| Plot Synopsis |
by Karl Williams |
In 1987-88, a quartet of films with the same basic body-switching premise deluged theaters: Like Father, Like Son (1987), Big (1988), Vice Versa (1988), and 18 Again (1988). One year later, Dream a Little Dream (1989) followed suit. Coleman Ettinger (Jason Robards) is forever scolding the local high school students who use his yard as a shortcut to and from their nearby school. Coleman is not a crotchety old coot, however. He's deeply in love with his wife Gena (Piper Laurie) and is good friends with his next-door neighbor Ike (Harry Dean Stanton). In fact, Coleman is looking for a mystical way to preserve his and Gena's lives forever by transferring their consciousness into the bodies of younger people. One day, student Bobby Keller (Corey Feldman) has a bicycle mishap with Coleman while cutting through the yard, and their minds change places. Now Coleman has the brain of a teenager, while young Bobby uses Coleman's wisdom and life experience to win over the girl of his dreams. Dream a Little Dream was the directorial debut of Marc Rocco, son of actor Alex Rocco, who costars in a supporting role. |
| Similar Works |
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18 Again!
(1988, Paul Flaherty)
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Big
(1988, Penny Marshall)
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Freaky Friday
(1976, Gary Nelson)
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Like Father, Like Son
(1987, Rod Daniel)
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Prelude to a Kiss
(1992, Norman Rene)
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Vice Versa
(1988, Brian Gilbert)
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Weird Science
(1985, John Hughes)
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Vice Versa
(1947, Peter Ustinov)
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Multiplicity
(1996, Harold Ramis)
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Freaky Friday
(1995, Melanie Mayron)
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