Flight of the Doves

I thought I was the only kid who saw this, let alone remembered it. I love the score of this film and tried to search for the music for years. As a kid, I was blown away by OLIVER, so when 3 of the cast members made another film together, well, I was there, THAT and the fact that my 12 year old sister had a crush on Jack Wild. Wow. I should try and rent the movie again.

I saw this movie about 25 years ago, and the title has stuck with me all these years. The movie must have impressed me deeply. I remember two children fleeing, attempting to get to a relative some distance away. I was around 9 when I saw the movie, so I can only say it would probably appeal to a younger audience.

I first saw this film when I was about 5 or 6 on tv,and it stuck in my mind.Sadly I never got to see it again until 3 years ago when sky tv showed it.It was just as good as I had remembered it.What I really like about it is its not a silly kids film, it is sensible yet still has a little comedy element to it.It is about two orphans who run away from their cruel step dad.They run away to Ireland to try to find their grandma.Also coming after them is their uncle Hawk who wants to kill them, so that there grandfathers inheritance will pass to him.

I can't praise this film enough, the acting is superb and the soundtrack is also brilliant.It really is an underated cinema gem in my opinion.It has to be one of my all time film favourites.Please see if you can.

I didn't grow up with this movie. As can be seen by the reviews here, many people did, and have very fond memories of it. This is a typical 1970s children's movie, made on the cheap, with bright colors, over-acting, greedy adult villains, cartoon-like bits, hippies, children in peril, really bad wigs and silly dialogue. I can see how children now would still love this, with the sweet and incredibly charming Jack Wild (my first crush - I would have lost my mind had I seen this as a kid - although his wig is horrible) and the adorable girl that plays his little sister and the happy ending. As for me, an adult, seeing it the first time: it's nice to see the Irish countryside in the 1970s. I've seen some reviewers say it's full of offensive stereotypes - it is a CHILDREN'S MOVIE and the characters are bigger than life and completely unrealistic, just like most kids' movies NOW. But the reality is that the only way you'll really like this movie now is if you grew up with it - which I didn't. One moment I did really love: the parade, with the song you don't have to be Irish to be Irish, which celebrates the diversity of immigrants who have contributed to the culture of the isle for a long while - it was refreshing to see in 2021. And it was nice to see Dorothy McGuire having fun.

As a 43 year old watching this film after over 30 years, it brought a tear to my eye. The beautiful music by Roy Budd (which is available on CD in Britain) reminds one of a totally different era that is part of my childhood. Watching the film and seeing the ancient cars on the roads, the clothes on the ordinary people in the background, the hairstyles and fashions ...... the sweet innocence of the little girl is something that's gone forever, but captured in this charming little film made in 1970 on location in Ireland. It makes me sad to realise that it is an age which I look back with fondness whilst remembering my own childhood. But what will my own kids have to remember? Despite my best efforts, they live in a world of wall to wall television filled with violence and sexual innuendo masquerading as comedy, computer cyberspace, street gangs and stress caused by modern life and expectations of them to perform and excel. As kids in the 1960's and 1970's we had none of that - life was so much simpler and immensely more enjoyable.

It is brilliant that this film is available on DVD for us to watch today. It deserves to be in the same league as those other classic British films made for family viewing at that period in British cinema history: "Oliver!", "The Railway Children", "The Amazing Mr Blunden", "Black Beauty" (1970 version!).

The film features British character actor Ron Moody who excelled at the multi-disguises villain with a soft heart, a type of role he would play again 10 years later on the HTV series "Into the Labyrinth". What a shame that Jack Wild (Finn) died earlier in 2006 of throat cancer. And whatever happened to the delightful Helen Raye (Derval)? She never acted in anything again, but she should have done as she was as good in this role as Georgie Henley is in the current Narnia film. Even Irish songstress Dana appears in the film (the same year she won the Eurovision Song Contest) as a gypsy girl to sing a hauntingly beautiful ballad in Gaelic and English.

My 9 year old daughter fell in love with this film when I showed it to her the other day. She still has that innocence, which I hold onto for as long as possible with her before she descends into the terrible tantrum-filled teen years that her brothers have already entered (and even they watched it and didn't moan!).

A great film for kids to watch, and a wonderful wallow in nostalgia for those of us over 40 years of age!!!