The scene where the man from Rekall comes into the apartment and offers Quaid a red-pill offers no insight to the question at hand. Why shouldn’t he be pre-programmed into the story? Furthermore, Quaid sees the man sweating (which, in theory, a digital fabrication would have no reason to do), so there’s enough evidence for either conclusion.

Isn’t the whole idea of Rekall to make an experience that Quaid doesn’t know is false? Wouldn’t the best way to do that be to thrust him into a situation where he has reason to question whether or not the recall worked? If the company raised to the expectations it proclaims for itself, the only way to give a one-hundred percent satisfactory recall experience is to make the client actually believe, in his core, the fabrication is, in fact, real.

Therefore, I take it that the head of Rekall really is inserted to help guide Quaid out of his mental delusion. Hence at the end, when the screen turns to white right after the big romantic kiss, that’s Quaid’s brain fading away while he is being lobotomized. And that’s the kind of ending I expect from Verhoeven.

Just my two cents, hope it helps. Love the site.

This way, references to future occurrences, such as his taste in women, type of desired vacation, etc. are merely him dreaming about things in his real life.

The book has a couple of interesting twists not in the movie, at least if you like sci-fi.

As for the exposition in question here (when Quaid flips out and the employees give him emergency sedation), I find it hard to believe that all of that was intended to be part of Quaid’s adventure. According to the dream interpretation, there are things that Rekall intended to happen and things that Rekall did not intend to happen. Quaid flipping out is clearly part of the latter.

In other words, I think this exposition sequence of events is “real.” Something actually goes wrong, and the Rekall employees actually sedate him and put him in a cab.

From there, one of two things happen:

“All a Dream” option: Quaid doesn’t wake up in the cab. He keeps dreaming and experiences his adventure on Earth, then Mars. Meanwhile, in reality, he’s found in the cab unconscious and presumably taken back to Rekall for further “treatment.”

“All Reality” option: Quaid wakes up in the cab and the events of the movie actually occur.

The female Rekaller in charge of Quaid’s trip flicks her assistant the Rekall program which I assume holds all the fantasies Quaid would like to experience. He catches it and comments, “That’s a new one, blue sky on Mars.”

After a little chit chat concerning Quaid’s relationship with his wife the assistant says “All systems are go.”

The Rekaller now states and questions, “Then we’re set. Ready for dream land?”

I believe that it is here that you will find the definitive pivot point. The moment we see Quaid receive his sedative is the beginning of his Rekall. Quaid groans and our adventure begins.

As for all the exposition between here and the taxi, I’m prone to think that this exists for the same reason Richter exists outside of Quaids own personal experience. I assume that Rekall works much like an on-line RPG. The implanted memory is more than just Quaid’s personal experience, it’s a universe of characters and scenarios that as a whole complete Quaid’s Rekall.

And so to answer your question straight… Yes, I believe it’s all a dream after that specific pivot point.

On a different note:
I’ve been frequenting Overthinkingit.com for most of this year and have thoroughly enjoyed almost every article. Even subjects I have no interest in have become far more intriguing thanks to this site. Thanks for the good times! It’s been fun to weigh in on something I care passionately about so I am sure that you will be hearing more from me over the following Verhoeverthinking It week!

In the “dream” interpretation, how are we supposed to interpret the time between his sedation and him waking up in the taxi? Is that “part of his dream,” or did that actually happen? Does his “dream” essentially start when he wakes up in the cab?