The Boy Who Could Fly
by Nick Castle
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bonnie Bedelia, Colleen Dewhurst, Fred Savage, Jay Underwood, Lucy DeakinsDirector: Nick Castle
Brand: Warner Brothers
Cinematographer: Adam Holender
Cinematographer: Steven Poster
Writer: Nick Castle
Editor: Patrick Kennedy
Producer: Brian E. Frankish
Producer: Gary Adelson
Producer: Richard Vane
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Portuguese (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-07-08
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of The Boy Who Could Fly
Movie Review: I Believe I Can Fly
Summary: 5 Stars
Ahhh, "The Boy Who Could Fly." This is a film that I grew up with and still share with my family today. This is a true inspirational film that is for all ages and families across the miles and sends a wonderful message to those who have been through pain, been down on their luck, or just simply want to believe in something positive. This message is brought forth through an unlikely pair who with their friendship and love, literally learn to fly.
Millie Michaelson (played by the lovely Lucy Deakins) is a shy 14 year-old who, along with her mother (played by the talented Bonnie Bedelia) and kid brother Louis, (played by a very young Fred Savage) is struggling to come to grips with the tragic death of her father. They are the new family on the block, at work and at school as they try to rebuild their lives after moving into a new home. They all struggle with the normal hassles of life. Louis, who tries to act tough and wants to be a soldier like the G.I. Joe's he plays with, faces neighborhood bullies who won't let him get around the block and keeps getting in trouble at school. Millie, who becomes friends with Geneva (played by the hilarious Mindy Cohn), goes through the coming-of-age rituals of adjusting to a new school and the popular girls and the temptations of alcohol. Mrs. Michaelson struggles with learning how to use a computer in the insurance business (and keep in mind, this movie was made in 1986 when computers were still relatively new).
But from the moment Millie first sets foot in her new home, she finds out that they have not moved into any ordinary neighborhood. The strange boy next door instantly intrigues Millie. Eric Gibb (a magnificent performance from Jay Underwood) lives with his lazy, alcoholic uncle (played by the convincing and entertaining Fred Gwynne) and does not speak nor does he show emotion. But one thing he does do is sit on the windowsill and pretend to fly. Nobody can seem to get through to him and nobody can really understand him accept that he may be autistic. But Millie learns that Eric's own deep dark tragedy concerning his parents is likely reflected in his obsession with flying.
Eric is in Millie's class at school, taught by Ms. Sherman (played by the late, extraordinary Colleen Dewhurst). Sherman, who has been helping Eric for quite a while, notices a connection between he and Millie. She sees Eric doing things around Millie that no doctor could do with him. Millie agrees to help Ms. Sherman by spending time with Eric in an effort to break him of his emotional disturbances and keep him out of the mental institution and the workers there who have been after him. Millie reads to Eric, plays with him in gym class, has lunch with him everyday at school, makes paper airplanes with him and he even comes home with Millie for dinner with her family.
As Millie and Eric get closer, Millie seems to find the true Eric hiding behind his emotion-less face. The two develop a very special relationship. All the while, dramatic things happen, which test their love and friendship for one another, from Millie's concussion during a fall, to Eric's run-in with the institution, to the chase they have with the institution workers, to the dramatic climax on the roof. But the hardest test of all comes after their flight, however from that day forward, things start taking a better turn for Millie and her family and even Eric's uncle.
But in the long run, Millie and her family realize that Eric was perhaps a symbol of what we can all do if we try, wish and love enough. When we feel like life is too much we can remember Eric Gibb and how he could teach us all to fly. I think Millie taught Eric to really fly in more ways than one. Millie was there for Eric during a time of need and she lifted him out from under his shell if you will. In turn, Eric taught Millie to fly with his inspiration to wish, dream and love. And look what came of it? Millie learned that anything is possible if we wish, dream and love enough. Louise Fletcher made a brief appearance as a psychiatrist, Dr. Grinada who talked with Millie after she had gotten a concussion. She told Millie: "Sometimes you have to believe in a little magic, especially when there's so much pain." And rightfully so. Both Millie and Eric have dealt with tremendous pain in their lives, but with each other, they both learned to fly together.
This movie is absolutely superb for the family. It sends such a positive message to those who may feel discouraged in life. But it is also inspiring to those who do not get discouraged easily. It's just a nice, feel-good story; a true heartfelt drama with plenty of real emotion, and even action. The cast is outstanding. All do a tremendous job. Lucy Deakins and Bonnie Bedelia are excellent at portraying deep emotion from tears to anger. Jay Underwood does a superb job of playing the emotionally disturbed Eric Gibb. He is so believable. He can go from having no emotion to just the right amount of it at the right time. Jay is indeed a very versatile actor who can touch on all the human emotions effectively. Then there's little Fred Savage, who actually adds comic relief to the film with his macho attitude. Mindy Cohn is awesome as Geneva. She may play a small part, but she's such a kick. The music of the film is beautiful and they even throw in some special effects complete with fireworks, as you'll see in Millie's dream sequence. The special features are a real treat, with a really cool theatrical trailer, and introduction featuring Jay Underwood and a commentary with Underwood, Lucy Deakins, Fred Savage and director Nick Castle. Together, they are quite an entertaining bunch who sound like they're decent ordinary people have a great time talking with one another and the audience about their personal experiences with the film and various other stories.
When I was a little kid. I loved this movie because all I knew was that it was about a flying boy that was strange. Well, it goes much deeper than that!
Summary of The Boy Who Could Fly
MILLY AND LEWIS, AND THEIR RECENTLY-WIDOWED MOM, CHARLENE, MOVE TO A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD. ONCE THERE, THEY ALL DEAL WITH A VARIETY OF PERSONAL PROBLEMSSaddened by the untimely death of their father and husband, a family moves to a new town and confronts the usual--bullies, demanding new job--and the unusual: an autistic neighbor boy who believes he can fly. Bonnie Bedelia is the stressed-out mom, and Bedelia-look-alike Lucy Deakins plays the perceptive daughter who braves ridicule to reach out to the boy under the tutelage of wise teacher Colleen Dewhurst. This earnest film's melancholy is tempered by its fantastical ending and the fun of seeing a pre-Wonder Years Fred Savage as the soldier-obsessed little brother, not to mention one of the future denizens of Beverly Hills 90210 (Jason Priestley). Parents may wax nostalgic over early '80s fashions and may take delight in appearances by Mr. Munster (Fred Gwynne) as an alcoholic with self-knowledge, Facts of Life gal Mindy Cohn as a chatty neighbor, and Louise Fletcher playing a kindly psychologist. Slow pacing and heavy dollops of tragedy make this most appropriate for ages 8 and up. --Kimberly Heinrichs
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