Product Details

• Actors: Elijah Wood, Rachel Leigh Cook, Joseph Perrino
• Directors: Martin Duffy
• Format: PAL, Import, Dolby, Widescreen
• Region: All Regions
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001FBNLZY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #609,145 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Description Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings, Sin City) stars as Barney Snow, an amnesiac teen who retains few memories about himself. When he's not trying to recoup memories during therapy, he spars and bonds with other patients, including wheelchair-bound prankster Billy the Kidney and fast-fading cancer sufferer Mazzo, whose twin sister, Cassie (Rachel Leigh Cook), takes a shine to Barney. A sensitive and honest coming-of-age story that raises haunting questions about personal identity and the role of mind over matter in treating serious illness, the film features fine performances from a gifted young cast

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Elijah's Finest, February 4, 2002

By 

R. F. Garrity "RFG" (Destrehan, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have to say the first reason I thought of picking this movie up was Elijah Wood. As a performer myself, I realized his talent years ago when he starred as Huck Finn back in 1993. I knew then that his was a carreer to watch. I followed Elijah through the good movies and the bad until yesterday when I picked up "Bumblebee." What would you do if you had to literally forget your past in order to have a future. Barney Snow (Elijah Wood) is faced with exactly this decision in this heart tugging drama.

Barney snow wakes up in hospital for terminally ill youths, not remembering how he got there, or even what his name is. His only choice is to trust the information he is given by Dr. Herriman or "The Handyman" (Jeneane Garafolo). Along his journey, Barney meets and befriends several of the patients as well as one patients extremely good-looking sisters named Cassie (Rachel Leigh Cook). THe two develop a typical teen love at first sight relationship that will leave any teenage girl sobbing by the end. Of course, I sobbed at the end too, but not for the love story.

Elijah Wood's performance is yet again almost flawless. I felt for his character almost right from the start and his boyish features truly make you believe that this 20 year old man is actually a 15 year old boy.

Rachel Leigh Cook's role in this film was a little beefed up in promos for publicity reasons but nonetheless, her performance is excellent. She brings out the best in Barney, whether he knows it or not.

THe only dissapointment I had was this movie was Jenean Garafolo. I felt like she was reading her lines form a poster board and she really didn't feel like being there at all.

I lied, my other dissapontment with this film was the score. The music was too sporatic, to little and far between and altoghether wrong for this script.

For those two reasons I have givin this movie four stars. The performance of the actors makes this film better than its far fetched plot. If you are a fan of great acting, watch this film.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars INtriguing, beautiful story, June 4, 2000

By 

A Quiet Conscience "Q.C." (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I admit I rented Bumblebee because Janeane Garafalo and Elijah Wood are in it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was soon absorbed in the story of Barney Snow (Wood) a teenager with no memory who has agreed to participate in experimental therapy administered by Garafalo and a group of doctors at an Institute housing terminally ill young people. Barney is the only person there who is not dying, but he is having haunting visions of being in a car accident. He befriends a couple of the patients who turn out to be as vitally important to Barney and the audience as Barney himself. We are drawn in and held tight as this movie slowly opens doors for Barney and reveals the truth about his past and his identity. I found the entire last quarter of the film gripping and poignant. I am sorry I did not get to experience this film in a theatre properly, but it translates well on video nonetheless. It blew me away. My only complaint is Rachael Leigh Cook as Barney's love interest and teh sister of a patient at the Institute. She does not seem to have much to do with the story at all, which is mildly annoying. I would have liked to see her character have more depth and purpose especially since she interacts with Barney closely in the last half of the film. Overall, The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is a sweet film that stays with you long after the credits roll and I am going to purchase it as soon as the price lowers from 100 dollars:)FYI: The title refers to the bumblebee's ability to fly even though it should not be able to due to its body size and tiny wing span.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hauntingly beautiful story of the mind and heart, September 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Truly one of the most wonderful films I can remember seeing, The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is about a teenager who has very little memory of his past. All Barney Snow can remember is a car crash, what he believes to be the source of his amnesia, and his mother. Though he has been brought to a facility where experiments in medical technology are done on others, he is alone here in that he is the only one who is not dying. Despite the doctor's warnings that he should stay detached from the others, Barney finds himself making close friends with Billy and Allie, two other boys from the facility who are dying, and though he finds it difficult at first, also with Mazzo, a boy slightly older than himself who is filled with anger at the fact that he is dying. Even with his friends, Barney still feels alone here, that is until he meets Cassie, Mazzo's sister, and realizes there is hope still for his future. With the help of Billy and Allie, Barney builds a car from junkyard parts to help bring back memories of the car crash that brings such vivid nightmares. When he discovers the truth about himself and what has really happened to him, Barney realizes he himself is like a bumblebee; against the odds, he has survived, just as the bumblebee is not supposed to be able to fly, but does so anyway; some believe the theory of mind over matter is involved. I won't give away anything about the ending, only that it is beautifully done, wonderfully acted, and still makes me cry even after all the times I've watched it. Elijah Wood is perfect in the role of Barney Snow, Rachael Leigh Cook is great as Cassie, the soundtrack will stay in your mind for weeks, and the story, though at first it may seem like just another teen movie, is so much more; it's a story of life and death and the human spirit. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes Elijah Wood and/or stories that touch the heart, but don't bother renting it first- you'll spend more money renting it over and over than you would just buying it. I know I have.