I Dream of Jeannie Movie

[JeannieII]

I agree with with jeannietonyfan. I don't think making a movie is worth it if they plan on using some trashy actor from today.

[jeannietonyfan]

Well one thing's for sure... if they do end up making the movie it would not be right if they didn't give Barbara, Larry, and Bill cameos in it. I remember seeing Barbara and Larry on Entertainment Tonight and them saying that they wouldn't mind if a movie was made if it was well written and then Larry joked that they should include them. Barbara then replied that maybe they should use them as "Grandma and Grandpa". I think that might be a cute idea if the movie ever was made, but still, I think that the whole movie idea should be put to rest.

[Subspace]

Oh, I agree. If even the 1991 movie was as bad as it was (in terms of plot - or lack thereof, originality, continuity, etc.), just imagine how bad a 2007/2008 movie would be. Yes, yes, the 1991 movie (I Still Dream of Jeannie) was a "made-for-TV" movie, but at least it had original I Dream of Jeannie cast members Barbara Eden (Jeannie Nelson) and Bill Daily (Col. Roger Healey) - something a 2008 movie would not have.

[jeannietonyfan]

I've always wondered why they didn't include Bill Daily more in I Still Dream of Jeannie... I mean he was the only other original besides Barbara, and he was only in a few scenes. The school prinicpal had more scenes for crying out loud. I don't think they gave Bill a chance to showcase his character as much as they could have. And the plot could have been a lot better, but it was still cute to watch.

[Subspace]

jeannietonyfan said:

I've always wondered why they didn't include Bill Daily more in I Still Dream of Jeannie... I mean he was the only other original besides Barbara, and he was only in a few scenes. The school prinicpal had more scenes for crying out loud. I don't think they gave Bill a chance to showcase his character as much as they could have. And the plot could have been a lot better, but it was still cute to watch.

I agree about the school principal having more scenes... wish they would have given Healey more scenes. The plot itself was alright, but there were many places throughout the movie that just didn't make sense. I watched it and am glad I did, but I don't really yearn to watch it again, if you get my drift.

[jeannietonyfan]

subspace said:

jeannietonyfan said:

I've always wondered why they didn't include Bill Daily more in I Still Dream of Jeannie... I mean he was the only other original besides Barbara, and he was only in a few scenes. The school prinicpal had more scenes for crying out loud. I don't think they gave Bill a chance to showcase his character as much as they could have. And the plot could have been a lot better, but it was still cute to watch.

I agree about the school principal having more scenes... wish they would have given Healey more scenes. The plot itself was alright, but there were many places throughout the movie that just didn't make sense. I watched it and am glad I did, but I don't really yearn to watch it again, if you get my drift.

Yep, I agree... I wouldn't watch it again either I don't think.

[Subspace]

Yup. I also keenly missed Dr. Bellows in the film... RIP Hayden Rorke. As Larry Hagman said on Larry King Live in 2003, Hayden Rorke was "the glue that kept the show together, I swear."

The ending was another thing I didn't like about I Still Dream of Jeannie - it would have been a more lovable ending if it had ended with Colonel Nelson returning home to Jeannie and T.J. I understand that Larry Hagman was partly responsible for this: he didn't want to participate in the film, and hence they tried to keep the role of Col. Nelson down as much as possible, so that they wouldn't need to pawn off another actor as Colonel Nelson. But still.

Besides, it could have been funny to see the school principal's reaction to finding out Jeannie is a genie... I always thought they ended the movie at a rather strange place, as if they realized they had run out of time and just cut it there.

[jeannietonyfan]

Yeah, it is kind of an abrupt ending... ah well, what can you do? I'm glad they didn't get yet another actor to play Tony though... that would have been going too far.

[Subspace]

jeannietonyfan said:

Yeah, it is kind of an abrupt ending... ah well, what can you do? I'm glad they didn't get yet another actor to play Tony though... that would have been going too far.

Yeah, I agree. That's about the biggest good thing I can say about that movie [I Still Dream of Jeannie] - it didn't re-cast Tony Nelson's character, despite the certain temptation to do so. There's something to be said for that.

[Patterson Lundquist]

As I've said elsewhere and here probably... There really is nothing good at all about this movie besides Barbara Eden and Bill Daily... However I do have issues with Barbara's peformance as Jeannie. Perish the thought people, hold onto your bottles because some of you might get mad.

I'm aware the director is typically at fault in these situations. However Barbara was not even in character as much as she was in 15 Years Later. It's 1991 in this film and Jeannie is even more of an social idiot than she was in 1970. 1985 at least showed her with a sense of empowerment and liberation. 1991 she was a drip who yet again is stuck dealing with her snotty sisters shenanigans.

I know the plot and direction have a great deal to do with this, but at the same time that is also Barbara's fault. I'm sure she knew this would be the last hurrah for her in the pink harem pants on prime time television so she accepted the crappy script and ran with it. Bill Daily told me himself that the first day of shooting they were all sitting around the table looking over it and he said out loud "This script is crap, this doesn't make any sense. Tony was lost in every episode of I Dream of Jeannie, and Jeannie rescued him. She didn't need to know where he was, she just thought of Tony and blinked." He said everyone, including Barbara just stared at him like he was a painting.

The script stunk, the plot was complete CRAP and the writer should have been beaten with a sack of door knobs. Heck, Barbara should have been slapped for agreeing to do it. Larry has said off the record that they weren't willing to pay him enough to do the movie. So they came back later (after the script was finished) offered him a brief cameo at the end and he agreed to look at the script and when he saw the storyline he tossed it in the trash can. The fact is, he would have been the only good thing about it, and without him in it, with THAT particular script, the movie was a total bomb. Regardless of the ratings it was horrible. People simply tuned in to watch Barbara in the harem costume again.

Now, grab your pitch forks and light your torches, I'm sure you're going to burn me at the stake for this post.

-P

[jeannietonyfan]

No, I'm not going to burn you at the stake! I think you have a point! I don't think Barbara was ever one to complain about the scripts... it was always Larry and Bill who were trying to improve them... I think she just came in, did her job (wonderfully) and went home. I think she thought it wasn't her place to say anything. She must have felt that way in 1991, and it's too bad Bill was left out to dry, because he was completely right. It's a shame, really. I hadn't known that Larry would have considered a cameo... that would have made the film if the script had been any better. Ah, well... we all know that even with ALL the original cast members back, the show would never have been the same. Take the Dick Van manly woman show reunion a few years ago; it had pretty much everyone back, and it was crap. I think people for once would learn that reunion shows (unless it's just the cast chatting about old times) is NOT a good idea.

[Subspace]

admin said:

As I've said elsewhere and here probably... There really is nothing good at all about this movie besides Barbara Eden and Bill Daily... However I do have issues with Barbara's peformance as Jeannie. Perish the thought people, hold onto your bottles because some of you might get mad.

I'm aware the director is typically at fault in these situations. However Barbara was not even in character as much as she was in 15 Years Later. It's 1991 in this film and Jeannie is even more of an social idiot than she was in 1970. 1985 at least showed her with a sense of empowerment and liberation. 1991 she was a drip who yet again is stuck dealing with her snotty sisters shenanigans.

I know the plot and direction have a great deal to do with this, but at the same time that is also Barbara's fault. I'm sure she knew this would be the last hurrah for her in the pink harem pants on prime time television so she accepted the crappy script and ran with it. Bill Daily told me himself that the first day of shooting they were all sitting around the table looking over it and he said out loud "This script is crap, this doesn't make any sense. Tony was lost in every episode of I Dream of Jeannie, and Jeannie rescued him. She didn't need to know where he was, she just thought of Tony and blinked." He said everyone, including Barbara just stared at him like he was a painting.

The script stunk, the plot was complete CRAP and the writer should have been beaten with a sack of door knobs. Heck, Barbara should have been slapped for agreeing to do it. Larry has said off the record that they weren't willing to pay him enough to do the movie. So they came back later (after the script was finished) offered him a brief cameo at the end and he agreed to look at the script and when he saw the storyline he tossed it in the trash can. The fact is, he would have been the only good thing about it, and without him in it, with THAT particular script, the movie was a total bomb. Regardless of the ratings it was horrible. People simply tuned in to watch Barbara in the harem costume again.

Now, grab your pitch forks and light your torches, I'm sure you're going to burn me at the stake for this post.

-P

I actually happen to agree with you completely Patterson. I hadn't known that Bill Daily had said what he said during the filming, but it feels good to know that at least he felt the same way you, me, and many other IDOJ fans feel. The movie's continuity was bad, and the plot was even worse. For example one of the main plot points of the movie was Jeannie trying to get General Westcott out of his office so she could go in and snoop for Tony Nelson's file. Well, Jeannie could have simply blinked right into Westcott's office during the night... very easily done, and I can see Jeannie doing it. After all, Jeannie did make several unauthorized visits during the daytime, so what's so wrong about blinking in and searching his office during the night?

But no, she had to go in daytime because she had to walk right up, physically, to the outer door, blink through, then physically walk to and physically open the inner door, just to get into his office. And she had to get Westcott out by impersonating another General's secretary, and later by using the lame excuse of going to his office to get tape (come on, what are the secretaries working outside for? If you need tape, a secretary would be a better person to ask! Secretaries are sure to have tape.). (The other women going along with Jeannie's suggestion was even lamer, and Westcott's wife having a key to Westcott's office was just plain unbelievable).

But I ramble... I could go on and on about similar illogical plot points throughout the movie. The bottom line is, Patterson is right about the script stinking, etc.

[Subspace]

jeannietonyfan said:

No, I'm not going to burn you at the stake! I think you have a point! I don't think Barbara was ever one to complain about the scripts... it was always Larry and Bill who were trying to improve them... I think she just came in, did her job (wonderfully) and went home. I think she thought it wasn't her place to say anything. She must have felt that way in 1991, and it's too bad Bill was left out to dry, because he was completely right. It's a shame, really. I hadn't known that Larry would have considered a cameo... that would have made the film if the script had been any better. Ah, well... we all know that even with ALL the original cast members back, the show would never have been the same. Take the thingy Van manly woman show reunion a few years ago; it had pretty much everyone back, and it was crap. I think people for once would learn that reunion shows (unless it's just the cast chatting about old times) is NOT a good idea.

I wouldn't say all reunion shows are a bad idea... if they are done right, reunion shows could be very interesting and entertaining. IDOJ reunion shows could have been written that would have been both true to IDOJ canon as well as smash hits... instead, they had writers who were obviously unfamiliar with IDOJ, as well as lacking in some basic logic, do the writing... making the reunion movies go down the drain.

[jeannietonyfan]

That's true, Subspace, but do they EVER compare to the original?

[Subspace]

jeannietonyfan said:

That's true, Subspace, but do they EVER compare to the original?

I don't know of any series where there were reunion movie(s) done and the reunion special(s) were of the same, or superior, quality as the original series... but then I'm not an expert on TV shows, so I was just speaking, hypothetically. I would agree with you though that most or the majority of reunions aren't done right, mainly because they have different writers write the reunions, and the writers that they hire, are usually not familiar with, or don't have a complete understanding of, the original series... hence the reunions they do write are botched.