Dreamchild

Most of the action takes place in the late 20th century, focusing on aging, media, and personal memory. The film also inserts flashbacks to the 1860s, depicting Dodgson's past interactions with Alice. These shifts emphasize how memory can reshape identity and how the past informs the present.

Scenes unfold aboard a sea voyage and later in a hotel where journalists swarm Alice and her carer. The hotel rooms become pressure chambers of memory, as Alice faces attention and questions about Dodgson. The narrative then shifts to New York for a celebrated moment at Columbia University, anchoring the present-day drama in a real-world landmark.

🕰️ Memory

Memory is unreliable and selective; the film frames Alice’s recollections as both revelation and misdirection. The tea party in the hallucinatory sequences allows her to reframe Dodgson’s feelings and their dynamic. By revisiting the past, she negotiates guilt and longing. The narrative suggests forgiveness comes when memory is confronted rather than denied.

🎭 Fantasy

Fantasy blurs with reality as Alice’s visions of Dodgson and the Wonderland characters intrude on her aging life. The film uses these fantasy episodes to probe truth, desire, and control in memory. The dreamlike sequences function as a tool for emotional reconciliation rather than mere escape.

📰 Media

Journalists and publicity machinery press Alice’s story, turning private history into public spectacle. Jack Dolan’s role as a media intermediary highlights the blurred lines between memory, fame, and endorsement. The film critiques sensationalism while showing how media can shape, harm, or heal personal narratives.

❤️ Love

Romance threads through the relationships at play, from the uneasy bond between Alice and the younger Dodgson to the developing romance between Jack and Lucy. Love is shown as both a source of comfort and complication for aging individuals confronting the past. The film treats affection as a catalyst for honesty and forgiveness.