Dreamin’ Wild tells the true story of two brothers who recorded an album together in their adolescence that faded into oblivion. Decades later, their music was unearthed by a popular record enthusiast & promoter catapulting them both into a whirlwind of stardom and recognition they had given up on long ago. 

 

I naturally gravitate towards musician biopics and underdog stories. This film delivers on both these fronts. The performances are top notch with my personal favorite being Beau Bridges as the loving, supportive father who sacrificed everything he had for a chance to make his sons’ dreams come true. Bridges radiates with love and warmth in his role and we feel heartbroken yet filled with admiration for his undying loyalty to his family. Walton Goggins stands out as a loving brother, Joe, who lacked the natural talent of his sibling, but was a constant ray of encouragement and a nurturer of his brother Donnie’s (Casey Affleck) musical ambition and creativity. 

 

Zooey Deschanel is effective in her role, but not given much screen time in comparison to others in the cast. This is a shame as I very much enjoy both her acting and musical talents, but the role of Donnie’s wife only lends her character minimal room to grow. Casey Affleck is adequate in his lead role, but I feel like his performance falls into an all too familiar archetype of the quiet but misunderstood musical artist. His performance wasn’t as memorable for me as the supporting cast around him.

 

The film often moves backward and forward in time, with Jack Dylan Grazer and Noah Jupe playing younger versions of Donnie and Joe making their music in the family farmhouse recording studio. The uncanny mannerisms of these young actors mirrored the adult portrayals of the brothers incredibly well. You get a real sense of the brothers’ relationship and how it evolved over time as they both followed very different paths in adulthood.  

 

Overall, Dreamin’ Wild does a lovely job of shining a well deserved spotlight on overlooked talent and serves as a reminder that dreams should never be stamped with an expiration date.