I Have a Dream...

The “struggling actress” is an old, anemic, American myth. David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive transmogrified the cliché into a multi-faceted mindfuck. Hollywood Dreams (2006), an independent film by Henry Jaglom now playing in South Florida, trots it out as a parody of the movie industry. A gawky Iowan girl packs her bags – along with her narcissistic fantasies – and moves to Hollywood. There, she’s serendipitously discovered by a producer and installed in the upper crust, followed by parties at those modernist homes with panoramic views of L.A., offers of major roles, and romance with an actor who’s masquerading as a homosexual to get gigs as gay characters.

Director Jaglom is a veteran of independent filmmaking. His movies tend to be facsimiles of his life experiences, and his actors improvise much of the action, with mixed but always madcap results. If you’re bored with the sequels, the remakes, and the massively insipid blockbusters flooding cinemas this summer, Hollywood Dreams at the very least will be out of the ordinary. It’s screens at the Lake Worth Playhouse (713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth) starting tonight, and running through the 28th. For showtimes call 561-586-6410 or visit www.lakeworthplayhouse.org.
Aug. 24-28