The new animated film “In Your Dreams” is taking on a subject matter rarely seen in children’s adventure-comedies: the painful reality of marital strife. The Netflix and theatrical release focuses on young siblings Stevie and Elliot, who are so desperate to save their parents’ marriage that they travel to a magical dream world. Their goal is to find The Sandman, whom they believe can grant their wish and put their family back together.
This central plot point sets up the film’s powerful core message. As voiced by teen actor Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, her character Stevie “grapples with the discovery that there is no magic solution to real-life problems.” Stevie’s initial belief that “I can fix this on my own and everything can be fixed” is challenged at every turn. Her journey is one of accepting that some things are out of her control and that life doesn’t always go according to plan.
This theme of realism was a key factor for the film’s high-profile cast. Simu Liu, the ‘Shang-Chi’ star who voices the father, was drawn to the script precisely because it wasn’t a fairy tale. He spoke about the disservice done to children by media that only depicts “happy, always smiling” families that “never fight.” Liu insisted that “it’s important that kids have imagery of families that aren’t perfect,” and this film provides exactly that.
The film comes from director Alex Woo, a Pixar veteran (“Ratatouille,” “WALL·E”), and was animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks. The impressive cast also includes Emmy winner Cristin Milioti as the Mom and “The Office” star Craig Robinson as a stuffed animal named Baloney Tony. Milioti, a Grammy winner for the musical “Once,” even performs a “really great” duet with Liu, offering a brief glimpse of the harmony the children are fighting to reclaim.
“In Your Dreams” refuses to offer an easy, magical answer. Instead, it offers something more valuable: a story that validates the experiences of children in imperfect families. It concludes with the hard-won truth that while dreams are powerful, they are no substitute for facing reality, and that navigating conflict is a normal, albeit difficult, part of life and love.