Fly Away Home (1996)

Director:

Carroll Ballard

Writers (WGA):

Bill Lishman (autobiography)
Robert Rodat (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

13 September 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family

Tagline:

A family of orphaned geese who lost their way. A 14 year old kid who will lead them home. To achieve the incredible, you have to attempt the impossible.

Plot:

A father and daughter decide to attempt to lead a flock of orphaned Canada Geese south by air.

Plot Keywords:

Geese | Canada | Death | New Zealand | Inventor

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jeff Daniels	...	Thomas "Tom" Alden
Anna Paquin	...	Amy Alden
Dana Delany	...	Susan Barnes
Terry Kinney	...	David Alden
Holter Graham	...	Barry Stickland
Jeremy Ratchford	...	DNR Officer
Deborah Verginella	...	Amy's Mother
Michael J. Reynolds	...	General Hadfield
David Hemblen	...	Dr. Killian
Ken James	...	Developer
Nora Ballard	...	Jackie
Sarena Paton	...	Laura
Carmen Lishman	...	Older Girl
Christi Hill	...	Older Girl
Judith Orban	...	Teacher

Also Known As:

Father Goose
Flying Wild

MPAA:

Rated PG for an opening accident scene and some mild language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate no. 34000) | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | South Korea:All | Philippines:G | Argentina:Atp | Belgium:KT | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:G | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The song "10,000 Miles" is originally an 18th Century folk ballad. It was recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter specifically for this movie, and was subsequently released on her CD "Party Doll and Other Favorites" (1999)

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Thomas Alden runs outside in his underwear, a defect in the window pane looks like some kind of fake coverup.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Thomas Alden: Amy? It's your dad.
Amy Alden: Dad?
Thomas Alden: I came down from Canada. I've come to take you home.
Amy Alden: Where's Mom?
Thomas Alden: Um...
Amy Alden: Mum died, didn't she?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Duck (2005)

Soundtrack:

Yakety Axe

An incredibly sweet story

WARNING: This review may reveal portions of the movie plot.

If you want to just lose yourself in a story that is sweet and uplifting, then this is the movie for you. I was surprised at how efficiently this movie drew me in, but then again I'm a big softie at heart. I started watching this movie late one night and didn't want to stop -- so I didn't!

The movie concerns a young girl who goes to live with her father after her mother is killed in a car accident. Dad and Mom divorced many years before and live on opposite sides of the world -- Canada and New Zealand -- so she doesn't know Dad very well.

Jeff Bridges plays the father in this film and does it incredibly well. He's an artist who is just a little bit quirky, a big believer in following your dreams, and desperately trying to capture the love for his daughter that he regrets having lost in the divorce years before. Anna Paquin as his 13-year old daughter is wonderful -- how do young kids act so well??? -- as she learns to grieve for her mother, find a new life in a new country, and love and trust a father whom she has barely known most of her life.

The supporting cast shines as well, in most cases. Most notably is Terry Kinney as Daniels brother and the young girls uncle. He's the kind of uncle everyone wants to have around, although when he falls asleep while babysitting and Paquin's character disappears, he doesn't seem very responsible. He becomes a bit of a scene stealer though as the movie progresses. He has one of the best lines in the film when he tries to convince a U.S. border-patrol agent that he needs dozens of gallons of gas to go camping for his portable generator to run his blender and TV. "Nothing like camping in the middle of no where with your VCR, a good movie, and a pina colada."

Dana Delany (of TV's "China Beach" fame) plays Daniels sometimes live-in girlfriend and seems to be the only actor who doesn't really stretch in this part. I don't believe this is Delany's fault, however. This story is primarily about the father-daughter relationship, and Delany's part suffers as a result. Most scenes are supportive and don't really give her a chance to shine.

The story is well written with a combination of genuine emotion, without becoming overly sappy. Yes, the film is sweet, but not sickeningly so. When the credits began to roll at the end of this movie, the first thing I thought of way, "How could this have gotten a PG rating?" I *literally* heard one four-letter word in the entire film, and that is said under the breath so that I wasn't even sure I heard it. There is one reference to sex outside marriage, and a car accident at the beginning of the film. That's it. Parents, you can show this to young children without any real concern. My suggestion: Watch the first 5 minutes of the film and if you decide your children can handle the opening sequence of a car crash, then there probably is nothing else in the film that should be a problem (in my opinion!)