I Dreamed of Africa

PG-13

Released May 5, 2000

1 hr. 54 min.

Drama

List

10%

102 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Inspired by the true story of indomitable Kuki Gallmann, the film tells of a beautiful and inquisitive woman who had the courage to escape from her comfortable yet monotonous life in Italy to start anew in the African wilderness with her son, Emanuele, and her new husband, Paolo. Gallmann faces great danger there but eventually becomes a celebrated conservationist.

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Critics Consensus

The straightforward retelling of Kuki Gallman's life in Africa neither moves or entertains the viewer.

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Genevieve P

Great Movie!! Great acting. Full of emotion. Love Kim Basinger! 🌹

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Sean S

The baseball part of this movie is fun and entertaining, But the love story is lacking. Although Costner gives a good performance on the mound, the love story acting isn't the greatest.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/30/23

Full Review

Steve D

Likely to make you dream too, after it puts you to sleep.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

Full Review

Melissa K

This film is a beautiful, picturesque retelling of the life of Kuki Gallman and her brave, and often dangerous, conservancy efforts in Kenya's Great Rift Valley. It is poignant, heartbreaking and inspiring.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/29/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Great story but very sad

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The film reimagines a 1970's memoir narrative through an early 2000's lens. Comfy soundtrack and sprawling location shots give a good sense of place. While the cheesy acting and slow pacing may be off-putting to some viewers it has a classic exoticism aesthetic redeployed for the new millennium. The (speaking native language) subtitles are cringey and there are lot of campy moments that could have been avoided with some attention to detail and realism. 50 million dollars was far too much money to spend making a movie of this quality but I can appreciate the wildlife shots for their beauty and the interpretation of the travel memoir for it's perspective. It is a travel experience and personal story of a European woman in Africa who has impeccably bad luck with truck drivers. In the film Kim Basinger's character avoids any sort of developed connections to the people she is living amongst and remains transplatedly European throughout the duration. You'd think for such a large budget they could develop some African characters beyond a few lines but they remain peripheral and unnamed in the main narrative (aside from Lance Reddick's 'Simon'). All that being said, your pet snake will love this movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

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Hugh Hudson

Director

Kim Basinger

Kuki Gallmann

Vincent Perez

Paolo Gallmann

Liam Aiken

Emanuele Gallman

Garrett Strommen

Emanuele at 17

Eva Marie Saint

Franca

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

I Dreamed of Africa boasts the majestic landscapes and wildlife that explain why anyone would be spellbound by the place. But the story is fitfully episodic and the jerky editing doesn't help a bit.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 23, 2014

Full Review

Paul West

Seattle Times

It's neither epic enough to fulfill a grand scope, nor intimate enough to be an overpowering emotional experience.

Rated: 2/4

Jul 23, 2014

Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

This film, based on a true story, transcends its handsomeness to present a subtle portrait of a woman's growing consciousness.

Jul 23, 2014

Full Review

Linda Cook

Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

I Dreamed of Africa is a rarity: A true story that isn't nearly as interesting as the fictional shows on neighboring screens. Maybe that's because the story behind the story never emerges.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 1, 2022

Full Review

Paula Farmer

Metro Times (Detroit, MI)

I Dreamed of Africa fails on so many levels that it's hard to even give it credit for the one area in which it excels.

Rated: 1/5

Jul 23, 2014

Full Review

Mike Goodridge

Screen International

It's very similar in story and theme to Out Of Africa but lacks that film's grandeur and real sense of what makes the heroine love the country.

Jul 23, 2014

Full Review

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Synopsis

Inspired by the true story of indomitable Kuki Gallmann, the film tells of a beautiful and inquisitive woman who had the courage to escape from her comfortable yet monotonous life in Italy to start anew in the African wilderness with her son, Emanuele, and her new husband, Paolo. Gallmann faces great danger there but eventually becomes a celebrated conservationist.

Director: Hugh Hudson
Screenwriter: Kuki Gallmann, Paula Milne, Susan Shilliday
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Columbia Pictures, Jaffilms
Rating: PG-13 (Sensuality|Nudity|Traumatic Episodes|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 5, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.5M
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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