Il ragazzo che sapeva volare

Like other commentators before me I watched this film as a young man and it touched me. In fact it moved me to tears. Now I am older I am still touched by the simplicity of this film and yet it is complex in showing us that from adults to children we all have things to deal with. The reason why Eric Gibb could fly is the most touching of all and in case there are people who do not believe that it is possible for one to sense tragedy in one close to you, believe me it's real.

As I pen this comment I have just watched it again and cannot help but feel that even twenty years plus since this movie came out there is the scope for a sequel 'The Man who could fly' I am not talking about a TV series but a one off movie showing our stars meeting again in adult hood. Something to think about. I liked this movie and I would like to own it on DVD should it be released for the European audience.

A classic 80's film that nears cheesy pap but still avoids and retains heart through excellent pacing, dialog and acting. It might not hold up as well as when I first saw it because the family film concept had not yet been run into the ground yet for me.

Fred Savage does a good job in an interesting subplot that involves a bully and funerals for GI JOE soldiers. Fond memories of his confrontation with the neighborhood bullies still color my memory of this film.

A fun warm family fantasy that seems to be in short supply as of late due to it being nearly impossible to make something realistic because of the amount of film cliche in the modern world. Still, the film is very watchable and fun. 7/10

Sappy? Yeah, I guess at times… but this also mostly earns its big heart, and treats early teens with more far dignity and insight than most films.

Lucy Deakins is terrific as an intelligent, thoughtful 14 year old, who slowly grows to care for the autistic boy next door. He doesn't speak, but dreams only of flying away, a condition brought on by the deaths of his parents in a plane crash years before. Now he's in the care of an alcoholic uncle (the always wonderful Fred Gwynne), and the powers that be think he might be better off being institutionalized.

Almost all the acting is top notch, which is crucial in this character based story. Jay Underwood walks various fine lines as the titular boy, named Eric. By turns mysterious, locked in, charming he seems believable as an emotionally isolated adolescent as well as a possible source of magic. Colleen Dewhurst doesn't have a lot of screen time, but makes something rich and real out of a concerned teacher who doesn't want to see Eric locked away, knowing it will kill his spirit. And Bonnie Bedelia makes a touching warm and understanding widowed mom.

There are some scenes where the comic relief is more than a little forced, and a sub-plot about a little brother taking on neighborhood bullies seems grafted on from a far more Disney-ish film. But this Capra-esque gentle, bittersweet fantasy is a great 1980s film for tweens even today, and not a bad one for adults as well.

Back in the late 1980's, Jay Underwood was a teenaged boy who had a short lived starring career in films. He made his starring debut in this 1986 Lorimar release which could've been a major star making vehicle if its theatrical response was more profitable. Time has served it well and it now stands as a family favorite from the 1980's. Underwood portrays a boy who isolates himself from society after his parents die in a plane crash. He stays in his house all day long and pretends to be in a land where he can fly. Lucy Deakins portrays a teenaged girl who feels sorry for Underwood and tries to help him fit in. Somewhat sappy at times but otherwise genuinely touching. Film is also notable for serving as the debut performance of Fred Savage, the star of the TV series "The Wonder Years."

Milly Michaelson (Lucy Deakins), her little brother Louis (Fred Savage) and mother Charlene (Bonnie Bedelia) move into their new home. She gets a new friend in pushy Geneva Goodman (Mindy Cohn) while Louis gets bullied by Geneva's brother and his friends. Charlene has a difficult time to start anew after losing her husband. Eric Gibb (Jay Underwood) is a mysterious mute boy living in the room facing Milly. His drunken uncle Hugo (Fred Gwynne) is his guardian. People think Eric is autistic. He started to believe that he could fly at 5 when his parents died in a plane crash. Milly wonders if he could truly fly. Their teacher Mrs. Sherman (Colleen Dewhurst) works to keep him from being institutionalized with Milly's help.

It's a wonderful sensitive film that is good for the whole family. Lucy Deakins is endearing and sweet. There is a gentle magic about the movie. It's very romantic in the simple childlike way and also surprisingly funny. The family drama is poignant. It's a live action fairy tale.