Dreamchild **** (1985, Coral Browne, Ian Holm, Peter Gallagher, Jane Asher) – Classic Movie Review 8748

The late Jim Henson’s Creature Workshop created the wonderful Alice in Wonderland models for director Gavin Miller’s rich and resonant 1985 biographical comedy drama Dreamchild, which tells a revealing true story tale about the real Alice Liddel Hargreaves, who arrives in America for a celebration of the book’s author, Lewis Carroll, aka the Reverend Charles L Dodgson.

Coral Browne gives an extraordinarily touching performance as the octogenarian Alice Hargreaves and Ian Holm powerfully portrays the author, bowled over by his affection for the 10-year-old little Alice (Amelia Shankley). Peter Gallagher plays Jack Dolan and Jane Asher plays Mrs Liddell.

Miller’s painstaking direction and Dennis Potter’s thought-provoking script also help to make this a memorable occasion. Ken Campbell provides the voice of the March Hare, Fulton Mackay the Gryphon, Alan Bennett the Mock Turtle, Julie Walters the Dormouse, Tony Haygarth the Mad Hatter and Frank Middlemass the Catterpillar.

Also in the cast are Nicola Cowper, Caris Corfman, Amelia Shankley, Shane Rimmer, Imogen Boorman, Emma King, Rupert Wainwright, James Wilby, Robert Ashton-Griffiths, Peter Whitman and William Hootkins.

Browne funded her own promotional tour to try to promote it in America, where it eventually grossed only $1,215,923 on a budget of £4,000,000.

Dreamchild is directed by Gavin Miller, runs 94 minutes, is made by Thorn EMI and PfH Ltd, is released by Thorn EMI (1985) (UK) and Universal Pictures (1985) (US), is written by Dennis Potter, is shot by Billy Williams, is produced by Rick McCallum and Kenith Trodd, is scored by Stanley Myers and Max Harris and is designed by Roger Hall.

Scottish film director, critic and TV presenter Gavin Millar died of a brain tumour on 20 April 2022, aged 84. Dreamchild was his first feature as director. In 1980 he directed Dennis Potter’s Cream in My Coffee for London Weekend Television. His 1994 TV film Pat and Margaret featured Victoria Wood, and Housewife, 49 (2006), also with Wood, won a 2007 BAFTA award.

Millar was a film critic for The Listener from 1970 to 1984. He wrote, produced and presented Arena Cinema for BBC TV from 1976 to 1980.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8748

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