Flying (1986)

Robin and her father have a car accident. Her father dies. Robin is badly injured and cannot compete in gymnasics tournaments anymore. Shattered dreams. She lives with her mother and bad ... See full summary »

Director:

Paul Lynch

Writer:

John Sheppard

Stars:

Olivia d'Abo, Rita Tushingham, Keanu Reeves

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Olivia d'Abo	...	Robin Crew
Rita Tushingham	...	Jean Stoller
Keanu Reeves	...	Tommy Warneki
Jessica Steen	...	Carly Simmons
Renee Murphy	...	Leah Kilbourne
Sean McCann	...	Jack Crew
Samantha Langevin	...	Marge Crew
Nicole Kolman	...	Gillian Crew
Samantha Logan	...	Stacy
Anthony Kramreither Jr.	...	Mark Sanderson
Denis Simpson	...	Fred Stoner
Eugene Clark	...	Roy Teler
Louis Tucci	...	Leo
Dayle Sunohara	...	Tami
Sasha Ivanochko	...	Rhonda Hamilton

Storyline

Robin and her father have a car accident. Her father dies. Robin is badly injured and cannot compete in gymnasics tournaments anymore. Shattered dreams. She lives with her mother and bad step-father. Robin is accepted to the school atlethics team but is not accepted by some other girls, so she works out at a friends house. Eventually Robin and her team compete in the national scholastic meet.

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Plot Keywords:

knee injury | gymnastics | car crash | teen | thrift store | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief language and nudity

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 1986 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Dream to Believe

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Golden Harvest Company, Brightstar Films, Flying Pictures Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Robin: For me, when I'm out there tumbling across those mats, I change. It's like a whole other kind of world. Someplace... better. When that happens, it's like nothing can touch me. I guess that's how birds feel when they're flying.

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Soundtracks

"Dancing Madly Backwards"
Performed by The Flirts

User Reviews

Nostalgic Value

Remember that the nostalgic aspect of 80s movies did not apply when they actually came out. So we are reviewing them as pieces of nostalgia, not just as movies. As nostalgia, I liked this one.

Buffalo is a good location for a movie about working class teen underdogs. Flashdance and All The Right Moves were in the Pittsburgh area, a bit more cliché.

Gotta love that soundtrack, although again, when it actually came out, you were used to hearing that quasi-disco-optimism genre. Now you are enjoying it as nostalgia. It makes the film for me.

It was actually filmed in '84 but was not released for a couple of years. Keanu was 20, and Olivia was 15. I hope they were both supposed to be Seniors in high school, given their romantic relationship. (As opposed to Sophomores)

Most of Olivia's early films were showcases for her considerably precocious and provocative budding sexuality. In this one though, she was so young, that it makes you feel a bit creepy watching it, unless you are a youngster yourself. I guess the intended audience was and is, teenagers, but even so, 15 is too young for screen sex in my opinion.

I'm still not sure what dancing in a warehouse has to do with competitive gymnastics, although I understand that Tumbling routines are done to music. In Flashdance, the girl was making a living as a pop dancer, while aspiring to ballet. Not so in this one.

The warehouse scenes were gratuitous and included the obligatory dancing African American. That made me squirm, sensing exploitation, but no one forced the guy to do it.

They really stacked the deck with all our character's home life troubles too. Jeez. Dead dad, abusive step dad, ill mom, surly sister, anorexic friend. Wow.

Reeves displays his usual "everyman" appeal that made him a star. I mourn the awkward heavy vibe he adopted or was forced to develop, in later films. He looks very young here.

If you are a teenager and fantasize about having a boyfriend like teen Keanu, or you are a lonely girl who dreams of overcoming odds and finding love, you will enjoy this one. Please enjoy the 80s vibe and learn to appreciate your parents' generation.