tavm Review of California Dreaming

California Dreaming (1979)

California Dreaming is one bitchin' beach movie from the late '70s

[8/10 · 9 June 2009]

After 30 years of never being able to watch this latter-day A.I.P. beach movie from the late '70s, I finally got to watch California Dreaming on Hulu as linked from fancast.com. It stars Dennis Christopher as T.T., a Chicagoan (of which I also am by birth) transferring to the West Coast as a young adult to honor his late brother's jazzy dreams playing music near the ocean by playing his records repeatedly. Also starring Seymour Cassel as the person he borders with and Glynnis O'Connor as his grown daughter, Corky. I hope I'm not spoiling anything when I say something develops between T.T. and Corky (though I'm putting the spoiler warning, just in case). Anyway, this was quite funny and touching for a movie that supposedly was meant to just provide plenty of T and A for any hormonally-charged teenage boys out there and believe me, there's quite a few of those type scenes though not always unclothed! One of the funniest scenes to me was when T.T. tells God that he can kill him after he lets him unhook Corky's bra! And that slow-motion movie theatre lobby scene was so hysterical to me! Okay, I think I've said enough so on that note, I highly recommend California Dreaming. P.S. Having read that some versions didn't have America's version of The Mamas and the Papas "California Dreamin'", I'm glad to mention that the title song is indeed in Hulu's version.