The Dream Catcher

Writer-director Ed Radtke's debut film--not to be confused with the awful big-budget monster movie Dreamcatcher, based on a Stephen King novel--is a combination of two of the most common genres around today: road movie and coming-of-age tale. The central character is Freddy (Maurice Compte), a dour twentysomething from Philadelphia who hops a train in the hopes of getting to Indianapolis, where he plans to look up an uncle and borrow the money he needs to support his pregnant girlfriend. Along the way he reluctantly links up with Albert (Paddy Connor), a voluble--and larcenous--teen runaway trying to reach Reno, where the mother he's never known is working in a restaurant. The various elements of the script are fairly predictable: the travelers bond and run into some helpful people (most notably a nurse who gives them a ride), as well as some trouble, while they learn to deal with disappointment and come to grips with reality. But the picture works because Radtke's approach is gentle and sensitive, and because Compte (who looks a bit like Jim Caviezel or Billy Crudup) and Connor play off one another well. This small, spare, oddly touching film is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Ed Radtke and producers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, a 22-minute “making of” featurette, 10 minutes of deleted scenes, 11 minutes of auditions, and weblinks. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a solid indie film.] (F. Swietek)