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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Eric, Can You Really Fly?", March 27, 2006
This review is from: The Boy Who Could Fly (DVD)
Mrs. Michaelson (Bonnie Bedelia) and her two children Milly (Lucy Deakins) and Louis (Fred Savage) have just moved into a new neighborhood following the recent death of their husband/Father. They hope to begin a new life and make new friends as the try to deal with the grief of their loss.
While trying to deal with her own personal grief, Milly finds an unexpected friend in Eric (Jay Underwood) the strange boy next store who never speaks and stands on the roof of his house with arms spread as though he were an airplane getting ready to take flight.
After a little investigation she discovers that Eric lost both parents in a plane crash and hasn't spoken or communicated with anyone since. Milly decides to break through the wall he has built around himself and lead him back to wholeness. As you might have guessed by now feelings other than just friendship soon develop between the two disinfranchised teenagers.
'The Boy Who Could' is an absolutely wonderful tale of hope, belief and the healing power of love. Lucy Deakins is one of the most charming and beautiful young women I've ever seen on film and was absolutely perfect for this role. The entire cast is excellent as well, especially Fred Savage as the little brother.
Truly one of the four or five greatest family movies ever made!
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
They don't make 'em like this anymore., July 29, 2003
This review is from: The Boy Who Could Fly (DVD)
I'm so tired of modern family movies full of fart jokes or movies where teenagers make love to pastries and it's supposed to be funny and then they staple on some superficial message at the end in an attempt to be poignant and balance out all the trash that came before. Every other week we are tortured with some nonsense of this calibre and whenever I wish for a movie that stands out from the crowd I have to go back in time and consider some overlooked gem. The Boy Who Could Fly is exactly that. The characters seem so real and their emotions genuine, it builds at a slow pace but it never gets boring and story development is consistent. This is not a ferociously loud summer crowd-pleaser or something bloated with pointless SFX. Very few movies have the power to make a whole story out of characters and situation alone without feeling the need for some ridiculous set piece or blaring thrash metal guitars. In fact Bruce Broughton's score is the wonderful opposite of that. The performances, especially the two leads, are flawless and the direction is far more refined than the typical. Everything in this movie comes together perfectly to make a film so unique and charming. If you have lost your faith in the current dreck that graces our screens and if you want a family movie with some meaning and subtext then check this out. And keep an eye out for director John Carpenter as on of the Coupe De Villes. The DVD is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and in Dolby 2.0. It has an introduction by Jay Underwood and director Nick (Michael Myers) Castle, they also feature in a commentary with Lucy Deakins and Fred Savage.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Magical, February 7, 2000
I first saw this movie on cable about twelve years ago, and I liked it immensely. But I'd have to say I absolutely loved it when I saw it on the Disney Channel a couple of days ago. Shot for virtually nothing and lacking the usual smarmy high school lowlifes, not only is it a heartwarming, inspiring, and gentle film, it also showcases the fine acting skills and engaging qualities of two actors who--at the time of the film's release--were literally on the edge of stardom. But neither Lucy Deakins nor Jay Underwood have been able to "break through" in Hollywood yet, even though they deserve it. The always loveable Lucy Deakins, in particular, seems to be in absentia, last appearing in the Disney film Cheetah in 1989 (a film I want to see but can't, because Disney doesn't sell it anymore, in all likelihood because it's not cost-effective). You may remember that Underwood played a young Sonny Bono in the ABC-TV Movie of the Week Sonny & Cher about a year ago. Nevertheless, Deakins absolutely shines here as a teenage girl whose cancer-laden father has recently committed suicide so his wife and kids would not see him die so miserably. Her Mom and little brother (played well by Bonnie Bedelia and a young Fred Savage) move to a new neighborhood, where she ultimately meets a boy (Underwood, who pulls off a remarkable performance) who has shut himself off from society after his parents died in a plane crash and is forced to live with his likeable but irresponsible alcoholic uncle (played by Fred Gwynne, his wonderful swan song). I have read a number of reviews and synopses that describe the Underwood character as autistic, but unless I am mistaken, I do not believe the film ever refers to him as such. The film chronicles Deakins and Underwood's characters' budding friendship, and then romance, when Underwood finally opens up to her in a last-ditch effort to prove his love and humanity. The ending, of course, also involves some aviation. Fred Gwynne and Colleen Dewhurst, who are unfortunately not with us now, give exceptional performances, and Louise Fletcher (who played the evil nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) is quite good, playing a psychiatrist who is Deakins character's modern-day guardian angel. The attractive and zesty Mindy Cohn (of Facts of Life fame) is also fun as Deakins' friend. Also check out Deakins' wardrobe. If you, like me, grew up in the 1980s, you're bound to recall your sister's purple jeans and pink sweaters with snowflakes! Gentle and Moving.
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