Backstreet Dreams is a 1990 American drama film written by Jason O'Malley and directed by O'Malley and Rupert Hitzig.
Dean Costello (O'Malley) is an Evil Debt Collector who works with his partner Manny (Tony Fields) under the crime lord Luca (Burt Young). He struggles to support his wife Lucy (Sherilyn Fenn) and his autistic three-year-old son Shane (John and Joseph Vizzi). Doctors write Shane off as hopeless, but young psychologist Stevie (Brooke Shields) believes that she can help him learn to connect with others. As Shane progresses, Dean finds himself torn between his life of crime—and loyalty to Manny—and his desire to do right by Shane.
Backstreet Dreams contains examples of:
- '90s Hair: Practically every male character has a mullet, including Shane.
- Affectionate Nickname: "Dean-O."
- And Starring: ...and Burt Young as Luca. Special appearance by Anthony Franciosa as Angelo Carnivale.
- Batter Up!: Stevie knocks at Dean's door while he's reeling from the loss of Lucy and frustrated with his inability to understand Shane. He answers the door by smashing out part of it with his bat.
- Bedroom Adultery Scene: Dean walks in on Lucy in the middle of sex with Paco.
- Character Tics: Shane repetitively bangs things or waves his hand in front of his eyes.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Stevie knew her ex-fiancé since childhood. They still broke up because he didn't understand why she was willing to take take such a low-paying job.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Dean tries to smoke one while Shane is in the hospital, but his hands are shaking so hard that he can't light it.
- The Coats Are Off: Dean takes off his jacket right before getting involved in a nightclub brawl.
- Comforting Comforter: Dean walks into Shane's room to find him asleep in bed, with Stevie asleep in a nearby chair. Dean pulls the blanket farther over Shane and kisses his cheek.
- Dedication: "This film is dedicated, with much love and appreciation, to NORA O'MALLEY."
- Desk Sweep of Rage: Frustrated by his inability to calm Shane's crying, Dean knocks a bunch of books on autism from his bookshelf.
- Even Evil Has Standards: When Luca finds out that two of his underlings raped the wife of the man they were supposed to be extorting money from, he immediately cuts them loose from his organization.
- Eyes Always Averted: Shane stares at the ground most of the time. A major part of Stevie's therapy is getting him to make eye contact.
- "Friends" Rent Control: The set decorators do their best to uglify Dean's home, but it's still a large, spacious townhouse in what looks like a good area.
- Gory Discretion Shot: A car rushes towards Shane as he stands spacing out in the middle of a crosswalk. The movie cuts right before the car hits, and the Sickening "Crunch!" is played over an Establishing Shot of a hospital.
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: Angelo was once a highly skilled boxer, but by the time he got his shot at the belt, age had caught up to him and weakened him.
- Left the Background Music On: In the first scene of the movie, a saxophone can be heard in the background. Then the movie cuts to a saxophonist standing outside.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Lucy slept with other men right up until she married Dean. After Shane is diagnosed with autism, Dean wonders if he's even his.
- Obfuscating Disability: After Angelo is severely beaten, he pretends to be so brain-damaged that the only word he can utter is "Florida." He's hoping his son and daughter-in-law will take pity on him and move him to their home in Florida, where he will make a miraculous recovery.
- Off-into-the-Distance Ending: Dean, Stevie, and Shane driving to California, where there's a special school Dean hopes will help Shane. Combined with a Freeze-Frame Ending.
- Papa Wolf: Dean flies into a rage, tranquil or otherwise, whenever Shane is hurt or threatened.
- P.O.V. Shot: Shane gets one after he runs away from his home to escape a criminal who wants to get Revenge by Proxy.
- Prison Rape: Referenced by Manny, who refuses to risk getting arrested for fear of becoming someone's "little girl" in prison.
- Reformed Criminal: Dean quits working for Luca, despite Manny's efforts to talk him out of it, and gets an unpleasant and demeaning but honest job instead.
- Right Through Her Pants: Lucy wears a bra during sex with Paco.
- Shirtless Scene: Dean takes his shirt off to go swimming with Stevie.
- Sitting on the Roof: Dean leans against a chimney while he angsts about Shane's condition.
- Standard Snippet: Dean, Stevie, and Shane listen to "La Donna e Mobile" in Dean's home.
- Tantrum Throwing: Annoyed by the whistling of his kettle, Dean shuts it up by throwing a baseball at it.
- Tranquil Fury: When Dean catches Lucy and Paco in the middle of sex, and then finds out Paco beat Shane to stop him from crying, he calmly kicks them both out of his house.
