The Bumblebee Flies Anyway

I think some replies here were a little bit harsh on the movie. Mind you, this is a movie critic's haven, so I can understand. But let's try to level here.

First of all, I knew when starting this movie that it was going to be an indie, low-budget, sort of film, so I wasn't expecting some kind of Lord of The Rings or COlor Purple. I also knew not to expect anything too complex--in my experience with movies such as these, there is more there than just a simple, plausible plot that appeals to everybody. I knew going into it: Hey this is an Elijah Wood movie. Now everything I have seen him in, with the exception of Flipper, has been in some way great, and always told a great or complex story. Summing up all of those conclusions, I went into the movie knowing I shouldn't try to apply any other movie criticisms to it until I had seen it all the way through twice in order to fully catch the drift of the movie.

That being said, the movie was fair. I don't think it is the greatest thing he has ever done; it in no way compares to the Ice Storm or Lord of The Rings. However, I think the end of the movie sort of pulls everything together and helps me to see why Elijah might've chosen to do this movie.

Here is what I liked: The ending, the one that leaves everyone questioning a few things; the sarcastic kid, Billy, and his acerbic sence of humor; the thought processes of Barney Snow (Elijah Wood seems to have mastered the subtlety that is required for this role; Most people here complained that Barney was too apathetic for someone who knew nothing about his past or future, but I think it reflects some of Elijah's character in there too. At the end you see Elijah's happiness restored, when he is able to let go of everything (the very last scene), but throughout the movie it is quiet, subtle nuances; the introvert in Elijah shines through, and I think it is fantastic, and almsot mysterious.) I also liked Mazzo, I think he was a great actor in this movie, and the role worked well with him.

Here is what I disliked: The romantic scene with Rachel Leigh Cook when he finds out she is leaving for Europe...I think their chemistry is terrible, and I don't think the actors are to blame--I think the casting directors are to blame. EW and RLC can both be great, Elijah much more so than Rachel Leigh Cook, but I don't think they worked well together at all.

Suprisingly, I think he and Jordana Brewster from the Faculty had a better chemistry. Also, I think there was too little effort put into the love story. It was like...out of nowhere...they were in love...which is okay sometimes, as long as the characters' feelings are out in the open, but their feelings weren't out in the open. It made it seem strange that the cover of the video box was Elijah and RLC hugging; to me that wasn't the greater message of the movie. THe cover should have been Elijah as the central figure, and then, perhaps, the supporting characters behind him, sort of blended into the background.

Overall, I rate it an 10 for Elijah, Billy,and Mazzo. I rate it a 7 for Rachel Leigh Cook, and I rate a 5 for that silly romantic scene that just didn't flow well with the movie(though I rewound and rewound a few times there...). I give a 9 to the ending because I like enigmatic things but it didn't flow perfectly either. Overall, that's about an 8.

When I first came across this movie at the video store, I had previously heard nothing about it; however, the storyline interested me, and I was also familiar with both Elijah Wood and Rachael Leigh Cook.

As indicated in others' comments, the storyline depicts Barney Snow [Elijah Wood], a young man who is the only "non-terminal" patient in an experimental hospital for terminally-ill youngsters. He is initially advised by the doctor [Janeane Garofalo] to remain "detached" as he encounters the other patients. However, before long he develops friendships with several of them --- Allie, a young kid who stutters and has some sort of brain disease; Billy, a wisecracking but honest kid (he appears to me that he is in his teens) with a kidney disorder; and Alberto a.k.a "Mazzo", who appears to be around Barney's age, acts somewhat hostile and has bone cancer. Barney especially develops a close bond with Mazzo's fraternal twin sister Cassie [Rachael Leigh Cook], to whom he regularly reports Mazzo's condition as Mazzo won't see her when she visits.

The title comes from the notion that a bumblebee is able to fly even though scientifically its wings are too small, and this is the basis of the experiment being done on Barney.

Although I found the movie somewhat slow-moving, and the storyline sometimes unrealistic as he learns the truth of why he is there, I still enjoyed it. I like sensitive storylines, and even though I generally prefer they be a little less serious than what this was, this movie still ranks as one of my favorites. It was also the first time I had seen Elijah Wood in a role other than in a "cute little kiddie" or "teeny-bopper" movie, and I thought he did an excellent job. He and Rachael Leigh Cook seemed to work well together.

I wouldn't recommend this to everyone --- if you prefer something more upbeat, you probably would not like this movie. However, I would advise anyone who thinks this seems even remotely interesting to give it a chance.

The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is a mysterious maze of a movie, twisting and turning throughout its hour and a half time span. What you see is what you believe, and what you believe is what becomes reality. This is mind over matter. Despite the laws of aerodynamics, bumblebees can fly. These concepts are the basis for an experiment involving Barney Snow.

Barney Snow (Elijah Wood) is a young man with amnesia. He cannot remember anything prior to his arrival at a small experimental hospital, and some days, he even has trouble remembering his own name. He is the only amnesia patient in a hospital for terminally ill children, so the doctor warns him to remain detached.

Such a warning is hard to heed when Barney's home (and all he remembers) is the hospital. Naturally, the other patients become friends, even family to him. His new friends include Billy (George Gore II), a boy with a kidney disorder inherited from deceased parents, and Mazzo (Joe Perrino), a young man with bone cancer. Mazzo's twin sister, Cassie (Rachael Leigh Cook), comes to visit her brother, and meets Barney.

Barney's relationships are truly beautiful. He is not rude or condescending to the others in the hospital-nor does he seem to pity them. He takes them for their personalities, looking beyond face value. Even though Mazzo is constantly angry about his disease and projects this at Barney, the two share an amazing bond. Barney won't stop trying with Mazzo. When Mazzo gets mad at Barney, Barney doesn't pity him-he exchanges tense banter. They are real characters; they have human traits, beliefs, and struggles. Billy, the boy with the kidney problem, is a stoic, sarcastic, and even humorous child with something to say about everyone and everything. He ignores his own disease, but he doesn't deny it. His sarcasm provides a way of dealing with his problems. Finally, there is the element of romance, coming into play with Cassie and Barney. This is a subtle, effective romance, one that makes sense and moves at the right pace. Both Cassie and Barney are at crossroads in their lives, and this is reflected in their time together.

The film itself is a pensive piece. The maze that it is must be solved before it makes sense, but then it does. Every twist and turn are accounted for finally. The last approximately twenty minutes are truly outstanding. It shows something about human nature and the reality of life.

I found this film tedious and slow. A boy admits himself into a research facility for terminal patients. He isn't terminal, but is part of an experiment to conquer cancer by removing the brain's memory of the disease. He spends most of his time interacting with the other patients and trying to remember his past. This was just another dull and tepid film in a long line of flimsy tear jerkers.

It was a flat movie that didn't take the opportunity to tell a very deep and emotional story. It was too short. However I love Elijah Wood in any movie, so that was a plus. He needs to learn how to kiss on film. I also liked Rachael Leigh Cook. A good match for Lij. Hope they do other movies together.