aids a sick man named Rick McCarthy, who remains at their cabin. Suddenly, wildlife flees the area as military helicopters impose a quarantine. Inside the cabin, Rick is discovered dead alongside a worm-like alien that subsequently kills Beaver. Jonesy attempts to flee but becomes possessed by a massive extraterrestrial entity called Mr. Gray.
Nearby, Henry and Pete crash their SUV to avoid hitting a frostbitten woman connected to Rick’s group. After she dies, she expels a worm which Pete destroys. Mr. Gray abducts Pete, but Jonesy telepathically alerts Henry to hide. Henry then finds Beaver dead and incinerates alien larvae by setting fire to the cabin.
An elite military task force led by Colonel Abraham Curtis is assigned to contain an alien virus named "Ripley." Curtis plans his retirement and intends to hand over command to Captain Owen Underhill. Their airstrike eliminates most aliens aboard a downed spaceship before it self-destructs.
While under Mr. Gray’s control, Jonesy recalls memories as the alien searches for Duddits’ recollections. Henry uncovers Curtis’s plan to exterminate all quarantined individuals to prevent infection but persuades Underhill to intervene and relieve Curtis of command.
Henry and Underhill escape custody to locate Duddits, who reveals that Mr. Gray intends to contaminate the Quabbin Reservoir with alien larvae. Curtis pursues them and attacks at the reservoir; Underhill dies after shooting Curtis down.
At the pump house, Henry halts Mr. Gray’s scheme but hesitates to kill Jonesy due to uncertainty about his control. An alien larva approaches the water supply. Duddits confronts Mr. Gray and is infected with Ripley, causing severe mutation. In retaliation, Duddits infects Mr. Gray; both disintegrate into red dust resembling a dreamcatcher symbol. Jonesy destroys the last larva before it can pollute the reservoir.
Production
The majority of Dreamcatcher was shot in Prince George, British Columbia over seven weeks beginning in January 2002, followed by an additional ten weeks of filming in Vancouver.
Box office
Dreamcatcher earned $33.7 million domestically—approximately half of its $68 million production budget—and accumulated $75.7 million worldwide, categorizing it as a box office failure.
In a 2012 interview, director Lawrence Kasdan admitted that the film’s poor commercial performance had a significant adverse effect on his career trajectory, halting projects such as The Risk Pool starring Tom Hanks, despite other personal setbacks from previous films.
Critical response
Dreamcatcher was met with largely unfavorable critiques, holding a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 180 reviews, with an average score of 4.73 out of 10. The general consensus labeled it as "a confusing and excessively lengthy creature feature." On Metacritic, the film earned a score of 35 out of 100, reflecting "generally unfavorable" opinions. Audience reactions measured by CinemaScore resulted in an average grade of "C+."
Despite the presence of a skilled cast, reviewers pointed out significant flaws in the movie. Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle described it as "a likable disaster," while Richard Roeper regarded it as a major error for those involved. Roger Ebert awarded the film 1.5 stars out of 4, criticizing the transition from an engaging telepathic narrative to an overabundance of gore. However, he commended the concept of Jonesy's Memory Warehouse as an intriguing idea that was insufficiently explored.
King's reaction
Upon its release, Stephen King expressed his approval of the adaptation, calling it "one of the very, very good adaptations of my work." He further remarked that the film “would do for the toilet what Psycho did for the shower.”