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      The Lathe of Heaven

      1980 1h 45m Sci-Fi List
      Reviews 72% 500+ Ratings Audience Score A psychiatrist (Kevin Conway) tries to change the world through a man (Bruce Davison) whose dreams literally come true. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

      View All (4) Critics Reviews
      Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Sep 24, 2005 Full Review Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette Rated: 3/5 Jan 14, 2005 Full Review Lori Hoffman Atlantic City Weekly Rated: 3/5 Sep 24, 2004 Full Review Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion Rated: 2/5 Mar 26, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member This mind-blowing movie first appeared to me as part of a PBS telethon, and it left an indelible mark on my psyche. Unimaginable Power. Unbelievably Intriguing Plot Line. No way you're guessing the denouement of this movie. Dreams DO Come True. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Great movie, yes it is on a small budget but still great. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review sean l PBS's first ever made-for-TV movie is an ambitious adaptation of a classic sci-fi novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. Set in the near future, it follows a young man whose dreams have the power to alter reality (usually with unintended side effects) and the disruptive machinations of his power-hungry therapist / hypnotist. The main plot device is interesting, with each dream leading to a sort of bite-sized Twilight Zone episode, and we're never sure how much the supporting cast recalls of their past reality. Watching for the more subtle changes and trying to outsmart the premise often makes for great fun. The production's age and budget cause numerous problems, though, with a lot of dry, flat acting and poor visual effects. Pacing issues also plague the first act, but once it gains a good head of steam, our wait is rewarded. A decent intellectual science fiction thriller, with some great ideas but an armload of unrealized potential. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Can anyone be as naive as the main character? I left it at the mid point. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member A faithful adaptation of the novel and a movie that still entertains 35 years later. Takes me back to a time when PBS was very diverse in it's programming. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member At its heart there is an actually pretty good and original sci-fi story, but its low budget and the acting really lets it down to the point where it interferes with taking the film seriously. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis A psychiatrist (Kevin Conway) tries to change the world through a man (Bruce Davison) whose dreams literally come true.
      Director
      David Loxton, Fred Barzyk
      Genre
      Sci-Fi
      Original Language
      English
      Runtime
      1h 45m