Review of Daydream Nation (2011) by Lorenzo V — 17 Jun 2011

"I'm the main character of my life!".

Tells the story of a city girl who moves to a small town and becomes entangled in a love triangle between her high school teacher and a stoner classmate.

REVIEW.

Daydream Nation has elements that work, but it seems that too much was thrown together for it to feel like a completed and strong narrative. I found that the big city to small town element wasn't raised enough here. It's the catalyst that makes her do the things she does, but it never feels as big an issue as it should. Daydream Nation has many of these things that should be more prominent.

There are a lot of subplots that try to bring more depth to the town and the story. There is something about a serial killer roaming the streets killing young girls as well as some chemical fire that has people wearing masks. These are odd little things that ultimately have no bearing on the bigger picture. It would be nice if handled properly, but it feels more like a distraction.

One of the quotes for this movie compares it to Juno and Donnie Darko, as if David Lynch were to direct it. Well, it's not that weird. There are mentions of the end of the world, which did remind me of Donnie Darko, but that's about as far as it goes. I had a Dazed & Confused vibe from it, minus the decade/coolness/party vibe that Dazed and Confused has. Daydream Nation is a film that has too many things going on, it confuses itself as to what story it wants to tell.