What if a childhood dream suddenly came true — but 30 years later?
Casey Affleck, Walton Goggins and Zooey Deschanel star in the music drama film Dreamin’ Wild, on the the true story of musician brothers Donnie and Joe Emerson.
Also starring in the movie are Noah Jupe, Jack Dylan Grazer, Beau Bridges, and Chris Messina.
Release Date
Directed by Bill Pohlad, Dreamin’ Wild premiered at Venice Film Festival before going on to play others including Toronto International Film Festival; and will open in theaters with a release date of August 4th, 2023.
Synopsis
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 was rediscovered after thirty years of obscurity and was 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.
Featuring the song “Baby” with over 30M+ streams on Spotify originally released in 1979, revered by music critics and became known as an underground hit among music collectors and fans.
Pohlad said, I’m hoping that audiences will connect with this family’s heart-felt story as much as with Donnie’s extraordinary music.”
Reviews
In their review (4 of 5 stars), Timeout wrote, “While the film is based on that New York Times article, ‘Fruitland’ by Steven Kurutz, the meat of the story comes long the journo has departed the scene, with Donnie trying to shake off his new-found status as a heritage act – and his old tunes – and reassert his currency as a musician.”
“The best scenes have him and Joe (Walton Goggins) struggling to put the band back together during anguished rehearsals joined – and defused – by Donnie’s musician wife (Zooey Deschanel). Goggins is great as a man encumbered with neither the talent nor tortured nature of his brother, who nurses quiet regrets of his own but keeps showing up for his family. Kudos, too, to Jack Dylan Grazer who carries that same gentle depth into his scenes as the younger Joe.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for Dreamin’ Wild.