Dream On (1991)

When she arrives from Donegal on her ramshackle motor bike and sidecar, Peggy O'Rourke certainly puts the cat among the pigeons in North Shields. Her son, Bert, the loan shark who runs the pub, and has his finger in several pies, is not thrilled to see her. The mysterious Kevin watches her constantly. But the women in the pub darts team warm to her immediately, especially Julie, Rita and Kathy, beset with problems in their own lives, and looking for answers. The story is set in North Shields, a small coastal town in the North East of England, and is structured around three weekly darts matches. In between the matches we observe the lives of the characters. Using a blend of magic, fantasy and dreams, the film treads a knife-edge between humour and tragedy. The audience is drawn into the personal dramas; battering, alcohol, drugs and abuse are juxtaposed with the camaraderie of the darts nights where the women come together with a common aim: to win and leave their troubles at home. Peggy, irreverent, funny, bossy and sexy brings an image of an older woman rarely seen on the big screen. She interferes unashamedly, and with mixed consequences she helps Julie, Rita and Kathy understand that they have the power to change their lives if they really want to.