Simu Liu, the star of Marvel’s “Shang-Chi,” is tackling a different kind of conflict in his new animated film, “In Your Dreams.” Liu voices the father in a family struggling with marital problems, a role he was “fascinated” to take on because of its realism. The film, opening Friday, avoids “fairy tale” endings for a more honest look at modern family life.
“The way that families are depicted… is this idea that families are always happy, always smiling,” Liu said. “It’s just not true.” The China-born Canadian star insisted that “it’s important that kids have imagery of families that aren’t perfect,” a mission this Netflix adventure-comedy fulfills.
The film’s plot, from director Alex Woo (Pixar’s “Ratatouille”), follows the children, Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and Elliot (Elias Janssen), as they seek The Sandman to magically save their parents’ marriage. This fantastical quest, animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, is filled with humor, thanks to characters like Baloney Tony (voiced by Craig Robinson).
The mother is voiced by Emmy and Grammy winner Cristin Milioti. She praised a duet she sings with Liu as a “beautiful moment” in the film, one that shows the “strained couple in harmony.”
The film’s ultimate message is one of sober maturity. Stevie, the young protagonist, learns that “there is no magic solution to real-life problems.” Her journey to accept this truth is the film’s real story, reinforcing Liu’s belief in the power of honest, imperfect representation.
