Spoilers Within
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?Edgar Allen Poe
Dream Within a Dream
The verdict is back and it's guilty. Adam Grant is not surprised, but he is desperate. He begs them all not to do it. To not kill him again. Not another time.
This is not only one of the best Twilight Zone episodes, it is also one of the neatest Fantasies that television has to offer. Which isn't surprising as it was written by Charles Beaumont, one fantastic writer.
I remember seeing this story as a kid. Not this version, mind you, but the remake done in the 80's Twilight Zone revival. I knew the plot, knew how it would turn out, and still this story had me beginning to end.
To begin with, the story itself is wonderful. Here is the believer vs. the skeptics done right, where the skeptics aren't dopes. Most of them feel from the start that something is wrong. When the proof finally comes in they accept and act... only...
The real genius here, too, is the very nature of the threat. Who could believe that the whole world is the product of one man's dream? It covers even small gaffes in the process. It is but a dream, after all.
But what really seals the deal for me is Dennis Weaver as Adam Grant. My God was he something. I knew he was good from Duel but he is most convincing in his desperation and just plain tiredness of his predicament. Good stuff, all in all.
End Notes
* Charles Beaumont was taken all too soon by the devil known as Alzheimer's. Now when I learned Rod Serling died in his fifties, I felt that was too soon, too. But Beaumont died at thirty four! My God! And look what he had done by then! Movies! Novels! TV Episodes!I've been wasting my life.
1 comment:
In my opinion, Dennis Weaver has always been underrated. I don't think that stint on "McCloud" helped him out, much. A bit of type-casting when he really needed more diverse dramatic roles.
Post a Comment