The Black Balloon

You know the scene in "Peewee's Big Adventure" when he's rescuing all the animals in a burning pet store, but every time he runs past the snakes he gags because he has a deadly fear of them? Yeah well that was me every time I thumbed past "The Black Balloon" on my DVD shelf. I just dreaded the idea of watching it, for some reason. I suppose it was because I was afraid it would fall into the typical upsetting clichés about people with disabilities: kids taunting them, adults misunderstanding them and, in general, the world being a miserable place to them.

I get that same feeling of dread when watching movies about cute puppies because you know the writer is going to kill the dog at the end for a cheap (but effective) emotional punch.

Anyway, I'm happy to say that "The Black Balloon" is not one of those gratuitous heart clenchers. True, you can expect to see one or two disturbing, "taunting" scenes, but those scenes are poignant and well placed. The bulk of the film is upbeat, and although the character Charlie (afflicted with extreme autism & ADD) is shown to be a big difficulty in the lives of the Mollison family, the feeling I got wasn't "aw pity them" so much as it was "wow admire them".

In case you didn't already know, this film was written & directed by Elissa Down who actually grew up with an autistic brother, and this film was her way of conveying the complex difficulties faced by a young sibling growing up in such a situation. The autistic person is not the focus, not like "Shine", "Temple Grandin" or other films that focus on the autistic person's plight in society, but rather, the focus is the younger sibling who faces a nearly impossible challenge of mixing with society with this terribly unpopular "secret", particularly in the early 90s (where this film is set) when autism was a very misunderstood phenomenon.

Regardless of subject matter, this is a great film that illustrates the virtues of patience, humility and embracing the abnormal. Like the metaphor of the "black balloon", this film can apply to any situation where you are living with an exception to the rule: not a bright, cheerful balloon that everyone accepts but something unpopular--but a balloon just the same. It can apply to family members with Alzheimer's, cancer, AIDS, depression, you name it, and that's why this is a great film because it can apply to all of us. This is the kind of film with no villains, no contrived "good vs evil" storyline, no big conflict-climax-resolution (although there is a very powerful scene that everything turns on). This is a great film about normal characters reacting to abnormal situations. And even though my description makes it sound dry & boring, it's anything but.

This film is mainly about the brother Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) growing up, joining a new school, finding & pursuing love for the first time and balancing all those inherently difficult experiences with the infinitely more difficult problem of how to accept his autistic brother Charlie (Luke Ford). There are some funny moments, some gross-funny moments, some charming moments, frightening moments and disturbing moments. And it all comes together with great acting all around in a quietly explosive story of how to exist with hardships. Like I said, subject matter aside, this film really inspired me to improve my ways in lots of other areas. Not sappy but just the right mix of reality & charm, "The Black Balloon" will LIFT your spirits. Haha get it? LIFT. Needless to say, comedy is one of those areas where I could stand to improve...

It's a pity this film will not be more widely seen. It is an authentic demonstration of what it's like to live with one of the most enigmatic of mental disorders, autism, which afflicts about one person in 1000 (the more common and milder Asperger's syndrome affects about 6 in every thousand). Elissa Down, the maker of the film, has personal experience – two of her brothers are autistic – and with the aid of some truly accomplished acting she avoids cheap dramatics and conveys some genuine feeling.

The family portrayed has its eccentricities but you could not describe it as dysfunctional. Dad (Eric Thompson) and Mum (Tony Collette) not only have a strong love for their autistic teenager Charlie (Luke Ford) but they have learned to cope with his behaviour. The dramatic tension comes from younger brother Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) who loves the brother he has grown up with but finds the effect Charlie's' behaviour has on other people hard to take. Charlie has a few less than endearing habits like throwing tantrums at supermarket checkouts and bursting into other people's houses to use their toilet. The general adolescent horror of people who are different doesn't help much either – having a "spastic" as a brother is not good for the image. Yet Thomas's developing relationship with neighbour and fellow lifesaving squad member Jackie (Gemma Ward) gets a positive push from his situation.

As director, Elissa Down has a nice light touch, and the prejudice and distaste the family have to deal with are neatly sketched in. There are plenty of amusing moments; when a fight breaks out in a bus queue outside a high school several male teachers try ineffectually to stop it and it is the tiny but determined female lifesaving coach who, furiously blowing her whistle, restores order. Tough army NCO Dad holds conversations with his teddy bear and the two brothers wind up on stage together as dancing monkeys after Charlie's original partner throws a tantrum.

It has been suggested that autism, which has a strong genetic component, is a variation on normal rather than a defect, but its severely disabling nature means it has to be regarded as a malfunction. Autistic savants with freakish mathematic powers a la "Rainman" are extremely rare. People with mild forms of autism can function quite well in society, but Charlie is not one of those and will require care for the rest of his life. All this film is asking is for a little understanding of the pressures on families who have to support people like Charlie. I wish one of the commercial channels would show this in prime time instead of the usual reality show crap.

This film is an effective coming-of-age drama with the backdrop of autism. Erik Thomson plays a shy 16 year old who's constantly embarrassed by his severely autistic brother, an excellent Luke Ford. Toni Collette plays the pregnant mother and is solid as usual. The drama never becomes morose and there's a playful tone running through the film. Some events are predictable (like the taunting by class-mates and social awkwardness) but they are probably part and parcel of every coming of age drama. The film shows in harrowing detail what it's like to take care of someone with severe autism. Informative and worth watching.

Overall 7/10

Life isn't easy for Thomas. Living as the younger brother in a family of four, with a fifth on the way is hard enough to begin with. It's even worse when the older brother is severely autistic and unable to care for himself in any way. So, quite naturally, Thomas struggles with growing up.

Films dealing with family lives like this only work when they show all the sides to a story and this one does it well. All the members of the family are properly introduced and their interaction is done well enough to give the impression that it is a perfectly normal family, which has a specific difficulty added to it.

The complexities of living with a mentally handicapped person are brought out well enough without ever being overly sentimental and, as far as I know from the interaction I have had with several autistic people, real enough.

All in all it is a real good film about growing up and growing up with a tremendous challenge making it harder on you. I loved it, and even more so because I know what Thomas went through from personal experience.

The Black Balloon opens with an awkward dance between filmmaker and audience, the latter trying to suss whether the able-bodied actor is playing an autistic character or is lazily impersonating the illness, all obvious ticks and embarrassingly broad gestures. Filmmakers often deploy mental disability for shallow manipulation (hello The Proposition), wherein the strings of the characterisation appear painfully obvious.

It becomes apparent, however, that debut filmmaker Elissa Down has instead crafted a very fine and perceptive film, indeed. A semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age drama, The Black Balloon connects for its frank exploration of a difficult subject. Though she opts for every cliché imaginable- the ocker father (Erik Thompson), the tireless mother (Toni Collette), the wish-fulfilment girlfriend (model Gemma Ward), family strife- Down has weaved these seams for surprisingly effect.

Sixteen year-old Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) is an impish, often self-involved hero, perpetually embarrassed by his autistic older brother, Charlie (astonishing newcomer Luke Ford). Though his pregnant mother is confined to bed rest, Thomas often shirks his responsibilities and becomes prone to intense bitterness. The Black Balloon darkens sooner than you would expect for an Aussie drama and honestly reflects upon the repercussions of Thomas' selfish behaviour.

Down's direction is very strong and visual, especially in the moments of Thomas' embarrassment and anguish, culminating in a brutal sequence at the dinner table. The violence here is sudden and deserves full credit for its unexpected impact. Although heartfelt and touching, Down's film is never cloying and earns its warm moments through genuine pain and reflection.