fly away - dvd reviews

FLY AWAY
Flat Iron Film Company / 2011 / 80 mins / NR

THE MOVIE:
The subject of autism has been covered many times in film from low budget shorts, to documentaries to big budget Hollywood fare such as BEING THERE, RAIN MAN and WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE. Not to belittle or make light of any of those excellent films, they seem to use autism as a plot device to tell a bigger story. Chance/Chauncey accidentally runs with the rich and powerful, Raymond goes on a Las Vegas road trip with Tom Cruise and the Grape family dynamic (no matter how emotionally powerful and touching) is something most people would never experience.

FLY AWAY is a low budget and very direct look as autism. Writer/Producer/Director Janet Grillo knows of what she speaks here having been an executive producer on 2008’s Emmy Award winning “Autism: The Musical” and delving into the subject on her previous short film FLYING LESSONS. FLY AWAY doesn’t take us on a life affirming road trip or give us clever parables into politics and life. It is a very blunt, very matter-of-fact look at how an everywoman deals with raising an autistic daughter.

The story follows single mother Jeanne (Beth Broderick) through a few weeks of her life raising her autistic teen age daughter Mandy (Ashley Rickards.) During this time, we see how Mandy’s condition affects Jeanne’s relationship with her ex-husband, her potential for new romance, her career, how she handles her daughter’s sometime violent public episodes and how she ultimately decides how to live her life by either staying as her daughter’s full time care person, or letting her go by enrolling her in a therapeutic residential facility.

Grillo keeps everything in her story extremely grounded in reality. Jeanne’s everyday life is the story here and Grillo does a magnificent job of keeping the audience inside her character’s mindset. One of the key ways she does this is by taking us through Jeanne’s daily routine over and over again. From being awakened almost nightly by Mandy’s screaming to walking the dog and making breakfast, we don’t just see it once and move on to other aspects. Jeanne’s brutal daily routine is ground into the audiences psyche as well so we can share her joys at such little things as Mandy putting cereal in a bowl rather than eating it out of the bag.

FLY AWAY is one of the best examinations of living with autism ever put to film. It is presented with almost a documentary feel to it. The cast is superb with Broderick standing out. We feel exactly what is going through her head throughout the film and rarely stray from being on her side. On the few occasions we could (such as her reaction to a neighbor’s romantic advances), we completely understand her motives. She also never crosses the line into melodrama, although the subject is ripe for that temptation. FLY AWAY is a sobering, beautiful little film that is well worth seeking out.

THE DISC:
The anamorphic 1.85 picture and 5.1 Surround soundtrack (2.0 is also available) aren’t meant to blow you away. This is a drama; you focus on the acting and dialogue. They are both crisp and clear delivering a fine viewing experience. No complaints on the technical front.

THE EXTRAS:
Only two extras here:

“A Conversation with the Filmmakers of FLY AWAY” features Grillo, producer Pavlina Hatoupis, cast members Broderick and Rickards and the films’ composer. They discuss the standard basics of the making of the film and how Rickards approached her autistic character along with working with an almost entirely female crew. The sound sometimes drops unexpectedly but never vanishes and this feature is presented non-anamorphic.

A music video for “Autism Speaks: It’s Time to Listen” is also included.

MY SAY:
FLY AWAY is a strong little film that you will probably have to seek out, but it is worth the search.

KTLA

Fly Away (DVD)