The Dust Factory (2004)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Eric Small

Writer (WGA):

Eric Small (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

The journey of a lifetime...

Plot:

The Dust Factory is an adventure about the love and friendship between two teenagers who help each other through a difficult time in their lives. |

Plot Keywords:

Death | Alzheimer's Disease | Accident | Teen | Grandfather Grandson Relationship

Cast

Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Grandpa Randolph
Hayden Panettiere	...	Melanie Lewis
Ryan Kelley	...	Ryan Flynn
Kim Myers	...	Angie Flynn
George De La Pena	...	Ringmaster (as George De La Peña)
Michael Angarano	...	Rocky Mazzelli
Peter Horton	...	Lionel
Kyle Hansen	...	Rennie
Ted Roisum	...	Trapeze Catcher
Ayanna Berkshire	...	Hope (as Ayanna Berkshire-Cruse)
Shuhe	...	Sorrow
Robert Blanche	...	Ryan Flynn Sr.

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements and some scary images.

Runtime:

Brazil:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG | USA:PG (certificate #40852) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Hillsboro, Oregon, USA

Company:

Bahr Productions Inc.

Quotes:

Melanie Lewis: Did you know that Galileo thought that oceans made up the face of the man in the moon?
Ryan Flynn: Actually, they're lava flows.
Melanie Lewis: I know. They're called maria. Do you know the name of the biggest, nearest crater to the Apolo 11 landing?
Ryan Flynn: Julius Caesar. Know when Apollo 11 landed?
Melanie Lewis: Summer of '69. Which hemisphere?
Ryan Flynn: West. Can you name an eastern landing?
Melanie Lewis: Apollo 15, summer of '71. Name another west?
Ryan Flynn: 17, winter of '72. Name a landing near Copernicus crater.
Melanie Lewis: Apollo 12, summer of '69. And 16 landed in spring of '72
Ryan Flynn: And 14 in winter of '71!
[...]

Soundtrack:

Someone Like You

very genuine, young-adult fantasy

The Dust Factory is a very cute fantasy film that obviously comes from the heart. Young Ryan has been scarred by the death of his father, and no longer speaks. An accident transports him to a fantastic world called The Dust Factory, where Ryan regains his voice. He is soon reunited with his Grandpa, whose Alzheimer's keeps him from communicating in the real world. Ryan also meets the precocious Mel, an adorable tomboy who idolizes Peter Pan. The relationship between Mel and Ryan is the core of the film, with Grandpa providing sage advice. This film has very "indie" production values, but it is very ambitious for a small budget film, and the special effects come off well. The writer/director obviously wanted to tell this story, and hard work pays off in a very enjoyable independent fantasy film.