Plot Summary
When the Campbells adopted little Joey from the struggling Porters, they thought it was forever. But when the Porters get back on their feet after Joey’s father gets out of jail, they file to regain custody of their son. Heartbroken, the Campbells do everything they can do to keep their only son, but they cannot prevail. Therefore, they resort to a drastic measure that could land them in prison, but they are committed to protecting their son from evil.
Production Quality (1 point)
As a pilot production from Jon Gunn and company, this production quality is not what it could be. But on a shoestring budget, it is not that bad. Camera work is sometimes shaky and video quality and lighting are sometimes poor. The standard soundtrack is sometimes loud enough to cover up dialogue, but audio quality is mostly fine. For a first-time effort, the sets and locations are quite realistic, even the international ones. The editing is a pretty good effort considering what they had to work with. In the end, every movie maker has to start somewhere, regardless of the budget or resources. When put in that perspective, Like Dandelion Dust is an applaudable effort.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
Based on a novel by Karen Kingsbury, this plot is somewhat slow to develop and has one too many flat scenes and dead spots. Yet the story is true to the book and depicts unfortunately realistic happenings. Too much time tends to be spent on trashy elements, although what happens therein is believable. This film is a fair portrayal of real people and their struggles and highlights important issues with child welfare. Dialogue is mostly accessible and helps to build the characters. Unfortunately, the first three-fourths of the film may not hold the attention of most audiences. However, once it gets to the point at the end, it suddenly becomes really good and is worth the wait. Overall, Like Dandelion Dust improves at the end and shows great potential for the future.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
This cast is semi-professional and mostly knows what they are doing. Through they are small, they have some bright spots, such as well-played and believable emotions. Their line delivery can be wooden at times, but overall, this is a good effort that shows talent in casting.
Conclusion
It is always good to choose a book plot for your first film, but we have to wonder if this was the best Karen Kingsbury book to choose. The story is intriguing as a book, but it doesn’t translate very well to the big screen. Yet nonetheless, it is a good effort and something to build off of for the future. There is great potential in this team and we can’t wait to see what they have planned next.
Final Rating: 4 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 