The Black Balloon (2008)

All Thomas wants is a normal adolescence but his autistic brother, Charlie, thwarts his every opportunity. Will Thomas, with the help of his girlfriend, Jackie, accept his brother?

Director:

Elissa Down

Writers:

Elissa Down, Jimmy Jack

Stars:

Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford, Toni Collette

17 wins & 24 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rhys Wakefield	...	Thomas Mollison
Luke Ford	...	Charlie Mollison
Toni Collette	...	Maggie Mollison
Erik Thomson	...	Simon Mollison
Gemma Ward	...	Jackie Masters
Sarah Woods	...	Woman Next Door
Sam Fraser	...	Kid Next Door
Makirum Fahey-Leigh	...	Mate of Kid Next Door
Oliver Brookes	...	Other Mate of Kid Next Door
Jan Ringrose	...	Neighbour
Bradley Orford	...	Neighbour
Zelie Bullen	...	Mother in Van
Anthony Phelan	...	Mr. Masters
Deborah Piper	...	Janet - Social Worker
Henry Nixon	...	Trevor - Social Worker

Storyline

Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?

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Plot Keywords:

birthday | older brother | dad | bullet | tantrum | 

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Taglines:

From the producer of "Strictly Ballroom."

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content, a scene of violence, and brief strong language

Details

Country:

Australia UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 2008 (Australia)

Also Known As:

A fekete léggömb

Filming Locations:

Bardia Parade, Holsworthy, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$10,342 (USA) (5 December 2008)

Gross:

$10,342 (USA) (5 December 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Australian Film Commission, The, Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Black Balloon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the river, Jackie says "Kieren Perkins, watch out!". Kieren Perkins is an Australian swimmer who won Gold medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and a Silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, swimming in the 1500 metre event.

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Quotes

Jackie Masters: Close your eyes, what do you see?
Thomas Mollison: Black.
Jackie Masters: Look harder.

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Connections

Featured in 20 to 1: Sizzling Superstars (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Afloat! The Conga"
Written by Michael Yezerski
Performed by Michael Yezerski, Claire McCarthy, Afro Moses and Miriam Rihani

User Reviews

excellent, ...!

the actors, they were astonishing... simply astonishing.

this is a beautiful movie, humane, sentimental, TRUE and not "drama" actually. Why say its a drama? its reality! its LIFE!

I don't have an autistic person in my family, but i know people who have, and I've met children who are autistic. Everybody should know, what this means, what its like for a family, and its members. but most of all, everyone should see, what a human being is capable of, the love, the care, the beauty, the sensitivity, the tolerance, the acceptance, but also all the negative sides, the ignorance, the desperate moments, the anger..

the best movie .... I've seen in years. the only meaningful movie I've seen in years. bravo... to all the participants, the writers, the actors, ... bravo.