WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Beautiful Dreamers
Genre:Drama

Reviewed In Issue 03 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Colm Feore, Wendel Meldrum, Sheila McCarthy, Colin Fox, Rip Torn.

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 5
Sound Rating: 5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
Internet Links

Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Hemdale Home Video
(Catalog Number): 8070
(MPAA Rating): PG13
(Retail Price): $39.95
(Running Time In Minutes): 108
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): No
(Theatrical Release): 1992
(LD Release Date): 1/93
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

Credits Information
(Director): John Harrison
(Screenplay/Written By): John Harrison
(Story): NA
(Music): Lawrence Shragge
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Seamus Flannery
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor): Ron Wisman
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Stephen J. Roth
(Co-Producers): Sally Bochner
(Producers): Michael Maclear & Martin Walters

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo A
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital): No
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Director John Harrison has fashioned Beautiful Dreamers into beautifully directed and photographed masterpiece. It is an emotionally charged 19th century drama about a doctor-director of a Canadian insane asylum, his wife, and the poet Walt Whitman (Rip Torn). The doctor embraces the poet’s philosophy of human compassion to offer a new approach to treating the mentally ill with kindness and emotional support rather than with painful dismemberment. Whitman’s liberating ideas of individuality and guiltless sexuality bring new life to the doctor’s own faltering marriage. This deeply moving, triumphantly uplifting story is sensitive to the bonds between men and women and the greater issues of humanity.

LaserDisc Picture:
The picture quality is gorgeous with good detail. The 1.85:1 aspect ratio is true to the original composition. The excellent color fidelity and balance has a film-like warmth that soothes the eyes.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The sound is very well recorded with an effective Dolby Surround® spatiality that provides a captivating ambient presence in nearly every scene.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz): No
(Aggressive System Surround): Yes
(Intense 25Hz Bass): No
(Deep Bass Challenging): No
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield): Yes
(Aggressive Split Surround): No
(Center Back Surround Imaging): No
(Directionalized Dialogue): No
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: