Review of Daydream Nation (2011) by Thomas W — 03 Dec 2012

I've read that this dramedy about a city girl moved to a small town is an infusion of both Lynch and Donnie Darko. While I can see why some would say that, I think the Lynch link is a stretch and there isn't anything mindbending or surreal here -- what we see onscreen is pretty much what we get.

The tone of the film might play with some Lynchian mood(s); but that would have to be it. Kat Dennings ("2 Broke Girls", Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist) is Caroline Wexler, a city girl who has just moved to a boring burg of a small town in which she finds nobody she can freely relate to .

.. until she meets one of her teachers, Mr. Anderson (Josh Lucas - Poseidon), with whom she strikes up an improper relationship. Thurston (Reece Thompson - Ceremony) is a local who likes to partake of various drugs (this might be the surreal link -- but it isn't much) and falls for Caroline.

By throwing in a raging industrial fire, a serial killer, stoner and adversarial other students, meddling parents (etc) the story becomes slightly over-populated with content and the director has some difficultly keeping it all in check.

While the attention never leaves Caroline, there might be one-too-many distractions around her for an audience to keep focus. By adding more, we lose a bit of Caroline. I believe Dennings to be a decent actress with dry wit and humor -- trying to take away from here is something the film need not do.