The Western Institute for the Specially Handicapped (W.I.S.H.) is a present-time home for various handicapped patients requiring perptetual medical care. Its campus is a little cluster of old brick buildings, green lawns and trees, isolated on the edge of a meadow in wooded hills, perhaps somewhere in Colorado, northern California, or Santa Fe. Climactic action calls for large street demonstrations, and a riotous final concert at a large stadium concert.

Among the patients there is infantlike Royce, who like Rainman, has a savant specialty. When stressed by the suicide of his cerebral palsied friend, he falls into a coma, and projects into the world his dream to be a rock superstar, which dream is taken by the world to be a real person. As Dreamstar, he uses his music celebrity to make a messianic message which causes much social controversy. Physician Dr. Marnie Blake begins to suspect the truth about Dreamstar, and she tries to protect Royce from such predators as para-psychologist Lucas Wechter, who also is figuring out the surreal but powerful existence of Dreamstar, and hopes to control Dreamstar's power by manipulating Royce.

This film is a musical insofar as Dreamstar is a chart-blasting superstar, and his message is in the lyrics and style of his music. His stature is grand, an Elvis, a Prince. The portrayal of his concerts should be accordingly huge, and the music must be very powerful. Though lyrics are provided, and the note that the music should be uplifting, rhapsodic, and strongly motivating, it is expected that the music will be written for the film, perhaps by the crossover star musician playing the part of Dreamstar.

A thematic point this story makes is that no matter how badly disadvantaged a person's body or mind might be, the spirit which inhabits that body is whole, and that spirit will find some way to express itself. As a para-psychologist, Lucas thinks he might find ESP more likely in people whose other senses are disfunctioned, like expecting a blind person to hear better. He has come to a hospital for the disfunctioned, and it happens he is correct, and such a person is living there, unknown to all. Many of the characters are residents of that institution, and as such, might only be played by performers so handicapped. These include TG Palmer, a severe cerebral palsy victim who communicates via a computerized talkbox, Down's syndrome Pammie, and other residents of the institute.

The character Dreamstar is not a real person, but the projection of Royce's dream into the world. Because Royce as an autistic savant has the power to do that to a "Rainman" degree, everyone takes Dreamstar to be real, though it is very obvious that he cannot be. Dreamstar should therefore be onscreen a CGI computer generated image of a surreally handsome and charismatic character, every frame he is onscreen a potential poster shot of the ultimate rock star image.

Using a bizarre array of experimental equipment, Wechter is trying to pick which of the residents is "controlling" Dreamstar, so as to manipulate him for power. Likewise, Marnie Blake is inexplicably aware of what is happening, and of the risk to Royce. With her cropduster pilot boyfriend Tony's help, she gets into a mob-packed stadium where Dreamstar is playing, and the crowds for and against him are rioting, and she tries to reach him. Dreamstar takes the stage, sings the final song, and then bursts into flame.

At W.I.S.H. the residents laugh and cheer, flowers bloom, people are healed, and Royce embraces and dances with Marnie and with them all. Wechter is treated as a fool by the media talk shows, and the music of the immortal Dreamstar goes on forever.

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Principal Cast:

DREAMSTAR, the most beautifully handsome, charismatic, charming, and talented superstar ever.

DR. MARNIE BLAKE, 30, attractive, a physician working at W.I.S.H.

LUCAS WECHTER, 35, not bad looking, a para-psychologist conducting a project at W.I.S.H.

DR. PETERSON, 60, up-tight, colorless director of the Institute.

MAX IPPOLITO, 30's, good looking, flashy, a top music-industry agent and manager.

TONY TRAVIS, 30's, attractive, quiet, Marnie's live-together boyfriend, a cropduster and instructor pilot.

MR. McWILLIAMS, 65, a black man, plays harmonica maybe, Dreamstar's companion and caretaker.

THE SANDMAN BAND, Dreamstar's band.

The residents:

ROYCE, 20's, large and soft, an almost infantile childlike young man.

T.G. PALMER, 20's, bright young man in computerized wheel chair, a Cerebral Palsy victim.

PAMMIE, 20's, nice looking, a Down's Syndrome victim.

GALILEO, a young man who has savant recall of every astrological horoscope, but is socially disfunctional.

BELINDA, 30ish, attractive, an extreme Turette's Syndrome victim, who utters scatalogical prophecy.