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Synopsis
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We all have one childhood summer we can
never forget during which our friendships are tested and lives are
changed forever. Set in 1960 in a dusty Dayton, Nevada, JUST A
DREAM, is the poignant story of a 12-year-old boy, Henry Sturbuck
(JEREMY SUMPTER), and his unlikely friendship with the town
mechanic, J.M. (CARL LUMBLY). Raised by the conservative Dr. and
Mrs. Maureen Sturbuck (ROBBY BENSON and ALLY SHEEDY), young Henry
looks at the world with wonderfully innocent eyes, a perception that
is tested by events which begin when Dr. Sturbuck’s car breaks down
on the way to Henry’s first summer job.
J.M. Hoagland, the town’s mechanic and only African American, picks
up Henry and his father. Curious yet shy, Henry’s observant nature
is fascinated by J.M. and the torn picture of Marilyn Monroe stuck
on J.M.’s dashboard. Having never been to a movie, Henry doesn’t
know who she is, only that she is beautiful. He questions J.M. about
her, thinking she is J.M.’s girlfriend, but is cut off by his
father’s pompous preaching on the evils of temptation. The doctor’s
sermon falls on uninterested ears, however, as Henry’s
non-judgmental nature warms a smile on J.M.’s face and in his heart.
At the saloon where he works, Henry meets the feisty owner Cindy
(AMY MADIGAN), the cryptic Native American bartender, Cecil Running
Bear (RODNEY A. GRANT), and Lynette (JULIE-ANN LIECHTY), the
flouncey barmaid . For Henry, the Crest Saloon is better than the
circus. Cindy tries to teach Henry the need for responsibility and
hard work. From Cecil, he learns some new and interesting words, and
J.M. introduces him to the world of imagination. Lynette’s lazy ways
and skewed view of the world are fascinating to Henry, and luckily,
J.M. is there to lend some down-home wisdom.
One day, J.M. talks to Henry about the wonders of the drive-in movie
theater. Henry, feeling his newfound maturity, convinces his
fearful, conservative mother to allow him to go to the drive-in with
his friend J.M. At the drive-in, Henry is awakened to the true
possibility of dreams that reach far beyond his tiny hometown. He
learns that J.M., like most men of the age, dreams of knowing
Marilyn Monroe. In the stillness of the night and with a strong
sense of camaraderie, Henry tells J.M. about the brother he nearly
had, but went direct to God from the hospital. It’s a man-to-man
talk that reveals a great deal about Henry and his family.
J.M. and Henry’s friendship grows as they explore important things
like driving and being your own man. One day, a group of Hollywood
types arrive at the bar to scout locations for their movie “The
Misfits.” Henry is amazed to learn that it will star Clark Gable and
Marilyn Monroe. The town buzzes with the frenetic activity of a
movie production and nearly all of its inhabitants are caught up in
the whirlwind: Lynette is an extra and Dr. Sturbuck signs on,
against his wife’s wishes, as the movie company’s doctor. Henry
single-mindedly sets out to arrange a meeting between J.M. and
Marilyn. The consequences of Henry’s romantic dream will change many
lives, not the least of which is his own.
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