‘In Your Dreams’: When a Child’s Quest for Magic Meets Reality

The new animated film “In Your Dreams” explores the touching, desperate lengths children will go to “fix” their parents’ problems. The film, opening Friday, follows Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her brother Elliot on a magical quest to find The Sandman. They believe he can save their parents’ (Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti) failing marriage.
This “anti-fairy tale” comes from director Alex Woo, a veteran of Pixar’s story department. The film, animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, sets up a fantasy adventure only to deliver a powerfully realistic message. As Hoang-Rappaport explains, her character “grapples with the discovery that there is no magic solution to real-life problems.”
This dose of reality is what attracted Simu Liu. The ‘Shang-Chi’ star was “fascinated” by the chance to show a “real family that argues.” He has been critical of the “always happy” family myth, calling it “not true” and stressing the importance of “imperfect” family representation.
The film’s cast also includes Craig Robinson as the voice of Baloney Tony, a stuffed animal. It also features a “beautiful” duet between Liu and Milioti, which the Grammy-winning actress called a “really great” song.
The film’s conclusion avoids a simple, magical fix. Stevie’s quest ends with the hard-won understanding that life doesn’t always go as planned and that some problems are beyond her control. It’s a mature, necessary message for a modern family film.