Joseph: King of Dreams
Encyclopedia
Joseph: King of Dreams is a 2000 American animated musical film
and the first direct-to-video
release from DreamWorks Animation
. The film is an adaptation of the story of Joseph
from the Book of Genesis in the Bible and also serves as a prequel
to the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt
.
The next night, Joseph dreams that his brothers each carry sheaves of wheat that bow down to Joseph's gigantic sheaf, and that he is a brilliant star in the sky, surrounded by eleven smaller stars and the sun and the moon. Jacob predicts that one day Joseph will rise above them all, alarming the brothers. They leave and retreat to a cave where they plot to do away with Joseph. Having followed them, Joseph overhears, and the brothers tear his cloak and hurl him down a pit until nightfall. When they "rescue" him, Joseph is horrified to discover their scheme to sell him to desert slave traders who take him to Egypt
. The brothers then bring Joseph's torn and bloodied coat to Jacob and Rachel, who are heartbroken and are led to think he was killed by a wild animal.
In Egypt, Joseph is made the servant of a wealthy Egyptian Potiphar
. He quickly proves himself an asset to his master and the two become less master and slave and more friends. However, Potiphar's unfaithful wife, Zuleika
, takes a liking to Joseph. She tries unsuccessfully to seduce Joseph and grabs him, tearing his clothes as he flees. In spite, she tells Potiphar that Joseph attempted to assault her. Angrily, Potiphar orders Joseph killed, but when his wife intervenes, he realizes that Joseph is not guilty of his wife's accusations and he reluctantly has Joseph thrown into prison. While imprisoned, Joseph shows his gift by interpreting the dream
s of the royal butler and baker who are also prisoners. He accurately predicts that the butler will be restored to his position at the palace in three days, and that the baker will be put to death.
Eventually, the Pharaoh begins to be plagued by dreams and is told by the butler that Joseph can interpret them. He sends Potiphar to retrieve Joseph who forgives his old friend and master immediately. Joseph interprets the pharaoh's dreams as warnings of an upcoming seven years of abundance in Egypt followed by seven years of famine that will wipe out Egypt. The pharaoh is troubled and at a loss for what to do in order to prevent the upcoming disaster, however, Joseph cleverly suggests that each year one fifth of the crops are put aside and kept for rationing in order to save Egypt. The pharaoh, impressed by Joseph, makes him (Joseph) second only to pharaoh, and gives him the name "Zaphenapt-Paneah".
As the years pass, Joseph's plan saves Egypt from starvation, Joseph marries the niece of Potiphar, Asenath
, and has two children with her. Eventually, his brothers arrive in Egypt
to buy food because the seven-year famine that struck Egypt has also desolated Canaan. They do not recognize Joseph, who is enraged to see them. They offer to pay for the grain with silver - but Joseph accuses them of being spies, and demands proof of their identity. When the brothers claim they need the food to help their ailing father and youngest brother, Joseph becomes even more angry and has Simeon
arrested and locked in prison. He orders the remaining brothers to return with their alleged youngest as proof. If they do not, then Simeon will be put to death. Appalled, the brothers leave.
Asenath is equally shocked and demands to know what Joseph is up to. When she sees through his lies that they are thieves, he reveals that they are his brothers and that it was they who sold him into slavery. Shortly afterward, the brothers reappear with a young man named Benjamin
who is almost identical to Joseph. Simeon is released and Joseph asks Benjamin about his family. He is saddened to realize his mother has died but his father mollycoddles Benjamin, for fear of losing another son. The brothers lie that they had a youngest brother who was killed by wolves, angering Joseph more, though he does not show it. He decides to test his brothers.
Joseph invites the brothers to a feast and has his own golden chalice
concealed in Benjamin's bag whilst no one is looking. After the feast when the brothers prepare to leave, Joseph prevents them from going and lies that one of them has stolen his goblet. Despite the brothers' protests, Joseph cuts open the sacks of grain he gave them to take back to their homeland, and out of Benjamin's topples the gold cup. Joseph orders that he be imprisoned and enslaved. When his older brothers implore him to let Benjamin go and offer themselves instead, he is shocked. Judah beseeches Joseph not to take Benjamin, as the shock of losing another son would surely kill their elderly father. He confesses that their wickedness blinded them in the past and that, in jealousy, they sold the brother they claimed had been killed by wolves. Touched by their honesty and their show of love for Benjamin, Joseph forgives them and reveals his true identity. The brothers plead for forgiveness, which Joseph grants, and invites them and their families to live with him at the palace.
Shortly after, he is reunited with his father who is overjoyed to see him again.
. All songs produced and arranged by Danny Pelfrey.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
and the first direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
release from DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
. The film is an adaptation of the story of Joseph
Joseph (Hebrew Bible)
Joseph is an important character in the Hebrew bible, where he connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt....
from the Book of Genesis in the Bible and also serves as a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt
The Prince of Egypt
The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated musical drama film and the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the...
.
Plot
Joseph is the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons and is labeled as a "Miracle Child" since his mother, Rachel, was believed to be barren. Whilst his brothers work the farm, Joseph in contrast is doted upon and educated by Jacob, inciting the brothers' jealousy and hatred. When he receives a beautiful coat from his father, his brothers hate him even more and fear he may take over as clan leader upon the death of Jacob, despite him being the youngest and only their half-brother. One evening Joseph dreams that the sheep his brothers herd are being attacked by wolves, and true enough whilst his brothers leave him alone to care for the sheep whilst they go swimming, a pack of wolves attack the flock and Joseph is nearly killed until Jacob saves him. Jacob is enraged that Joseph was abandoned by his brothers, and also amazed that Joseph's dream came true. Judah, the eldest of the brothers and therefore their leader, merely dismisses this but Jacob is uncertain.The next night, Joseph dreams that his brothers each carry sheaves of wheat that bow down to Joseph's gigantic sheaf, and that he is a brilliant star in the sky, surrounded by eleven smaller stars and the sun and the moon. Jacob predicts that one day Joseph will rise above them all, alarming the brothers. They leave and retreat to a cave where they plot to do away with Joseph. Having followed them, Joseph overhears, and the brothers tear his cloak and hurl him down a pit until nightfall. When they "rescue" him, Joseph is horrified to discover their scheme to sell him to desert slave traders who take him to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The brothers then bring Joseph's torn and bloodied coat to Jacob and Rachel, who are heartbroken and are led to think he was killed by a wild animal.
In Egypt, Joseph is made the servant of a wealthy Egyptian Potiphar
Potiphar
Potiphar or Potifar is a person in the Book of Genesis's account of Joseph. Potiphar is said to be the captain of the palace guard and is referred to without name in the Quran. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, is taken to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar as a household slave...
. He quickly proves himself an asset to his master and the two become less master and slave and more friends. However, Potiphar's unfaithful wife, Zuleika
Zuleika (legendary)
Zuleika is the name given to the wife of Potiphar in Jewish legend and Muslim scripture.The most famous tale about Zuleika is told in a Jewish legend and in the Muslim Qur'an....
, takes a liking to Joseph. She tries unsuccessfully to seduce Joseph and grabs him, tearing his clothes as he flees. In spite, she tells Potiphar that Joseph attempted to assault her. Angrily, Potiphar orders Joseph killed, but when his wife intervenes, he realizes that Joseph is not guilty of his wife's accusations and he reluctantly has Joseph thrown into prison. While imprisoned, Joseph shows his gift by interpreting the dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s of the royal butler and baker who are also prisoners. He accurately predicts that the butler will be restored to his position at the palace in three days, and that the baker will be put to death.
Eventually, the Pharaoh begins to be plagued by dreams and is told by the butler that Joseph can interpret them. He sends Potiphar to retrieve Joseph who forgives his old friend and master immediately. Joseph interprets the pharaoh's dreams as warnings of an upcoming seven years of abundance in Egypt followed by seven years of famine that will wipe out Egypt. The pharaoh is troubled and at a loss for what to do in order to prevent the upcoming disaster, however, Joseph cleverly suggests that each year one fifth of the crops are put aside and kept for rationing in order to save Egypt. The pharaoh, impressed by Joseph, makes him (Joseph) second only to pharaoh, and gives him the name "Zaphenapt-Paneah".
As the years pass, Joseph's plan saves Egypt from starvation, Joseph marries the niece of Potiphar, Asenath
Asenath
Asenath or Asenith is a figure in the Book of Genesis , an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph son of Jacob to be his wife...
, and has two children with her. Eventually, his brothers arrive in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to buy food because the seven-year famine that struck Egypt has also desolated Canaan. They do not recognize Joseph, who is enraged to see them. They offer to pay for the grain with silver - but Joseph accuses them of being spies, and demands proof of their identity. When the brothers claim they need the food to help their ailing father and youngest brother, Joseph becomes even more angry and has Simeon
Simeon (Hebrew Bible)
According to the Book of Genesis, Simeon was, the second son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Simeon. However, some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an etiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
arrested and locked in prison. He orders the remaining brothers to return with their alleged youngest as proof. If they do not, then Simeon will be put to death. Appalled, the brothers leave.
Asenath is equally shocked and demands to know what Joseph is up to. When she sees through his lies that they are thieves, he reveals that they are his brothers and that it was they who sold him into slavery. Shortly afterward, the brothers reappear with a young man named Benjamin
Benjamin
Benjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
who is almost identical to Joseph. Simeon is released and Joseph asks Benjamin about his family. He is saddened to realize his mother has died but his father mollycoddles Benjamin, for fear of losing another son. The brothers lie that they had a youngest brother who was killed by wolves, angering Joseph more, though he does not show it. He decides to test his brothers.
Joseph invites the brothers to a feast and has his own golden chalice
Chalice
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. This can also refer to;* Holy Chalice, the vessel which Jesus used at the Last Supper to serve the wine* Chalice , a type of smoking pipe...
concealed in Benjamin's bag whilst no one is looking. After the feast when the brothers prepare to leave, Joseph prevents them from going and lies that one of them has stolen his goblet. Despite the brothers' protests, Joseph cuts open the sacks of grain he gave them to take back to their homeland, and out of Benjamin's topples the gold cup. Joseph orders that he be imprisoned and enslaved. When his older brothers implore him to let Benjamin go and offer themselves instead, he is shocked. Judah beseeches Joseph not to take Benjamin, as the shock of losing another son would surely kill their elderly father. He confesses that their wickedness blinded them in the past and that, in jealousy, they sold the brother they claimed had been killed by wolves. Touched by their honesty and their show of love for Benjamin, Joseph forgives them and reveals his true identity. The brothers plead for forgiveness, which Joseph grants, and invites them and their families to live with him at the palace.
Shortly after, he is reunited with his father who is overjoyed to see him again.
Main cast
- Ben AffleckBen AffleckBenjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
- JosephJoseph (Hebrew Bible)Joseph is an important character in the Hebrew bible, where he connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt....
and- Ben Affleck also provides the voice of Egypt.
- David CampbellDavid Campbell (Australian musician)David Joseph Campbell is an Australian singer and stage performer. He has performed and recorded many different genres of music from rock to classics. He is the son of singer Jimmy Barnes.-Theatre career:...
- JosephJoseph (Hebrew Bible)Joseph is an important character in the Hebrew bible, where he connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt....
(singing voice) - Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
- Judah - Richard HerdRichard HerdRichard Herd, Jr. is an American actor in television and film. He is well known in the science fiction community for his role in the 1983 NBC miniseries V and the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle, as John, the Visitors' Supreme Commander...
- JacobJacobJacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the... - Russell Buchanan - JacobJacobJacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
(singing voice) - Maureen McGovernMaureen McGovernMaureen Therese McGovern is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her premier renditions of the Oscar winning songs "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno in 1974.-Early life:McGovern was...
- RachelRachelRachel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is a prophet and the favorite wife of Jacob, one of the three Biblical Patriarchs, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife... - Jodi BensonJodi BensonJodi Marie Benson is an American actress, voice actress, soprano singer, and Disney Legend. She is best known for providing both the speaking and the singing voices of Disney's Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid and its sequels. In 2002 and 2006, she reprised the role of Ariel in the English...
- AsenathAsenathAsenath or Asenith is a figure in the Book of Genesis , an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph son of Jacob to be his wife... - Judith LightJudith LightJudith Ellen Light is an American actress. Her television roles include Karen Wolek on the soap opera One Life to Live, Angela Bower on the sitcom Who's the Boss?, Claire Meade on ABC's TV series Ugly Betty and Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly on Law & Order Special Victims Unit.-Early life:Light...
- ZuleikaZuleika (legendary)Zuleika is the name given to the wife of Potiphar in Jewish legend and Muslim scripture.The most famous tale about Zuleika is told in a Jewish legend and in the Muslim Qur'an.... - James EckhouseJames EckhouseJames Hays Eckhouse is an American actor known for playing Jim Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1990 to 1995. He also directed three episodes of the show...
- PotipharPotipharPotiphar or Potifar is a person in the Book of Genesis's account of Joseph. Potiphar is said to be the captain of the palace guard and is referred to without name in the Quran. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, is taken to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar as a household slave... - Richard McGonagleRichard McGonagleRichard Francis McGonagle is an American actor and voice actor.McGonagle was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Hildagard Virginia and William Francis McGonagle....
- Pharaoh - Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
- Auctioneer, Horse Trader - René Auberjonois - Butler
- Ken CampbellKen CampbellKen Campbell was an English writer, actor, director and comedian.Ken Campbell may also refer to:* Ken Campbell , Canadian evangelist* Ken Campbell , former Scotland international goalkeeper...
- Baker - Steven WeberSteven Weber (actor)Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
- Simeon, Slave Trader - Piera CoppolaPiera CoppolaPiera Coppola is a voice actress. After training in New York and London, she moved to Los Angeles, and began to provide voices for various areas.- Television :*The Batman — Poison Ivy.- Computer games :...
- Zuleika's servant, Additional Voices - Emily Eby - Servant
- Matt LevinMatt LevinMatt Levin is an American voice actor.Levin has appeared in supporting roles in Above the Law, Starship Troopers, Zoolander, and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Levin has also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager, in an episode titled "Nemesis"...
- BenjaminBenjaminBenjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
Awards
- 2001: Nominated for Silver Angel for Feature Film
- 2001: Nominated for Annie Award - Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production
- DVD Exclusive Awards 2001 - Awards Won
- Video Premiere Award for Best Animated Video Premiere: Penney Finkelman Cox (executive producer), Steve Hickner (executive producer), Jeffrey Katzenberg (executive producer), Ken Tsumura (producer)
- Best Screenplay: Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, Marshall Goldberg, Raymond Singer, Joe Stillman
- DVD Exclusive Awards 2001 - Awards Nominated
- Video Premiere Award for Best Animated Character Performance: Ben Affleck (voice), Luc Chamberland (animation director: Joseph)
- Best Directing: Rob LaDuca and Robert C. Ramirez
- Best Original Score: Daniel Pelfrey
Songs
Music and lyrics written by John BucchinoJohn Bucchino
John Bucchino is an American composer. His hometown is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He has done work for several off-Broadway shows and highly acclaimed concerts...
. All songs produced and arranged by Danny Pelfrey.
- "Miracle Child" (Maureen McGovernMaureen McGovernMaureen Therese McGovern is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her premier renditions of the Oscar winning songs "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure, and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno in 1974.-Early life:McGovern was...
, Russell BuchananRussell BuchananRussell A. Buchanan was, at age 106, one of the last surviving American veterans of the First World War. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and died in Watertown, Massachusetts. In 1918, Buchanan enlisted in the United States Navy at age 18...
, David CampbellDavid Campbell (Australian musician)David Joseph Campbell is an Australian singer and stage performer. He has performed and recorded many different genres of music from rock to classics. He is the son of singer Jimmy Barnes.-Theatre career:...
) - "Bloom" (Maureen McGovern)
- "Marketplace" (Ensemble Cast)
- "Whatever Road's at Your Feet" (David Campbell)
- "Better Than I" (David Campbell)
- "Bloom" (Reprise) (Jodi BensonJodi BensonJodi Marie Benson is an American actress, voice actress, soprano singer, and Disney Legend. She is best known for providing both the speaking and the singing voices of Disney's Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid and its sequels. In 2002 and 2006, she reprised the role of Ariel in the English...
) - "More than You Take" (David Campbell & Jodi Benson)