Sweet Dreams revolves around Morris, a music director, and how his life changed after he started living at a rehabilitation center. One morning, Morris woke up on a bench at a park with a broken nose and very little memory of the previous night. His mother came to his rescue and dropped him off at ‘Sweet Dreams,’ a residential rehabilitation center. Morris was afraid that his addiction would result in a distance between him and his daughter, which was why recovering and staying sober was crucial for him. Morris was hungover when he entered the residential rehabilitation, and because of his status, he looked down upon the other housemates and thought it would be impossible for him to connect with them.
Spoiler Alert
How did Morris adjust to his new surroundings?
Morris could not get over the fact that a popular music director like him was stuck between a bunch of misfits. He found it difficult to come to terms with his addiction. But once he realized that his life outside was all messed up and the only way he could fix it was by trying to get sober, Morris started to put in the effort. He realized that he had betrayed the trust of his daughter and her mother by leaving her alone at home to attend a party at night. He thought he would make it back home before his daughter woke up, but he had a drink too many and ended up on a park bench. It was because of his addiction that he even considered leaving his eight-year-old daughter alone at home. While he was gone, his daughter frantically searched for him, and she ended up locking herself out of the house. His neighbor found her, and eventually, the police got involved. Morris was devastated, thinking about the trauma his little girl might have been through when she could not find him. Morris wanted to become a better father because his daughter deserved the world.
Staying sober was a challenge, especially because his idea of having a good time revolved around getting tipsy, and all of a sudden, that was taken away from him. There were moments when he felt contradictory, but the thought of never being able to meet his daughter kept him on the right track. Morris met Frank at the AA meetings, and he found inspiration in him. Frank once owned one of the biggest record companies. He had everything in life, but it was only after he decided to get sober that he realized how his addiction had impacted those around him. He assured Morris that even if life seemed to be falling apart, he must not give up because life would reward him in ways beyond his comprehension.
The toughest blow for Morris was when he learned that his record company had dropped him. All this while, he assumed that he could get back to his life after he left the residential program, but this helped him realize what it was to lose everything he had. Pete encouraged Morris to befriend his housemates and find a way to contribute to making their lives better. He also reminded Morris that getting sober for the sake of his daughter was not enough; he had to do so for himself, and only then could he check the goals he had set.
Why was winning the competition important for the Sweet Creams team?
The relationship between Morris and his housemates improved after they signed up for the Amateur Tournament, a softball league held in their neighborhood. Pete signed up the ‘Sweet Dreams’ team for the competition, hoping that would help them focus their energy on something fruitful. While not everybody was initially happy with the competitive nature of a league, eventually, they agreed to participate. The team believed that Morris had the leadership skills and softball knowledge to coach them, and they persuaded him to become the team’s coach. Morris did not expect softball to impact his life the way it did. The practice sessions and interactions helped him feel alive once again. While he had assumed that his life would turn into a gloomy mess, he was surprised by how much he had started to enjoy his new life.
Morris was shocked when he found out that the house was up for auction. As it turned out, Pete tried his best to stay afloat, but with his father falling sick, it became impossible for him to manage the expense of ‘Sweet Dreams,’ and he was left with no other choice but to auction the house. ‘Sweet Dreams’ was not just Pete’s project to ensure that addicts recovered, but it was also of immense emotional significance to those living there. The house accepted them when the world refused to, and they were not ready to let it go without a fight. Winning the league was driven by a purpose now, and it was impossible to break their spirit.
How did Morris learn to take accountability?
Morris did not expect to last more than two days in the program, but the constant support of everyone around him and his desire to become a better version of himself helped him not to relapse. It was only after staying sober that he started to take accountability for his past actions. He realized how he had failed as a father every time he prioritized his addiction over the well-being of his daughter. With time, Morris found the courage to text his ex-partner and convince her to allow him to talk to his daughter.
Eventually, Morris realized that he was quite serious about sobriety, and he asked Frank to be his sponsor. Frank had only two conditions: Morris had to call every day, and he was not allowed to lie. Morris happily agreed to the conditions, and they decided to celebrate the day with lunch outside, but to their disappointment, the place was closed. Morris found out that someone drove their truck into the eatery, which was why the store was closed. Morris was horrified when he saw a picture of the accident. He recognized himself in the photograph and realized that he had caused the damage, but he had no memory of it.
Towards the end of Sweet Dreams, Morris consulted with Frank, and they decided that he must talk to the owner of the store and take accountability, even if it resulted in legal action. Morris was afraid, but it was a necessary step, and he was relieved when he found out that the owner was sober. Morris had to only cover the charges of the damage caused, and in that moment, he experienced how healing it can be to own up to one’s mistake.
Did Morris get to meet his daughter?
Morris and his team made it to the final match of the championship, but there was one problem. Morris had committed to work on a music video, and the shooting was on that very day. He consulted with Pete to stack the lineup, but he chose to keep it a secret from the entire team. On the day of the match, the team searched for Morris and was disappointed when he did not show up. But, to Pete’s surprise, Morris showed up at the match. He was not ready to let go of the experience of watching his team play in the finals, and Morris knew how important winning the tournament was and chose not to take a risk. Maybe this was not something Old Morris would have considered. He chose to prioritize the well-being of the collective instead of his individual growth, and that showed how he had progressed. ‘Sweet Creams’ was in their best form in the final match, leaving their opponent furious. Even though not everyone on their team was a great player, Morris managed to bring out the best in them like a true coach.
During Sweet Dreams‘ ending, Morris saw his daughter cheering for him from the stands, and his heart was full. This was the moment he had been looking forward to for over a month. Sweet Dreams ends with Morris and his team celebrating their win; having his daughter witness his success was all Morris could have asked for. He saw pride in his daughter’s eyes after a long time, and they celebrated his win with some ice cream. At a time when he thought it was almost impossible to turn his life around, his housemates in ‘Sweet Dreams’ helped him believe in himself again. It is just the beginning of his sobriety journey, and there will be days when it will be difficult to stay on the right track, but now that he has experienced the joy of being sober, we can only hope that Morris will not falter again.
