Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Loui Blair It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

mallorylauve I remember seeing this movie when I was younger when I was about 12 and being in love with. I loved Millie and Eric. The movie is very underrated and can be buried under all the 80's classics but once you see you can see why it's cult hit

cousinoleg I remember being intrigued by this movie when finding it on IMDb. For me the relative innocence of 80s movies and childhood nostalgia made it a much better, if absolutely unrealistic movie. It could be seen as some sort of modern fairy tale, not be considered seriously, but with some sort of hidden meaning/moral.I can relate to this movie because of some similar events, fears and dreams from my own life; of course like most movies, this one is exaggerated a bit, and mixes fantasy(people's dreams) with real life.This is why some 80s movies are so fun to watch, because they are absolutely unrealistic escapism and fantasy to the max, cheesy and overly optimistic as some may consider, but so is belief in God and Lord Jesus Christ, which i do share by God's grace. This may be due to a partial return to conservative and Christian values that the world had in the 80s, as a backlash against confused and crisis-ridden 70s.The film is about a family struggling with their lives after the tragic death of their father, who chose suicide instead of fighting with cancer. But no matter how hard one's life is, there is surely someone whose life is worse, so their neighbor is an alcoholic man with an autistic nephew, whose parents have died in a plane crash.While this movie is not Christian, in showing no love to or mention of God, it is similar to Jesus' second greatest commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself". The girl Milly, while doing her best to be the family cook, actually finds time and care to help the autistic boy next door/window Eric. As many 80s movies' characters, Milly doesn't have much flaws, except for underage alcohol drinking; though i expected her to breakdown into "i'm getting no respect/real life" fit, guess i've seen too many 90s-00s "overdriven realistic" movies, where teenagers are too often rebellious and egoistical.As the Milly's mother and brother get through their work and bully problems, Milly and Eric get romantically close in an innocent way and get to fly holdings hands to the amazement of the whole city. Then Eric flies away. THE END.CONCLUSION: The whole flying, may be a metaphor for the first love, with Milly and Eric, being high on the wings of love. It may also be an aspiration to what is true, noble, right.. as in New Testament, Philippians 4:8. The fact that Eric then flied away, may mean that Milly and Eric separated and never seen each other again, or that Eric may have fallen off the roof and did die, which sounds sad, but possible. Thus many people could relate to it, adding their own life stories about their first love, life tragedies or mental problems.

DAVID SIM The Boy Who Could Fly is a very underrated film from the 80s. A film that addressed the condition of autism long before Rain Man did (and much better too than that overrated Oscar winner). The tale of an autistic boy, Eric (Jay Underwood) who believes he can fly, and his neighbour Milly Michaelson (a sweetly appealing Lucy Deakins) who forms a friendship that blossoms into love.Eric has been autistic since his parents died in a plane crash when he was five. Ever since, he's imagined he can fly like a plane (possibly so he could save his parents), sitting on the windowsill of his bedroom or standing on the roof of his house, getting ready to take off. Eric is in danger of being institutionalised. He doesn't speak a word to anyone. Not even to his own uncle Hugo (amusingly played by the late Fred Gwynne), who cares for Eric, and drinks more than he should.Milly has just moved in next door with her widowed mother Charlene (another fine performance from Bonnie Bedelia) and her brother Louis (a groan inducing Fred Savage). She becomes fascinated with Eric, and cares for him a great deal. She's not sure if she believes Hugo's stories that Eric can really fly, but when she falls from an overpass, and somehow survives, she slowly convinces herself Eric has the gift of flight.I really did enjoy The Boy Who Could Fly. There's a wonderful simplicity to its storytelling, and thanks to director Nick Castle's confident and assured grasp of narrative, its a rewarding experience. Sadly, Castle never really distinguished himself in the following 90s with anything particularly worthwhile. Only this film, and his previous venture, The Last Starfighter (an equally underrated film) are films that really stand out.Castle finds just the right tone and sense of whimsy. In some ways, its almost a Spielbergian story. But it hardly ever lapses into slush and over-sentimentality. I could have done without Fred Savage's unnecessary subplot about finding the courage to ride around the block on his bike, and the ending does somewhat surrender itself to full blown fantasy, but up until then, TBWCF seldom puts a foot wrong.Really, the only problem I have with the film is when it outright embraces the fantastical. When I saw TBWCF for the first time, I assumed Eric's desire of flight was a metaphor for freedom. That on the outside he's cut off from everybody. But on the inside, his mind is free and perfectly clear. In fact, if the film had stayed true to those conceits, I probably would have gave it 10/10.But unfortunately, TBWCF chooses to stray too closely to fantasy. Midway, there is a scene when we see Milly flying with Eric. Now that scene in of itself works quite well. It seems very magical (although the moment they kiss in a background of a fireworks display is overdoing it) and hits an uplifting note, but when its revealed to just be a dream, I liked the ambiguity to it. It adds an air of mystery that permeates the film.Its just unfortunate that for all the deft direction Castle displays beforehand, he chooses to cop out with an ending that's pure escapism. If the climax had some of the same mystery the rest of the film had, it would have made Eric's departure even more powerful.But still, TBWCF has much to recommend it. The performances are uniformly excellent. Lucy Deakins is a wonderful young actress. She has charm, grace and a genuine sense of sweetness. What a shame she hasn't gone on to the acting career she richly deserves. And Jay Underwood is a master of minimalism. He communicates volumes of frustration and pain without ever having to open his mouth.Its in their relationship the film soars. You really feel their love and affection for each other, and Castle handles it all with a light but expert touch. The fantastical elements aside, the way it addresses autism is done with a refreshing and unpatronising maturity. At least you don't get Eric screaming his head off with fists flying like Dustin Hoffman's embarrassing performance in Rain Man. The Boy Who Could Fly is a far superior film.Another of the 80s many hidden treasures.

sixtwentysix A classic 80's film that nears cheesy pap but still avoids and retains heart through excellent pacing, dialog and acting. It might not hold up as well as when I first saw it because the family film concept had not yet been run into the ground yet for me. Fred Savage does a good job in an interesting subplot that involves a bully and funerals for GI JOE soldiers. Fond memories of his confrontation with the neighborhood bullies still color my memory of this film.A fun warm family fantasy that seems to be in short supply as of late due to it being nearly impossible to make something realistic because of the amount of film cliche in the modern world. Still, the film is very watchable and fun. 7/10