Follow That Dream (1962)

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Elvis displayed some real comedic talent in this one. Arthur O'Connell added some acting quality and Anne Helm was perfect as the fetching but not too pretty or simpering to be true country girl. I always thought Elvis played off stronger female characters better than the mere eye candy types.There are some good songs and an interesting storyline. In later Elvis films, the producers seemed to rely on the Elvis factor and neglect the vehicle itself. Even if you admit that Elvis was not a great actor, you must also admit that even the greatest of actors would have struggled to give life to some of the later Elvis movie scripts. The scenery and the cinematography are also of a very high quality. America and Elvis never looked more attractive than in "Follow That Dream". There is a breeziness and gently comedic quality that really works in this one.

Wooh. Naive is not a strong enough word. Several times they question the intelligence of The Kwimper family. Enough that it leaves you squirming in your seat. Ugh that left a bad taste in my mouth.Typical Elvis songs and shirt half off showing off his chest.I don't know if it was actor choice or direction but every shot that showed Elvis seated his legs were splayed wide eagle. I know he left ladies aflutter, but this was really noticeable.Cute enough..but with questionable moments that wouldn't fly in this day and age.

Elvis Presley and father Arthur O'Connell are cruising in Florida with their adopted children in tow, when they run out of gas on a newly constructed road (being dedicated today by the way.) They promptly decide to homestead and ultimately go into the fishing business to make ends meet. But for starters they must get a loan from the bank to finance their venture and start the ball rolling. It gets rolling alright. Most of Elvis' romantic comedies center more on the romance, but "Follow That Dream" is definitely a comedy with some music. You see, Elvis here is pure, and naive. And, they really play up his naiveté. When he goes for the loan, due to a miscommunication, they think he's holding up the bank. But when he sees the guards' guns, he takes their guns away from them, saying "What'cha got them for? Someone's gonna get hurt." And, Howard McNear (Floyd from "The Andy Griffth Show") is outrageously funny as the loan officer. Joanna Moore (also from "The Andy Griffith Show") is the social services officer going for an inspection regarding the young children's' welfare and winds up making a pass at Elvis! Very unprofessional! This may be very silly, but it's one of the best of Elvis Presley's films due to its outrageous fun and laughs. But will Alan Hewitt as the law successfully get them off the land? Will the young children be taken from them? Will gangster Simon Oakland stir up trouble for Elvis, or will Elvis get him all shook up?! Despite the lack of an Ann-Margret or Shelley Fabares, for a great time with Elvis, don't just sit there, "Follow That Dream."

Elvis usually made movies that were utterly shallow puffs of fluff. This one is completely different. For one thing, unlike his usual efforts here his part is anything but a one-dimensional stereotype and in his portrayal he proves he really could act. In fact, it is a shame he never did more of this kind of thing, because if you take this seriously you find that his character actually comes across as intriguingly ambiguous. Here he plays an utterly guileless, humble, unassuming "down-home" or "good-ole-boy" type (entirely different from his usual flashier persona) which really does look like some kind of combination not only of Jethro Bodine but also of Andy Taylor -- someone who is simultaneously naive and wise, as well as utterly cool, even-tempered and unflappable. In fact, the whole production can't help but remind you of the Beverly Hillbillies and the Andy Griffith Show, but with the intriguing sense that there is more going on than meets the eye. Moreover, the writing compares favorably with either of those shows, with quite a few clever lines of dialog and situational incongruities. As a lawyer I was similarly impressed with the treatment of the judge in the film, who proved pompous and yet also clear-headed and conscientious, a combination of contradictions such as you really can encounter in real life on occasion, and I'm inclined to think the writers had a better sense of characters than one expects in a B-movie of the era. Anyway, there isn't much on TV these days that is any better, so you would not waste your time to check this out in preference to yet another episode of *The King of Queens.* In fact, I actually agree with what another reviewer or message board poster said about this -- while watching it, it actually occurred to me that I would rather watch this than another screening of *Star Wars*.