The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)
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He terrified a generation as the original Michael Myers in John Carpenter's Halloween. Eight years later, the same man wrote and directed one of the tenderest films of the decade.
THE BOY WHO COULD FLY (1986) is Nick Castle's gentle fantasy about Milly, a fourteen-year-old who moves to a new town after her father's death and befriends the boy next door. Eric is a mute autistic teenager who stands on the roof with his arms out, certain he can fly, and whether he really can is a question the film withholds until its final moments.
Beneath the fairy tale are two children carrying griefs too heavy to speak. Milly's father, terminally ill, hid his sickness from his family and took his own life. Eric went silent the day his parents fell out of the sky. The flying is fantasy laid over a story about surviving loss, which is why the sweetness mostly earns itself, and critics praised how Castle handled suicide, grief, and disability without ever turning maudlin.
"Milly" is short for Amelia, as in Earhart. It was also the name of Castle's own mother.
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The Boy Who Could Fly was financed with a budget of $9 million provided by the independent production company Lorimar Motion Pictures. It was distributed in theaters by 20th Century Fox.
About the Film
A very special love. And a very special magic. But is it real magic or just an illusion?
- Directed By
- Nick Castle
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
- Released
- August 15, 1986
- Certification
- PG
- Country
- United States of America
- Starring
- Lucy Deakins, Jay Underwood, Fred Savage, Bonnie Bedelia, Colleen Dewhurst
More Credits
- Genres
- Drama, Family, Fantasy
- Origin
- US
- Studios
- Lorimar Motion Pictures
- Written By
- Nick Castle
- Produced By
- Gary Adelson
- Cinematography
- Steven Poster, Adam Holender
- Music
- Bruce Broughton
- Also Starring
- Fred Gwynne, Jason Priestley, Cameron Bancroft, Janet MacLachlan, Mindy Cohn
- Box Office
- $7,177,431
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I watched this movie so many times on cable. I liked it.
I loved this movie!
Love this film
He also directed The Last Starfighter. One of my favorite movies of all time.
Very underrated talent.
I love that movie.
Haven’t seen this since the late 80s… but I really liked it
I love this film, though I’m reluctant to crack the plastic on the DVD, lest it not live up to my memories.
I think it holds up pretty well. Some of it is a little corny but its heart is in the right place and the kids are great.
I saw this movie so many times as a kid, lol. This also reminds me of that TV show of a little girl who was a robot, Small Wonder! They had to have played at the same time because I remember watching them around the same time
Suzie Mason
Small Wonder was from 1985 to 1989 so it’s possible they were on around the same time.
Do you remember Not Quite Human tv movie from 1987
Yeah! I’m sorry, that’s why I was thinking of Small Wonder, but I didn’t explain that in my comment, lol. I just skipped right over it. It would have made way more sense for people so thank you!
I believe Lucy Deakins is a lawyer now.
I have it sealed on vhs and on DVD. Love this movie
as a kid, i was jealous of fred savages g.i. joe collection and that he had the last starfighter on his gaming console.
I love this movie
I remember watching stranger things and wondering who Nancy reminded me of….its this girl.
Yes! I can see it!
Loved this movie
Very underrated film, and along with “Rain Main” and “Saint Elsewhere” one of the earliest attempts to depict autism on screen. It’s controversial amongst those on the spectrum, but I enjoy it. 80s kids probably best remember it for the special ammunition in Fred Savage’s water gun, and Lucy Deakins’ other role as the local girl who John Candy’s older son falls for in “The Great Outdoors.” Back to this film, “The Boy Who Could Fly” is an underrated classic of the decade, and it was Nick Castle’s follow-up to “The Last Starfighter” (another underrated classic of the decade.)
He also made ‘Major Payne’.
It’s a beautiful movie. It holds a special place in my heart. I’m a huge horror fan and when I met Nick Castle at a convention, I told him how important this movie was to me. We didn’t talk about being Michael, we take about his beautiful film and how a special it was. It was lovely.