THE DREAM TEAM

US, 1989, 107 minutes, Colour.
Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle, Dennis Boutsikaris, Stephen Furst, Lorraine Bracco, Milo O'Shea.
Directed by Howard Zieff.

The Dream Team is quite a funny comedy ~ with a risky subject: members of a mental institution have a day out and get up to all kinds of difficulties in New York City. However, the film is comedy and farce rather than realism. The four members of the dream team have their endearing qualities as well as their exasperating ones, and this makes them acceptable and sympathetic to the cinema audience.

Michael Keaton is back in his zany style as the leader of the four. However, Peter Boyle has one of his best roles as a business executives who now thinks that he is Jesus Christ. But even he is outmatched by Christopher Lloyd as the obsessive and meticulous postal officer who likes to think that he is a doctor. The fourth member of the team is Steven Furst - who doesn't speak but communicates in TV Jargon. There is a good supporting cast, including Lorraine Bracco as Keaton's girlfriend.

The film was directed by Howard Zieff (Slither, The Main Event, Private Benjamin, Hollywood Cowboy). There are some very funny sequences - and the whole thing is nicely amusing. It has offbeat comments to make about sanity and insanity.

1. Pleasing comedy, characters, situations? Sanity and insanity?

2. New Jersey and the asylum, the atmosphere of the institution? The contrast with the road and New York City? Streets, precincts, hospitals? Apartments? The musical score, the songs - especially the theme of the four in their trip and during the final credits?

3. The title: the focus on the group, dreams and reality and unreality, therapy and resolution? Their working together?

4. The type of laughter, sympathy for the characters, real or unreal? Realism? A fable? The possibility of offence?

5. The opening with Henry as the doctor - introduction to each of the characters? Henry as himself and with the others in the group? The atmosphere of the institution, the atmosphere of the session, interaction with the doctor? Each of the members with his own problem?

6. The doctor, his authority, the authorities of the institution and the other doctors? His interaction with the group, knowing each, their growing to trust him? Feeling that their bickering and interaction was progress? The plan to go out, going together, Albert and his having to stop, the alleyway, witnessing the murder, the doctor bashed and taken away in the ambulance? The setting of the situation for the team?

7. Michael Keaton as Billy: in himself, creative writing, violence, ability to make up stories, living in a fantasy world? Playing ping-pong with Albert? The trip, the search for the doctor? Going to the restaurant, attacking the customer ~ and knowing Riley? Her urging him to be responsible for the group? Return, their journeying together, the walking, the police and the situation, the phone book, the John Does in the various hospitals? Finding the doctor? His relation to each and understanding them? Verbal and visual humour? Going to Riley to get the money for the car? The antagonism towards her friend? The arrest, on television? The reversal of roles, getting the gun, impersonating the authorities? Going to the hospital, the clash with the crooked police? The chase, the gun? The new outing? Mad or not? Relationship with Riley? Leaving the institution?

8. Henry and his obsessions, it being a front, his acting as the doctor, the real doctor asking to abandon this? his going in the front of the car, being the guide, waiting the hours for the doctor to return, needing order, tidying the streets, going to the bar and tidying tip and being thrown out? The plan? Going to visit his wife and daughter - not having seen her for two years? Giving the clipboard to his daughter? Returning, impersonating the doctor, arrest? The adventure, the whole experience as therapy for him? Christopher Lloyd's expert performance as the obsessive?

9. Jack, in the nude, thinking he was Jesus, his quotations, swearing and using Scripture? The parody of religious mania? The group work? His background in advertising, going on the trip, walking the city, going to the revival group and testifying, taking off his clothes, rescued in time? Meeting his partner in the street, going to the building to (yet the money, meeting Murray again, the story of his mania, tricking Murray about his new job? Going to jail? His involvement in the adventure? Peter Boyle's skill at impersonating this kind of mania?

10. Albert, watching the TV, playing ping-pong, stealing the cakes? His lack of communicating with anyone except for TV talk? The trip, the alleyway, the witness, fear, waiting, eating? Beginning to talk privately? Seeing the police, ramming the car, participation in the adventure?

11. The doctor, nice, recovery, getting him out of the hospital?

12. The authorities, concern, ways of talking to the insane, the presumptuous doctors, the benign head, their being tricked and drugged?

13. Riley, her relationship within Billy, her friend, support, coming, to visit them in jail, participation in the adventure, the threat from the police?

14. Henry and his family, the touch of the concerned wife and the loving laughter?

15. The advertising executives and their suspicions? The insane world of commercials?

16. The crooked police, tough, their attempts on the doctor's life, the finale and the shoot-out? The genuine police - and their treatment of the dream team?

17. Visual and verbal comedy? Satire and irony? Sympathetic comedy?