(1980)

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The Lathe of Heaven

Dr. Haber (Kevin Conway) uses his ‘augmentor’ on himself in an attempt to duplicate George Orr’s (Bruce Davison’s) ability to turn dreams into reality, and to make a “perfect” world (with Haber at the epicenter, of course). Things go awry, and Haber’s dreaming begins to wreak havoc on the space/time continuum. George realizes what’s going on, and goes to Haber’s laboratory to “do battle” with him in the dreamscape. (In a bizarre side plot that was foreshadowed in the opening scene but ignored by the filmmakers until this exact instant, it is revealed that George first gained the ability to “change things” four years ago in April, when civilization was destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. George, suffering the effects of radiation poisoning, laid down to die, but instead dreamed a “normal” world back into existence.) Anyway, the battle concludes, leaving a fairly stable reality in which George is at peace (having apparently lost his talent?), but he remembers everything. He “meets” Heather LeLache (Margaret Avery), who doesn’t know him, but who accepts his invitation to lunch. On their walk, the couple comes upon Haber, a wheelchair-bound intellectual vegetable.

This movie was remade in 2002.