Fly Away Home (1996)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

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

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13

6:30 AM

HBO

Cast

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:

Release of the film was delayed after a seven-year old girl, Jessica Dubroff, was killed at the controls of a small plane that crashed amidst a much-publicized transcontinental flight attempt, along with her father and flight instructor.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Near the end of the movie, when Amy is about to land, the shadows of both Amy's plane and the crew's helicopter are visible.

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

Extraordinarily beautiful!

This is poetic, emotional, breathtaking film-making blessed with a truly inspiring Mark Isham score. The theme song, "10,000 Miles", is achingly beautiful and is first used with intuitive irony over the film's opening credit sequence.

Anna Paquin is the little girl who, with her father, Jeff Daniels, "imprints" with a flock of young geese and leads them, via homemade aircraft, to a new home thousands of miles away.

The flight sequences, which combine real flying with computer-assisted imagery over rivers, pastures and cityscapes, are flawless. They capture the awe and staggering thrill of flight without ever resorting to unnecessary, contrived stuntwork.

Daniels, not a regular face on the silver screen these days, is natural and likable as Paquin's eccentric father while Paquin once again demonstrates what a brilliant talent she is.

The narrative builds to an exciting conclusion as the film's environmental theme is amplified.

Director Ballard, who also made the striking BLACK STALLION and the stark NEVER CRY WOLF, brings acute visual economy to every scene and never allows the film's underlying theme to become preachy.

Caleb Deschanel, the film's cinematographer, gives us flawless images that frequently drop the jaw.

A major achievement in a minor key.