FLY AWAY HOME
Jack Choo
Directed by Carroll Ballard
Starring : Jeff Daniels (Thomas Alden) Anna Paquin (Amy Alden) Dana Delaney (Susan Barnes) Terry Kinney (David Alden)
Screenplay by Robert Rodat & Vince McKewin (Based on the Autobiography by Bill Lishman
Produced by: Columbia Pictures
Running Time : 1hr 45mins (approx)
Rating ***1/2 out of *****
FLIGHT OF THE WILD GEESE (AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT)
FLY AWAY HOME's opening credits sets the background for the movie, uncanny I might say, eerie even. Thirteen year-old Amy (Paquin) survives a car accident while on the road with her mother, whom did not survive. Her estranged father, Thomas (Daniels) who has not seen her in years brings her back his farm home in Canada, the country of her birth. Thomas's eccentricity with his inventions and artistic endeavours has long since caused his fall-out from his marriage, in which concluded with Amy following her mother to her home in New Zealand.
Amy's initial weeks in springtime Ontario were laced with lazy days and gloom, apparently still overwhelmed by the loss of her mother and not used to her dad's eccentric passion nor his new love interest Susan (Delaney). While on her usual blind strolls around the farm, she stumbles upon a nest of orphaned goose eggs and immediately sets up a makeshift nest, complete with an improvised incubation system in the barn. The eggs hatch soon after and upon seeing the Amy, the first living creature they see, the goslings imprint her as their mother.
Amy's moody bout took a drastic change for the good with her new found friends and Thomas is not about to change that knowing what she has been through. However, the tranquility of the farm was not to last. The local wildlife officer informs them that it is illegal for them to raise wild geese without clipping their wings. Since they were not raised by their natural parents, when winter comes, they will feel the urge to fly but with no idea of where to go, ending up on roads and suburban areas, and pose as hazards to the local human life. Amy's inventor dad comes out with the idea to lead the wild geese using a home-made plane, and since they only seem to follow Amy, she has to be the one flying the plane; all way from Ontario to Florida.
FLY AWAY HOME is wonderfully filmed. With dimming sunsets and beautiful landscapes over outskirts Ontario covered by the uniqueness of all the 4 seasons. Somehow, the the film manages to mesh the mood of the story appropriately with the individual features of each of the season; the gloom and discovery in spring, the lively activity of flight training in the summer, final and crucial preparations in autumn and finally concluding with the warm summer of Florida. All round strong performances by the entire cast. Paquin may not garner a nomination this time around but her lively and plucky character in THE PIANO (in which she won an oscar for few years back) is seen here as well.
This movie may be categorised as a "feel good" film. Although the geese provide the most of the life in FLY AWAY HOME, ultimately, it is the protagonists' (Amy and Daniels) progress in coming to terms with their emotional imbalance and acceptance to a fresh start of life that matters the most.
The triumph of the human spirit, with a little help from nature.
The Flying Inkpot Rating System:
* Wait for the TV2 broadcast.
** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha!
*** Pretty good, bring a friend.
**** Amazing, potent stuff.
***** Perfection. See it twice.
Write to the reviewer: Jack Choo.
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