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New Video Group, Inc.

The Lathe of Heaven

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Arrives Wednesday, Jun 17
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Format: DVD August 29, 2000


Description

For George Orr, sleep is not a respite. For Dr. William Haber, dreams are tools. For sci-fi fans, the wait is over. Praised as "rare and powerful" by The New York Times, Ursula K. Le Guin’s THE LATHE OF HEAVEN is one of the most celebrated science fict "Antwerp!" For science fiction fans, the long-awaited VHS and DVD release of The Lathe of Heaven is a dream come true. This haunting adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's genre-classic novel was broadcast but once on PBS in 1980 before rights and other legal snafus relegated it to the archives. Reportedly PBS's most requested program, the made-for-TV film was at last rebroadcast in 2000. Set in Portland, Oregon, in the near future, The Lathe of Heaven stars Bruce Davison as George Orr, who, to put it mildly, has a dream problem. Not only do his dreams come true, but they "change reality back to the Stone Age."Kevin Conway costars as Dr. Haber, a dream specialist who instantly recognizes George's gift and tries to harness it to make the whole world right. But, as George notes, "Unlimited power means unlimited danger." The increasingly megalomaniacal Haber uses George to try to cure the world's ills, from overpopulation to war, resulting in, for starters, a devastating plague and even alien invasion.Many in this production went on to projects familiar to audiences: Cowriter Diane English went on to create TV's Murphy Brown; Scott Rudin, credited with "Principle Casting," is now one of Hollywood's most formidable producers; Margaret Avery, who costars as a skeptical lawyer who comes to believe George's incredible tale, was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in The Color Purple. For those who have only been able to see this now-legendary production on poor-quality bootleg tapes, this release will be sheer heaven. The DVD contains an interview with Le Guin conducted by Bill Moyers. --Donald Liebenson

Genre: Science Fiction


Format: Color, DVD, NTSC


Contributor: Bernadette Whitehead, Bruce Davison, David R. Loxton, Diane English, Frank Miller, Fred Barzyk, Gena Sleete, Jane Roberts, Jo Livingston, Joye Nash, Kevin Conway, Niki Flacks, Peyton E. Park, Roger Swaybill, Tom Matts, Ursula K. Le Guin, Vandi Clark See more


Language: English


Runtime: 1 hour and 45 minutes


Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No


MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)


Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 5.5 x 0.53 inches; 3.2 ounces


Director ‏ : ‎ David R. Loxton, Fred Barzyk


Media Format ‏ : ‎ Color, DVD, NTSC


Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 45 minutes


Release date ‏ : ‎ August 29, 2000


Actors ‏ : ‎ Bruce Davison, Kevin Conway, Niki Flacks, Peyton E. Park, Vandi Clark


Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0), Unknown (Dolby Digital 1.0)


Studio ‏ : ‎ New Video Group


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Phenomenal Classic that's finally available!
One of Le Guin's finest and quite an excellent choice for a live-action movie. I first saw the original PBS broadcast (way back when there were only 3 commercial networks and the ad-free maverick from college campuses) and the tale is still just as fresh and mind-blowing as it was a half-century ago. The DVD even has an extra section in which the author is interviewed about the story and her intentions. It's wonderfully enlightening as well! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2026 by rkl
    • Classic story, well done tv version!
This was the first movie commissioned by PBS, one of the many interesting facts that the DVD interview reveals. In fact the interview on the DVD is almost as good as the movie itself - did you know Ursula wanted to do the Left Hand of Darkness instead but that they talked her out of it? The movie is excellent. Although you can tell at the beginning of the DVD that the master wasn't of the best quality, you quickly get sucked into the storyline, accepting some of the shoddy special effects because the plot and acting are so stellar. I was lucky enough to do a 3 hour phone interview with Kevin Conway, and we talked a lot about how much this movie meant to him and what he was thinking about while filming. The movie has had a big impact on both the actors and viewers - most sci fi fans I know remember vividly when this came out, and have been waiting anxiously for its return. I already have a line of friends who want to come watch this with me! The basic story is that George Orr has dreams which change reality, and simply wants them to stop. His doctor, Dr. Haber, instead decides to use them to change the world and rid it of evil. Ursula explains in the interview that this pits the tao of 'go with the flow' in George vs the progress and change mentality of Dr. Haber. It's definitely a movie that you can watch many times and really think about, and also a movie that is fun just as an interesting story. Perhaps my favorite part is when George wonders if *everyone* has this ability, to change reality with dreams, and that maybe the 'rug is being pulled out from under us' over and over again without anyone noticing. See this with friends or family, and be prepared for lively discussions afterwards! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2000 by Lisa Shea
    • "...is but a dream within a dream."
Available again after a 20-year absence, "The Lathe of Heaven" has lost none of its power or impact. Not only a compelling story, enhanced by fine acting, but an invitation to consider the philosophical and ethical questions it raises. You'll discuss this with like-minded friends afterward! Proof positive that good science-fiction is about ideas, not special effects. The essence of this film will never be dated -- highly recommended to all thoughtful viewers. August 8, 2013 update: Having watched the film again, this time on the already out-of-print DVD with the fine Bill Moyers-Ursula LeGuin interview, I'm reminded of just how good this adaptation of her classic novel really is. In Bruce Davison, Kevin Conway, and Margaret Avery, we have 3 gifted actors who give their all to their roles, grounding the shifting realities that surround them with nuanced humanity. If the special effects were low-budget even then, they're handled well & integrated perfectly into the story; only someone obsessed with geek culture minutia could complain, as they convey everything that has to be conveyed. In fact, flashy & expensive CGI effects would only be a garish distraction here -- since the story is about dreams & the power of the Unconscious, far better to simply suggest the alien ships (for example) with dots of light, and let the viewer's imagination fill in the rest. What counts here is the ominous power of the narrative, because we've already learned that nothing about reality is safe, than anything can happen -- and usually for the worst. And much of that ominous power is enhanced by the score, which is subtle & utterly appropriate. While many 1980s synthesizer scores just don't hold up now, this one is superb. Again, this story is about ideas, philosophy, ethics -- all explored within a gripping story that treats us like adults & takes for granted our ability to think about it all intelligently. After years of countless mega-million CGI blockbusters that claim to be science-fiction, it's even more refreshing to come back to the real thing. Can you imagine how many excellent films of this caliber could be made on just the costume budget of those blockbusters? It would be a pleasure to see more films that engage the mind & heart, rather than just superficial sensation. A pity it's once more out-of-print! We can only hope that it'll somehow be reissued again in the near future, this time with the proper Beatles version of "A Little Help From My Friends" back in place. Let's sleep on it ... ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2000 by Tim Lukeman
    • Truly Sublime - Excellent Adaptation of LeGuinn's Gem
This film, I believe, originally aired on public television in the early '80's. It is based on the Ursula K. LeGuinn novel of the same name (in retrospect, perhaps her best novel). The movie concerns George Orr, a man who, unwittingly, has developed the power to alter physical reality while dreaming. At first, the changes are subtle and unimportant. Things change, however, when George encounters a psychiatrist who, by studying George's brainwaves, construsts a machine (the "Augmentor") which permits the user to change reality (everyone's reality) at will. From this point, the movie takes off into a world where everyone's skin is gray (the psychiatrisst wanted to eliminate racisim but instead created a grim underpopulated human race with no diversity and, more importantly, no love interest for George who in a previous reality fell in love with a black woman), a world populated by terse, very deep thinking space aliens resembling giant turtles who run curiousity shops, and, finally, a hellish, bad acid trip type world created when our evil psychiatrist experiences a nightmare while his brain is attached to the Augmentor. The performances are excellent and heartfelt. The love story involving George Orr (the alien turtles call him "Jor Jor") is also touching. It is easy to empathize with Jor Jor whose life is complicated enough as it is; falling in love, on top of everything else, almost overwhelms him. The special effects are also pretty decent, especially toward the end. I strongly recommend this movie to any connoisseur of Sci-Fi. Normal people may find this one a little weird. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2000 by P. McGrath
    • All We See or Seem is But Dreams Within a Dream ???
This first made for Public TV movie is an excellent adaptation of the singular "speculative fiction" novel, "The Lathe of Heaven", by the well known and talented author, Ursula K. Le Guin. Like the novel, the movie has a fluid fast pace, but with plenty of appropriate details of character, foreground and background. This gives a rich and vivid quality to the changing course of the flow of the plot, via colorful and creative sharp screenplay. However, as the motion and emotion move along, they are not overdone, giving a balanced "realistic" feel to such a "dreamy" story. Again, like the novel, the movie can be followed in a number of "symbolic" ways. It could be "objective" allegory, dealing with common human and world themes of mystical religion. Or, it could be "subjective" allegory dealing with a "typical" dreaming series of a "typical" human, with the main "personas" representing the major "parts" of the human psyche. Yet, it could be a "singular" metadream of one individual, a unique "just so" adventure of one George Orr. In any case, this viewer feels that the novel was indeed successfully transfered over into the movie, which seems to be rare for "speculative fiction", and especially for such a surrealistic type. Amazing, that such a "verbal" media work can be rendered so well as a "visual" media work. Ursula K. Le Guin was on site as the movie was made, in only a few weeks with only a quarter million dollars. The DVD has an interesting and informative interview, with Ursula K. Le Guin, as one of the added features. No wonder then that this movie has been one of the most requested reruns of cinema and television -- and certainly a favorite of Public Television +++ ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2006 by Kevin Kiersky
    • One star is too high a rating for this seller
DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SELLER. Amazon delivery was AWESOME, this seller was not. This DVD was barely one step above GARBAGE status. It was grossly overpriced, and I will never purchase another item from this seller again
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2025 by Bawby
    • Well we were young kids and we saw an interracial romance. Very beautiful.
I watched this movie along long time ago 1980 with my siblings, we were young teenagers. As we got older we could never remember the name of it. We did remember the song and apiece of the movie of man running with a lady near water, a beach I believe. I googled and googled for years till now and found it. We planned a movie night for the siblings at my sisters house I can’t wait to watch it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2025 by AV
    • The Haber Institute of Oeinerology plays God
The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number! What can I say about this brilliantly plotted work of literature brought to life though a cheaply budgeted but great film? Essentially a Dream Psychologist discovers that his assigned patient is telling him the truth when he is informed that the patients effective dreams can change reality. Haber uses this talent to re-create the world in the images that a smart scientist believes best. First he creates the means by making his status in society important with the creation of a new institute dedicated to Oeinerology (dream research) and uses George Orr's mind to increase the power of his augmentor machine. This done, he begins to change the world through dream suggestion to make the world right in a matter of weeks that thousands of years of history could not do. But because of the mind of Mr. Orr, both positive and negative things happen. Haber is not thwarted by this but pressures Orr to perfect his augmentor through dreams so that he can change the world without Orr's mind. The only problem is that he discovers a great secret when he finally ventures into the Lathe of Heaven. He discovers that all existence is in the mind of Orr and that the world had really ended some time ago due to Nuclear armageddon. Orr, a staggering survivor nearing death by radioactive poisoning, willed the world back into an existence that is really an effective dream of his own making!!! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2006 by Justin Playfair

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