Fly Away (2011)

Director:

Janet Grillo

Writer:

Janet Grillo (written by)

Release Date:

26 April 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The poignant yet humor filled story about a single mother of a teenager severely impacted by autism...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Autism | Single Mother | Female Protagonist | Parenting

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Beth Broderick	...	Jeanne
Ashley Rickards	...	Mandy
Aramazd Stepanian	...	Mr. Parseghian
Promotion	...	Rozwell the Dog
Peter Binswanger	...	Kid in Van
Greg Germann	...	Tom
Maui	...	Juno the Dog
Denise Dowse	...	Susan (as Denise Y. Dowse)
Jonathan Shestack	...	Samuels (as Jon Shestack)
Reno	...	Liz Howell
Jay Sincere	...	Assistant
Matthew Antonio Grillo Russell	...	Ice Cream Shop Server #1 (as Matthew Grillo Russell)
Angela Grillo	...	Elderly Woman
Sheridan Cole	...	Ice Cream Shop Patron (as Sheridan M. Cole)
Marisa Laurence	...	Ice Cream Shop Patron
Ming Cho	...	Ice Cream Shop Patron
JR Bourne	...	Peter
Tamaira Danyluk	...	Parent at Party (as Tamaira Danyluk-Noriega)
Fonda Jefferson	...	Parent at Party
Maynor Lopez	...	Parent at Party
Oscar Ornela Jr.	...	Kid at Party
Brooke Star	...	Kid at Party
Michael E. Wise	...	Kid at Party
Judy Mora	...	Dog Park Patron
Scarlett Walker	...	Dog Park Patron (as Scarlet Walker)
Tomica Baquet	...	Dog Park Patron
Kristina Hornbek	...	Dog Park Patron
Tommy Martin	...	Dog Park Patron
Paul B. Price	...	Dog Park Patron
Elaine Hall	...	Ms. Quinlan
Matthew Derba	...	Restaurant Patron
Shannon Latimer	...	Restaurant Patron
Beny C. Valde	...	Restaurant Patron
Virginia B. Valde	...	Restaurant Patron
John Yonover	...	Restaurant Patron
Matthew Yonover	...	Restaurant Patron
Cannelle Causse	...	Bartender
Casey Martin	...	Restaurant Bar Patron
Jordan Roberts	...	Maitre d'
Ashley Saunders	...	O.T. Aide
Ruben Gonzalez	...	Cashier #1
J.B. Popplewell	...	Cashier #2
Peter Blanchett	...	Kissing Teen #1
Lauryn King	...	Kissing Teen #2
Enrique Zaldua	...	Administrator
Charles Larson	...	Groundskeeper
Salvatore Camarillo	...	Groundskeeper
Luke Rothschild	...	Mr. Lanza
Zach Palmer	...	Dylan (as Zachariah Palmer)

Directed by
Janet Grillo

Writing credits
Janet Grillo		(written by)

Produced by
Lee Adhemar G. Feldshon	....	executive producer
Catherine Hardwicke	....	executive producer
Pavlina Hatoupis	....	producer
David F. Schwartz	....	executive producer (as David Schwartz)

Original Music by
Luke Rothschild

Cinematography by
Sandra Valde-Hansen

Film Editing by
Danny Daneau

Casting by
Erin Toner

Production Design by
Katie Byron

Costume Design by
Trayce Gigi Field

Makeup Department
Lorraine Martin	....	makeup department head
Miko Nishida	....	department head hairstylist
Brittania Perri	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
J.B. Popplewell	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matt Henderson	....	first assistant director
Jason Rodgers	....	second assistant director
Lou Simon	....	second unit director

Art Department
Caity Birmingham	....	graphic designer
Emily Lacy	....	art department assistant
Vanessa Lin	....	art department assistant
Yuki Miura	....	property master
Yuki Miura	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Omar Barraza	....	boom operator
Herwig Maurer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Herwig Maurer	....	supervising sound editor
Robb Porter	....	audio layback
Matthew Sanchez	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin Akers	....	first assistant camera
Team Bashet	....	key grip
Joshua Bushek	....	best boy grip
Chris Carroll	....	gaffer
Cannelle Causse	....	camera intern (as Causse Cannele)
Daniel Daneau	....	d.i.t. tech
Hillary Elder	....	second assistant camera
Tony Foresta	....	steadicam operator

Casting Department
Shaunessy James Quinn	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sarah Evelyn Bram	....	costume supervisor
April Dunlap	....	costumer
Olivia Hateley	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Sue Gates	....	colorist

Transportation Department
Lauren Levine	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Mark Alkofer	....	studio teacher
Tomica Baquet	....	animal trainer
Peter Binswanger	....	production assistant
Laura Broderick	....	autism consultant
Erin Connarn	....	script supervisor
Sara Correa	....	production assistant
Matthew Derba	....	assistant production coordinator
Keith Fairclough	....	product placement
Lee Adhemar Feldshon	....	legal counsel
Lee Adhemar G. Feldshon	....	legal counsel (as Lee Adhemar G. Feldshon Esq.)
Shannon Latimer	....	location manager
Marisa Laurance	....	intern
Judy Mora	....	animal wrangler: Horses for Production
Sonja Roth	....	production accountant
Ashley Renee Saunders	....	production coordinator
David F. Schwartz	....	legal counsel (as David F. Schwartz Esq.)
David F. Schwartz	....	legal counsel
Scarlett Walker	....	animal wrangler: Horses for Production (as Scarlet Walker)

Production Companies

• Cricket Films
• Ministry of Content

Distributors

• New Video (2011) (USA) (all media)

Other Companies

• ABS Payroll & Production Accounting Services  payroll services
• Feldshon & Schwartz  legal counsel
• Horses for Productions  animal wranglers (as Horses for Production)
• PMK*BNC  Publicity

Runtime:

USA:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Cricket Films

Soundtrack:

Radio

A very sensitive film that you will not forget

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This is such a wonderful film that you will never forget in your life. It's not "Rainman", no big studio film to entertain masses. "Fly away" digs so much deeper into reality. It will touch you so deep inside.

The story of Jeanne and her autistic daughter Mandy. It's almost impossible for the mother to manager her life because she always has to take care of her daughter. Even a love romance with the new neighbor looks impossible and so does work when she loses a deal because Mandy deleted some files on her laptop. Jeanne visits a school for autistic kids and has to make the hardest decision in her life: to let Mandy go to live her life and to start living her own life.

There are so many intense scenes between mother and daughter. Even when they go out eating pizza and just having fun people look at Mandy without any understanding and tell her mother if she can't handle her she shouldn't go out with her. One of the most beautiful scenes in this film is when Jeanne already has an car accident because of Mandy's behavior during the drive. Jeanne stops the car and starts crying. Then Mandy sings for her "Ladybird", the song Jeanne always sang to her daughter when she woke up in the middle of the night crying and then she also tells her to breath in and breath out like her mother always did to her.

Ashley Richards gives an impressive performance as Mandy. She is so deep in her role that you just realize in the "Making of" that she is not really autistic. Beth Broderick plays Jeanne very sensitive and heart-touching. She is a great actress and this is one of her best parts ever. Both play their roles without makeup and give up all vanity. Beth is such a beauty she even looks great without makeup.

In the "Making of" everyone talks about their motivation about this project and so we hear that director/writer Janet Grillo has an autistic son and that Beth Broderick's sister works with autistic persons so that is why this film is so impressive.