Saturday, November 27, 2021

Fly Away Home (1996)

IMDb plot summary: A father and daughter decide to attempt to lead a flock of orphaned Canada Geese south by air.
Directed by Carroll Ballard. Starring Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, and Dana Delany.

I had it in my head that this was just "a cheesy animal movie," which meant I'd probably not like it, but it definitely has more layers than that. Watching the father and daughter connecting over her unusual hobby is really charming, and the plot points of environmental issues with the birds' habitat hit harder when we know Paquin's deep emotional connection to the birds. The final third is a straight-up delightful family adventure with perfect pacing and a really lovely ending. Our two lead actors both nail their characters as well, playing subtle but instantly recognizable characters who are easy to root for. It's a gentle movie but well-done and accomplishes everything it's trying to do.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Fly Away Home > Sunday in the Park with George
Fly Away Home < My Name Is Joe
Fly Away Home < Fantasia 2000
Fly Away Home > Real Life
Fly Away Home < Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe
Fly Away Home < Imitation of Life (1959)
Fly Away Home < You Can Count on Me
Fly Away Home > Sleepy Hollow
Fly Away Home < Girl Shy
Fly Away Home > The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Fly Away Home > Happy-Go-Lucky
Fly Away Home > Muppet Treasure Island
Final spot: #1505 out of 3486, or 57%.

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