Dream with the Fishes


Dream with the Fishes is a 1997 American independent film directed by Finn Taylor. The film is Taylor's directorial debut. It was released on June 20, 1997 by Sony Pictures Classics.

Plot

The film follows Terry, a suicidal voyeur who doesn't seem to be able to kill himself. While preparing for jumping off a bridge, he meets Nick who ends up saving his life. Terry discovers that Nick is terminally ill and doesn't have much time left. Scared by the lack of time, Nick offers Terry a deal he can't refuse: Terry will become the beneficiary of Nick's life insurance or, since money doesn't matter to Terry, Nick promises to kill him before he dies. All Nick asks is Terry's help to realize a few fantasies before dying.
Taylor has claimed that the film is loosely autobiographical. Taylor himself once spent six years traveling around the country with a friend. In one interview, Taylor claimed: "When I was 19, I contemplated suicide and attempted to hold up a drug store."

Production

It was shot in San Francisco and in other locations around Northern California.

Release and reception

Dream with the Fishes debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, and would go on to earn $460,000 in limited release in June 1997. In Australia, it also received a limited theatrical release in October 1997.
The film received a relatively positive reception from critics. Roger Ebert said that the film "shows some of the signs of unchained ambition." The Los Angeles Times said that "of all the towering blockbusters this summer, Dream With The Fishes has more heart than the lot of them." In a 2007 interview, actor David Arquette stated that Dream with the Fishes was "close to my heart" and "a great independent film."