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The Boy Who Could Fly

Play trailer Poster for The Boy Who Could Fly PG 1986 1h 48m Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
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59% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Kindly adolescent Milly (Lucy Deakins) moves in next door to autistic teen Eric Gibb (Jay Underwood). The mute Eric, whose parents were killed when he was 5 years old, lives with his hard-drinking uncle, Hugo (Fred Gwynne), and is obsessed with birds. His tendency to stand on rooftops and window ledges posed as if he's flying alarms his social workers, but when Eric saves Milly from a potentially deadly fall, she begins to believe that the boy really can take flight.
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The Boy Who Could Fly

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Critics Consensus

Writer-director Nick Castle's careful command of tone keeps The Boy Who Could Fly from fully surrendering to its story's sentimental tendencies.

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Critics Reviews

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Derek Malcolm Guardian Mar 28, 2023
The fable just about holds together. At any rate it doesn't have much need of the glue of its soupy score. But you know Hollywood. We need to have a little pain around if we are to believe in the magic. Go to Full Review Victoria Mather Daily Telegraph (UK) Mar 28, 2023
What is likable about this film is that it extols children being kind to each other. Go to Full Review Gavin Bainbridge Empire Magazine Jul 16, 2020
A commendable rarity: a sensitive children's film that neither patronises them nor insults their intelligence. Go to Full Review Dan Webster Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 27, 2024
2.5/4
Too much fantasy can spoil the tale, and that's just what happens in this story. Go to Full Review Philip French Observer (UK) Mar 29, 2023
A piece of sentimental uplift for the Reagan era. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Erik B @Atma-X Aug 21, 2026 Melodramatic nonsense. AEB says: "Thanks, I needed to be MORE depressed." she said sarcastically. See more thiago S @Thiagostone Jun 13, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Ethan G @ethdrew05226 Sep 27, 2025 He’s fly like Peter Pan See more Steve D @RT35616104 Mar 5, 2023 Sickeningly sweet and full of cheese. See more May 28, 2020 Probably would receive major backlash if it had come out today. Super slow paced. Overall just painful. See more May 30, 2017 A family, coping with loss, must overcome adversity while adapting to their new surroundings all while the kid next door thinks he can fly. See more Read all reviews
The Boy Who Could Fly

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Cast & Crew

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Nick Castle

Director

Lucy Deakins

Milly

Jay Underwood

Eric

Bonnie Bedelia

Charlene

Fred Savage

Louis

Colleen Dewhurst

Mrs. Sherman

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The Boy Who Could Fly

The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Kindly adolescent Milly (Lucy Deakins) moves in next door to autistic teen Eric Gibb (Jay Underwood). The mute Eric, whose parents were killed when he was 5 years old, lives with his hard-drinking uncle, Hugo (Fred Gwynne), and is obsessed with birds. His tendency to stand on rooftops and window ledges posed as if he's flying alarms his social workers, but when Eric saves Milly from a potentially deadly fall, she begins to believe that the boy really can take flight.
Director
Nick Castle
Producer
Gary Adelson
Screenwriter
Nick Castle
Production Co
William F. White International
Rating
PG
Genre
Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 3, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.3M
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Surround
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