"Who are you?" This question, posed by the Caterpillar in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, might be the theme to Dreamchild, a surprisingly obscure film connected to Carroll's wild fantasy. Well-acted, Dreamchild blends fact and fantasy to paint a portrait about creativity and the ties that bind past and present.
In 1932, almost eighty-year-old Alice Hargreaves (Coral Browne) is sailing to America to receive an honorary doctorate from Columbia University for the centennial of the Reverend Charles Dodgson's birth. Mrs. Hargreaves, accompanied by her lady's companion Lucy (Nicola Cowper), accepts that it is due to her connection to the man better known as Lewis Carroll, whose book he wrote with her as the de facto main character. However, why are so many American newspaper people hounding her so?
Among the most persistent is Jack Dolan (Peter Gallagher), recently fired from his newspaper job but who nonetheless hoodwinks both Mrs. Hargreaves and Lucy into speaking to him. Lucy, shy by nature, becomes quickly besotted albeit dubious of the handsome young American eager to cash in on the Alice in Wonderland craze that Mrs. Hargreaves has created. Jack talks Lucy into going to a tea dance at the hotel, leaving Mrs. Hargreaves presumably asleep and resting. However, she is anything but resting.
Her mind soon flows back to her halcyon days when she knew Dodgson (Ian Holm), the shy, stuttering math professor who was fond of the Liddle sisters. Alice, it seems, was her favorite, but was his interest more than just as a father figure? Alice now sees Dodgson and finds herself in a Mad Tea Party, struggling to fit in as both her old self and her younger version (Amelia Shankley). As she gets closer to the ceremony, Alice finds herself both puzzled and delighted by various opportunities for money that Jack, her new agent, is creating for her. Will she, however, come to terms with her celebrity and what all that means? Will Lucy find her own voice?
Dreamchild has an appropriately dreamlike manner thanks to screenwriter Dennis Potter, director Gavin Millar and the Jim Henson creations that bring Lewis Carroll's creations to life. Together, they blend fantasy and reality to Dreamchild. The film blends the past, the present and the fantasy world of Alice in Wonderland, giving us an imagined life of an old woman who finds herself famous for something not of her own making.
The film feels a bit like a play given that there are many scenes that involve just Hargreaves, Lucy and Jack. Another scene where Jack and his girl Friday, Sally (Caris Corfman) meet for drinks at a bar, also has a feel that we are seeing a stage production. I imagine that Dreamchild, with some tinkering, could be adapted as a play.
As a whole, Dreamchild is well-acted, written and directed. Coral Browne made few films, concentrating mostly in the theater. Here, her Alice Hargreaves is sometimes confused, sometimes puzzled, sometimes even fascinated and amused by how her accidental celebrity is seen. While she clearly has no idea what products she is endorsing are, she finds the production of a radio show where she will record her commercials highly delightful. Potter's script detailing that she recorded commercials for "soup, soap and soda water" has a nice sense of alliteration to it. Her Alice is neither saintly nor tyrant. She is confused, even frightened, when she cannot find Lucy. She is haughty when initially dealing with Jack. She is downright mean when berating the put-upon Lucy and is proper but remorseful when she apologizes for her behavior.
In the end, Alice Hargreaves in Dreamchild is a woman accepting the strange legacy of her association with Dodgson. She recognizes, now long after his death, that a man she was fond of and respected but whom she was also wary of gave the world a great legacy.
Despite the film involving the creation of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll is not a major part of Dreamchild. Despite this, Ian Holm does wonderful work as this shy, stuttering figure, struggling with his emotions. Was he literally in love with a child? Was it more a need to find joy in Alice's innocence? Dreamchild leans towards the idea of Dodgson as having very a very curious interest in young Alice. However, it is to the film's credit that any suggestion of a tawdrier element in Dodgson is not overt. I might have seen hints of it, but others may not.
Gallagher was good as Jack, this overtly sleazy but charming man. It was unclear to me whether he was genuinely fond of Lucy or was playing with her to get at what he wanted. Hargreaves' oblivious admission that Jack was taking twenty percent of what people were paying her reveals Jack to be very shifty. The same goes for his behavior towards Lucy. Is it love? Is it self-interest? Is it self-interest that turned into love?
A standout is Copwer as Lucy. She is shy, hesitant, but slowly coming into her own. Lucy is becoming a woman, something that Mrs. Hargreaves does not account for. In her awkward manner with Mrs. Hargreaves and with Jack, one starts empathizing with Lucy. As such, when she finally explodes (albeit in a calm manner) at Alice Hargreaves, you almost cheer for her. Despite this, Lucy knows that she was wrong in her behavior, making her a fascinating figure to follow.
A highlight to Dreamchild is the puppetry of Jim Henson in bringing Carroll's creations to the screen. They are not sweet and charming. I would argue that they are slightly frightening. However, I think that was the point of their design: to be less cutesy and delve into the darker elements of the original book as well as Hargreaves' somewhat confused and conflicted relationship with Dodgson and the book's characters.
Dreamchild has an appropriately dreamlike quality thanks to Gavin Millar's direction. When Dodgson and the Liddle family sail down a river on a rowboat, there is an almost lyrical quality in both the imagery and the overall mood. It is tranquil but somewhat unreal, as if everyone was floating. Stanley Myers' score adds to that vaguely unreal world.
Dreamchild is a story of legacy, good and bad. Regrets, confusion but acceptance and reconciliation with one's past moves the viewer. It is not the definitive story of the making of Alice in Wonderland, its inspiration or its author. However, the film works well, has some strong performances and style that enhance it on viewing.
Alice, forever young.
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| Alice Liddell Hargreaves 1852-1934 |
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| Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) 1832-1898 |
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