I've been a huge fan of this movie since I was about 15 and that is something I've actually thought about before.
I think the movie still would definitely be just as meaningful to me than if he didn't fly. In fact, the parts of the movie that stand out to me the most and always remain in my memory are mainly the parts where he doesn't fly. For example how Milly reaches out to help him when no one else would and how she got him to open up when he had been closed up for so long. And the friendship and love that developed between them. Because that's what touched me the most when I saw the movie....the relationship and the way Milly reached out to someone in need of a friend.
Not long ago I found an old article/interview online where the actors, Lucy Deakins (Who played Milly) and Jay Underwood (who played Eric) talked about this very thing that you are asking about. The interview was probably done around 1987 I think and all of it was really interesting in what they had to say in the article. But I'll copy that one part of the article for you because you might find it interesting as well.
As Lucy Deakins says, "'The Boy Who Could Fly' was not a film about a boy who could fly. It was a film about a relationship. If you get lost in the flying then you miss out on a lot." In fact the development of the relationship between the mysterious Eric, who sits for hours on his window ledge "flying", and Milly Michaelson, who tries to help him, dominates the film to the extent that the flying could be seen as irrelevant when it finally happens.
"I don't know that it was irrelevant," says Deakins. "Eric's obsession with flying was very important to the film. It was a metaphor, I guess and it could have been done with something other than flying. It was showing how the Michaelson family had actually overcome their difficulties and triumphed."
There's a lot more to the article but I thought you'd be interested in that part of it.
One other thing I've thought about before, I loved this movie so much and the majority of reviews are positive. I sometimes wonder what it would be like if they released it again in theaters now, I wonder if it would do well. I know it's a movie from the 80s, and I know some people think, "Oh 80s movies were sooooo cheesy." But I don't think this movie when it came out in 1986 got much promotion. I know I had no idea the movie existed at all until it came on cable one night and I happened to catch it. If I had known about it sooner, I would've loved to have seen it on the big screen.
I know they would never ever release it again in theaters...but sometimes I just wonder if they did, if it might do well....with some good advertisements to get people interested. It might not be a hit, but I think it could do well.
Or I also would love if they would show it on cable sometimes so people who have never heard about it could see it.
I recently wrote a review of this movie for an online magazine and one person got very very interested enough and told me she was going to go get the movie.
Anyway, The Boy Who Could Fly has always been my favorite movie and I'm so glad there are others out there who enjoy it as much as I do. (For awhile I thought I was the only one who liked this movie. LOL!)
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mathknapp
15 years ago
The part that you quoted really does echo what I was thinking when I wrote my post ... that the relationship is what was really central. I wonder if some people thought that the flying would make it too over the top, and that a "non-flying" resolution would improve the movie in the eyes of critics, if not in the eyes of viewers.
As regards to some of your other questions, I do remember when the movie came out in theaters and I anxiously awaited it coming to the Disney Channel so I could see it (my family rarely went out to movies).
If it was released as is today, it would be a disaster: the tone of the movie is, in many ways, too grounded in the 80s to be a commercial success today. A remake, I believe, could be a modest success, though I would be afraid of a remake wrecking the film. Oftentimes today movies try too hard to be cool and lose a certain amount of charm because of this.
In any case, the genre of movie is one that rarely gets made (a character drama made with live actors intended for pre-teens? Good God, this movie might be the last one of those ever made! ... and as a father of young children I actively search for movies like this) and would never be a box office hit, but could quietly develop an audience of people that appreciate it ... maybe something like Secondhand Lions a few years ago.
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Lynnmcfall90
15 years ago
Well in the DVD commentary Jay Underwood was saying how some critics and reviewers wrote that the movie was just excellent and they were really into it until they flew for real. (I've read a few reviews how some people loved the idea of the dream Milly had of them flying and it turned out to be a dream, that they didn't really fly...but that when they really flew, it kind of ruined it for them.)
But for me, it didn't really matter. Like I said, what stood out to me in the movie was the relationship that developed. And how Milly brought Eric out from his darkened lonely world he was in when no one else couldn't. However I of course DID enjoy the flying scenes. It just looked like fun and to me I've thought what it would be like to fly...to just be up there in the air and all your cares are forgotten for awhile.
Also I was thinking awhile back on how people often think about flying. I mean think of the number of songs that are out there that talk about flying. I just recently discovered this movie again a few months ago after not watching it for many years. And I listen to the radio a lot. After I saw the movie, for the next few days I was noticing just numerous songs about flying. (Wind Beneath My Wings, There You'll Be...etc. songs like that. And it blew my mind away at how many there are.)
Anyway, you do have a point about if they released the movie in theaters again today. People today like more updated movies, movies with better special effects and things like that. I'd mainly would love it just to see it on a big screen than my little TV at home. LOL! And our movie theater has an excellent sound system so I would like to experience that as well with this movie.
As for a remake, I don't think that would do very well and I don't think I would like it at all. To me this movie is a gem as is and a remake would just ruin what makes it special to me. And of course I don't think I'd like to see new actors playing the parts. Lucy Deakins and Jay Underwood were perfect and I wouldn't like seeing anyone else but them playing the parts. But of course they're much older now so it wouldn't work anyway.
I also totally agree with how they don't make movies like this anymore. I really wish they would. This movie is just SO unique!!! I was blown away the first time I saw it. I was so impressed I had to immediately watch it again. And I've never done that with any other movie.
This movie has also touched my life in an amazing way. It touched me deeply as a teenager and once again as an adult. The music in the background of the movie is just beautiful! I've always wanted to learn to play it on piano and a few months ago I finally learned how to play it all the way through. (with no notes to go by, I just learned it myself.) Also the story in this movie was so beautiful it gave me the desire to write my own stories...so now the desire to write has come back to me now. I wrote stories when I was a teenager but quit. Same with the music. But now after watching it again, those desires have come back and come back in my strongly! (Some of my writing relates with this movie, some doesn't.) In fact, I'm getting ready to write a new story right now. (And this deals with the movie.)
I've never had a movie affect me in the way this one did, (to make me have the desires to play music and write.) It's just amazing! That's how beautiful and precious the story of The Boy Who Could Fly is.
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Screen_Queen
13 years ago
I really like your posts. I agree that Eric's ability to fly isn't essential to the movie because what it's really about is the relationship between Eric and the Michaelson family, particularly Milly. However I did like that he was really able to fly, because it gave him the chance to finally prove to everyone he wasn't a weirdo. I liked that suspension of disbelief. The fantastical element is what makes me love the "if you wish hard enough, anything could happen" message. It was almost like magic.
And I think it's awesome the movie has inspired you to do things again. I love movies that have the ability to change a person.
I only do it with superheroes.
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Lynnmcfall90
13 years ago
Thank you Screen Queen.
Yes as you can see this movie has made a huge impact on my life. It's amazing how a movie can do something like that to someone. I wish everyone could realize what a beautiful movie this really is.
Hey, if your interested, I have some links you might want to check out...
I help run a facebook page on The Boy Who Could Fly. We have tons of stuff up, a bunch of photos, (some rare) several cool articles that gives info on the movie you might not have known..etc. It's where a bunch of fans of the movie get together. If you want to take a look, you can go here...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-back-The-Boy-Who-Could-Fly/185107761534005
(Not sure if that link will work or not, but if not, try copying the whole link into your address bar.)
And here is 2 links where you can check out where I'm making the movie into a book. (Unofficially that is..guess you can call it fan fiction since I've added a few of my own scenes and such that weren't in the movie. But my story is following how the movie story went. Basically I'm making the movie into book form in other words...just for fun though. I'm not publishing it or anything, just doing it because I love to write and I love the movie so much I've always wanted it to be in book form.)
My facebook page...mainly I use this for chapter updates. I've only got 9 chapters up...I think I'm about halfway into the movie so I have a lot more to write before I'm done. I've been working on it since July 2010. And already it's pretty long.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Millys-Journal-The-Boy-Who-Could-Fly/132985070067536
And here is where I have it up on a website. This one is much easier to navigate and get to all my chapters easier..
http://users.hanson.net/lynnbop/millysjournal.html
Anyway, there you go, if you want to take a look! I'm so happy to find another new fan of this movie! This movie was out in 1986 so over so many years, many people have forgotten about it or have never even heard of it. So I'm so happy to know that there are still fans out there still watching and talking about it.
It's just too good of a movie to keep locked away on a shelf somewhere! I just love this movie! :0)
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Screen_Queen
13 years ago
Thanks for the links. I love the idea of making the movie into a book, and exposing people to this movie in new and interesting ways. You're a really good writer, by the way. I've read a few of the chapters and you capture the voice of Milly so well. I've favourited the site so I can keep going back to it. Hope you keep up the really good work, and keep spreading the word on this amazing movie. You're right, it's too good to remain undiscovered by most.
I only do it with superheroes.
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Lynnmcfall90
13 years ago
You're welcome for the links. :0)
And wow, thank you so much for saying what you did about my writing. Because I very often get discouraged with my writing. I know I shouldn't but I'm often thinking I could do better I guess. LOL!
I'm not that good with grammar, sentence structure, paragraphs...etc. but I try. And you know, at times it's easy for me but at other times it is very hard! To put this movie into letter form? It's not easy at times. But at other times, it's not too very hard.
But I just love this movie so much...and one day I got the idea to write "Milly's Journal" and have it as letters to her Dad to help her heal from the loss. I loved the idea so much I just took off with it and had to start writing it!
Anyway, I really appreciate you reading some of my chapters. Thank you so much! I'm hoping more fans would check it out, so you made my day. LOL! Thanks!
I'm eager to finish it but at the rate I'm going it's taking me so long. But I enjoy it. Writing is just something I love to do. And being able to write about my favorite movie is a huge plus!
And yes, The Boy Who Could Fly needs to be a movie that lives forever! It's such a beautiful story with a great message! :0)
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