Follow That Dream

Rating:
Summary: Word associations ¿moonshine
Review: The American dream of owning ones own land and from overwhelming laws and rules can be inciting. In practice it can unleash dangerous conflicts, unless you are too dense to be effected by them.
The Kwimper family travailing through Florida runs out of gasoline. After a conflict with local authorities it is found out that you can homestead the unincorporated area as so they do. A friendly gambling group fineds out about this loophole and also moves in. Conflict of interests forces Toby to take on the duties of sheriff. He is still friendly and even returns a mysterious ticking package to them. Other scenes involve social workers trying to remove adopted children (you may want to watch [Improper Channels (1981)] that has a similar theme). You will have lots of fun watching the details and cringing at some of the action. And pay close attention to the word association used in the trial.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent acting in a beautiful locale.
Review: The movie was filmed in the Yankeetown area of western Florida. Tons of white sand were trucked in to create a lovely beach which remains mostly unchanged to this day. Interiors were filmed at Inverness Court House and Crystal River High School and Ocala. A very entertaining, funny film. Presleys acting may have been his best before the Girl epics began. The house the Kwimpers lived in was donated to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch in Live Oak, Florida, which can be viewed to this day. .

Rating:
Summary: Only 2 stars because it's not Anamorphic
Review: There are a lot of complaints from people who thought this DVD would not be widescreen, however,no one has mentioned it is not Enhanced For Widescreen T.V.'s. MGM is releasing a lot of films this way to save money. If this bothers you as it does me then send an email to MGM.
I really like this movie but am very disappointed with the format. When you have a widescreen T.V. in the future you'll curse MGM.

Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Review: There are only three Elvis films that I enjoy: King Creole, Jailhouse Rock, and Follow That Dream. While the first two are great musical dramas from when Elvis still had the air of rebellion about him, Follow That Dream is a piece of comedic fluff like most of his later films, but one which avoids being as formulaic or sickly sweet or filled with terrible music as are most of those later films.

In this one Elvis plays a true innocent who is somehow still ignorant about the ways of the world despite being a vet. He and his family (including some orphans they are looking after) build a homestead on government land which happens to be prime real estate and find themselves in the position to legally obtain ownership of this land. As a result they become the targets of organized crime and feds (who can tell them apart?) who want the land. Elvis also finds himself the target of a crackpot social worker looking into the welfare of the orphans who seeks revenge after he innocently spurns her advances. Elvis gives a really fun performance as a naive character who is so positive in his outlook that when somebody shoots at him he automatically assumes it was an error.

The film pokes great fun at bureaucracy and greed, but it maintains the optimistic outlook that good guys will win in the end. Such an innocent perspective tends to turn off many fans of social satire who find such things too escapist, but what most cynical viewers miss is that much of the innocence is tongue in cheek, and I personally see nothing wrong with optimism so long as it doesn't interfere with realism. If you enjoy, e.g., the film Harvey, then this might be your cup of tea.

Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Review: There are only three Elvis films that I enjoy: King Creole, Jailhouse Rock, and Follow That Dream. While the first two are great musical dramas from when Elvis still had the air of rebellion about him, Follow That Dream is a piece of comedic fluff like most of his later films, but one which avoids being as formulaic or sickly sweet or filled with terrible music as are most of those later films.

In this one Elvis plays a true innocent who is somehow still ignorant about the ways of the world despite being a vet. He and his family (including some orphans they are looking after) build a homestead on government land which happens to be prime real estate and find themselves in the position to legally obtain ownership of this land. As a result they become the targets of organized crime and feds (who can tell them apart?) who want the land. Elvis also finds himself the target of a crackpot social worker looking into the welfare of the orphans who seeks revenge after he innocently spurns her advances. Elvis gives a really fun performance as a naive character who is so positive in his outlook that when somebody shoots at him he automatically assumes it was an error.

The film pokes great fun at bureaucracy and greed, but it maintains the optimistic outlook that good guys will win in the end. Such an innocent perspective tends to turn off many fans of social satire who find such things too escapist, but what most cynical viewers miss is that much of the innocence is tongue in cheek, and I personally see nothing wrong with optimism so long as it doesn't interfere with realism. If you enjoy, e.g., the film Harvey, then this might be your cup of tea.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie - HORRIBLE DVD
Review: This is one of my favorite Elvis movies. It's funny, corny, and has some good songs. I like it best because it's FUNNY.

What's NOT funny is the quality of the DVD itself. I can't begin to tell you how BAD the transfer is. I have seen better quality on regular TV, many many times, and the quality of THIS DVD should make the people who made it hide their heads in SHAME!

The Movie gets 5 stars...... The DVD gets ONE (only because I couldn't give 1/2 stars, so the average is my rating of THREE. You would probably get better quality recording it on video tape off regular TV.;

Rating:
Summary: A Lot of Fun
Review: This is the first Elvis movie I ever saw. There are better Elvis movies ("Jailhouse Rock" being the best, I think), but this is one of my favorites. It is a good comedy (not unintentionally, either) and has some great songs, especially the title track. Elvis is a bit chubby here, though not as bad as he would get in the mid-70s, which caused him to later dismiss the film. A painless, goofy way to spend 90 minutes.

Rating:
Summary: hooray for homesteadin'
Review: This movie was totally different for Elvis. Instead of warding off the flocks of girls and singing on the beach he was just trying to have a roof over his head! I loved the fact that he played this role beautifully. So endearing and naive but at the sane time so beleivable. The move was great and hilarious. One of his greatest acting jobs. If you didn;t like Elvis before, when this movie was over you couldn't help but love him afterward.

Rating:
Summary: Wide Screen and Full Screen
Review: This title is being released with both ratios's. 2:35 AND FULL SCREEN so chill out . . . I know this to be a fact because I just looked at a copy. But unfortinately can't buy until next week.Hope this helps. . .

Rating:
Summary: I made a mistake in a early Review of this Release.
Review: This Version of Follow that Dream DOES contain the letterbox transfer as well as the full screen version. I withdraw my earlier review, which was in response to others on this board that insisted the movie was being released in Full Frame only - This is very much incorrect. 5 Stars. Joe has left the building.