Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Whether we want to admit it or not (I certainly do), anyone who's in a nowhere job wants to break out and follow their passion. "Pipe Dream", a small, quirky, rom-com indie, notes that.A NYC plumber, David Kulovic (Martin Donovan of "Saved" and "The Haunting in Connecticut) feels invisible, being fault of the city's working class and mistreated by the power elite. After being invited to the casting office of a childhood friend, RJ (Kevin Carroll), and being "wowed" by the sexy actresses who audition there, David decides to break the dividing line by pretending to be a filmmaker in order to meet some of said thespians in audition sessions. Quite the cad… He needs samples from a script, and the only scribe David knows is fellow tenant/one night stand Antonia "Toni" Edelman (sweet, smart Mary-Louise Parker of "Weeds" and "Red"), who works as a copywriter at an equities firm, a day job she despises. Finding common ground (despite a theft issue), David, RJ and Toni set up the film production of "Pipe Dream", an odd indie comedy that attracts a naive wannabe producer who puts up the budget; Hollywood power brokers and Toni's co-worker, Marliss Funt, (Rebecca Gayheart, "Urban Legend") who charms David and gets the lead female role. Toni's jealously and David's on-the-sly filmmaking skills complicates things to hilarious results.There have been a lot of "inside the entertainment biz" films, yet "Pipe Dreams" has a down-to-earth charm because it's about creative people trying to get in the "door". Though his direction's isn't too distinguished, helmer John C. Walsh has knitted a nice, durable script with co-scribe Cynthia Kaplan (who appears as an talent agent's secretary), echoing the screwball romantic comedies of the 1930s and 1940s with some modern sitcom elements.Donovan's sly underdog pairs well with Parker's straightforward, intellectual spunk; they carry the film. Everyone else's competent, but I really liked actress/writer Guinevere Turner ("The Notorious Bettie Page", "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma") as a snarky talent agent. Jill Hennessey ("Law & Order", "Crossing Jordan") has a nice cameo as an established thespian.If you have dreams of fame and prosperity, watch "Pipe Dream" on a weekend afternoon and be inspired. You'll chuckle, too.

This is a charming little comedy. The cast is first rate, the script witty, and the concept unique. The premise is absurd, which is part of the films appeal. There are two major drawbacks to the film. It doesn't show how the buzz is truly generated for the film within the film. It shows the buzz building, but doesn't explain it. This is in part required by the absurdity of the plot but it would have been nice for a realistic build up to have occurred. The other problem is that, like so many comedies, the creative team had no idea how to end the film. As a result, you get an ending that is abrupt, and which only partially builds on what went on in the film. It makes sense for the leads to end up together, but not for Mary-Louise Parker's character to end up actually directing. It would have been truer to her character for her to still need Martin Donovan's character as a front. These complaints, however, do nothing to take away from the enjoyment of the film.

We caught "Pipe Dream" on the Cable last night. I must say it was entertaining, well written and extremely well acted.The funny part is that the whole movie *also* has an "indie" aura that's supposed to be in the film thats being filmed.Very good acting. The only actor that doesn't really "fit" is the plumber. He has a cultural level WAY above I would guess 95% of NY Plumbers. But besides that, all the rest is very good.Even though it's not a *great* movie, it surely is way above 70% of what's being made today.I would expect more fine screenplays from the same author...Nice and entertaining...

"Pipe Dream" tells a simple tale of a plumber (Donovan) who falls in like with a screen writer (Parker) and, using her script for phony movie auditions as a way to meet babes, ends up directing an indie which may just be the next big thing. Like so much tofu, "Pipe Dream" is bland, light, reasonably palatable, and isn't likely to win any awards for its food group. An easy-going, good natured flick with little to fault and little to praise, "Pipe Dream" makes for an enjoyable though forgettable 90 minute watch. (B-)