Joseph: King of Dreams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joseph: King of Dreams
DVD cover
Directed by	Robert Ramirez Rob LaDuca
Produced by	Ken Tsumura Jeffrey Katzenberg
Screenplay by	Eugenia Bostwick-Singer Raymond Singer Joe Stillman Marshall Goldberg
Starring	Ben Affleck Mark Hamill Richard Herd Maureen McGovern Jodi Benson Judith Light James Eckhouse Richard McGonagle
Music by	Daniel Pelfrey
Editing by	Michael Andrews Greg Snyder John Venzon
Studio	DreamWorks Animation
Distributed by	DreamWorks Home Entertainment
Release date(s)	November 7, 2000 (2000-11-07)
Running time	74 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Joseph: King of Dreams is an animated musical drama film from 2000. It was the first and only movie from DreamWorks Animation released straight to video. The film tells the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis in the Bible.

This movie is like a prequel or spin-off to the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt. This is because Joseph's story in the Bible happens before the story of Moses. The composer, Daniel Pelfrey, said the film was made to go along with The Prince of Egypt. He noted that even though Joseph turned out very different, it was a rewarding challenge.

The Story of Joseph

Joseph is the youngest of Jacob's twelve sons. His father, Jacob, loves him the most because Joseph's mother, Rachel, was thought to be unable to have children. Joseph becomes a bit proud because of his father's special treatment. This makes his older half-brothers very jealous of him.

Joseph's Dreams and His Brothers' Plan

One night, Joseph dreams of wolves attacking their family's sheep. The next day, this dream comes true. He then has another dream where his brothers bow down to him. When he tells them this, they get very angry. Led by Judah, they plan to get rid of him. They sell Joseph to a slave trader. Then, they take his special colorful coat back to their parents. They trick Jacob and Rachel into believing that Joseph was killed by wolves.

Life in Egypt and False Accusations

In Egypt, Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guards, buys Joseph. Joseph slowly becomes Potiphar's most trusted helper. He also becomes friends with Potiphar's kind niece, Asenath. However, Potiphar's wife, Zuleika, tries to get Joseph to like her. When he refuses, she lies and says Joseph was the one who made advances toward her. Potiphar almost has Joseph killed. But Zuleika feels bad and stops him. Potiphar realizes Joseph is innocent. To save his own reputation, he sadly sends Joseph to prison.

Joseph in Prison

In prison, Joseph meets the royal butler and baker. He can interpret their dreams. He tells them that one will be put to death and the other will return to his job at the palace. Just as Joseph predicted, the baker is executed, and the butler is set free. However, the butler forgets his promise to tell Pharaoh about Joseph. So, Joseph stays in jail for a long time.

During this time, Asenath secretly brings food to Joseph through a skylight in the prison. One evening, she almost gets caught by a guard. She drops the food, and rats eat it. Joseph becomes very angry and sad. He climbs the prison walls, asking God why all these bad things are happening to him. He slips, falls, and is knocked out. When he wakes up, Joseph finds new hope. He starts caring for a small, dying tree in the prison. As he helps it grow, he starts to trust in God's plan again.

Joseph Becomes a Leader

Later, Pharaoh is troubled by nightmares that none of his advisors can explain. The butler remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh sends Potiphar to get Joseph from prison. Joseph and Potiphar have a happy reunion, and Joseph forgives Potiphar. Joseph explains Pharaoh's dreams. He says they mean there will be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of severe famine that could destroy Egypt. Joseph suggests storing one-fifth of each year's harvest.

Impressed, Pharaoh makes Joseph his minister, giving him the name "Zaphnath-Paaneah". Joseph's guidance saves the Egyptians from starvation. They even sell extra grain to other countries affected by the famine. Joseph marries Asenath and has two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

Family Reunion

Eventually, Joseph's brothers come to Egypt to buy grain because of the famine in their homeland. They do not recognize Joseph. Joseph pretends not to know them and accuses them of being spies. The brothers offer to buy grain with the silver they received when they sold Joseph years ago. They say they need it to feed their elderly father and youngest brother. Joseph still refuses to sell them grain. He puts Simeon in prison until they can prove they have another brother.

The brothers return with a young man named Benjamin. Benjamin is Joseph's younger brother, born after Joseph was gone. Jacob loves Benjamin very much. Benjamin tells Joseph that Rachel has died and Jacob has been very sad since Joseph was thought to be dead. Simeon is released, and Joseph invites his brothers to a feast.

After the feast, Joseph secretly hides his golden cup in Benjamin's bag. When the cup is found, Joseph orders Benjamin to be enslaved. He does this to see how his brothers will react. Joseph is amazed when they offer to be enslaved instead of Benjamin. Judah is very sad and ashamed. He admits that he sold Joseph into slavery, a crime that has haunted them. He says they cannot go back without Benjamin, as losing another son would kill their father.

Touched by their change of heart, Joseph reveals who he is. They all make up and forgive each other. Joseph invites them to live with their families in Egypt. Soon after, he happily reunites with his father, Jacob. He also meets his brothers' wives and children. This is how the Hebrews come to live in Egypt.

Meet the Voice Cast

Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in Joseph: King of Dreams:

The Music of the Film

The music for Joseph: King of Dreams was created by Danny Pelfrey. He produced and arranged all the songs and composed the background music.

How the Score Was Made

Danny Pelfrey read different versions of the Bible story to get ideas for the music. He worked closely with the writers, producers, and directors of the film. Jeffrey Katzenberg, a main producer, had the final say on everything. Pelfrey had never done a musical before. He learned how to make the songs fit the story and the overall feel of the movie.

Pelfrey used a "World/Orchestral" style for the music. He used instruments from different regions, like the Duduk, Ney, and various drums. He wanted the music to create a strong feeling for the story. He also used choirs in special moments, like at the beginning and during Joseph's reunion with his family.

Songs in the Movie

A soundtrack album for the film was not released. Here are the songs featured in the movie:

All songs written and composed by John Bucchino. 

How the Film Differs from the Bible

The movie Joseph: King of Dreams tells the story of Joseph from the Bible. However, it makes a few changes:

• In the film, Judah is shown as the oldest of Jacob's sons. In the Bible, Judah is actually the fourth son.
• The movie shows Joseph's mother, Rachel, as still alive when Joseph is a young man. It also shows Benjamin as a young man when the brothers return to Egypt the second time. In the Bible, Rachel dies after giving birth to Benjamin, who was a baby when Joseph was sold.
• The film does not mention Dinah, Jacob and Leah's daughter, who is mentioned in the Book of Genesis.

See also

In Spanish: Joseph: King of Dreams para niños