Movie #946 "Fly Away" is a tough movie to rate because I had a lot of mixed emotions about it. On a totally technical level, I didn't feel the girl playing the daughter was a good enough actor to get the part across. In Hollywood, it is oftentimes felt that if you tackle a part like this, that's an easy avenue to some kind of award (and some people would never do it because of the stigma of doing a part that takes so much over-acting and chewing up of the scenery), but when you do it well, oh my, it's so memorable (remember Leonardo DiCaprio as the mentally challenged boy in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape? or Juliette Lewis in "Sisters"?) So that was missing in this film. However, the mother was wonderful and the saving grace of the movie. Now to tackle the subject matter. Who is the audience here? Because if you are directly involved in raising an autistic kid, you would resent this film because the girl comes across very severe (and annoying )--- so therefore it would speak to teens to never have children? oh my, you wouldn't want that, right? so there's a problem.. In a way, it is introducing new territory on the subject because it's not about how rewarding it is to raise an autistic child ---- but how this mother has to give in and put her in a home because the girl has been starting to bite and make scenes and demands so much attention from mom, mom can't have her own life at all. So, again, I ask, who is the audience? A very small area of people, I'm afraid. Because if it is teaching tolerance, it doesn't work ----at the end of this movie people would stereotypically say that these children need to be in a home...........and you don't want that for everyone, either. So bottom line is that the film is so uncomfortable and sad to watch, that you don't need to. Skip it. There are so many other films that are better on this subject, that teach tolerance while also letting us know how selfless parents are who raise challenging children. Seek those out!
Fly Away
Single mom Jeanne tries to manage her teen daughter's severe autism alone, but the increasing challenges of her condition prompt Jeanne to seek help.
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