Radio Flyer

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Starring: Lorraine Bracco
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Type: DVD
Directed By: David M. Evans
Studio: Sony Pictures
Release Date: 2004-10-12
Running Time: 114 minutes
A moving story about two young brothers whose childhood world of monsters and secret potions is turned upside down when a very real monster—a volatile stepfather—enters their lives. Inspired by a local legend, they attempt to build a working airplane to make their escape. Told in flashback by Tom Hanks (2-time Academy Award® Winner 1995 Forrest Gump, 1994 Philadelphia). Starring: Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Lorraine Braco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi in TV’s "The Sopranos," Oscar® Nominee, 1991 Goodfellas, 3-time Emmy® Award Nominee "The Sopranos"), Directed by Richard Donner (Goonies, Lethal Weapon, Conspiracy Theory).

radio flyer
This movie was my sons favorite when he was a little boy. my son is 25 years now and he has two little boys of his own. I have been looking for this movie for a long time now,I was so happy to find it in amizon. He was so touched to see this movie again for christmas. Now he can enjoy it with his own boys.

Imaginative.
Radio Flyer starring Elijah Wood is a sweet and heartbreaking story of two brothers who find solace with a magical radio flyer. The boys' stepfather is abusive and so they use their imagination to heal the pain of reality. Great movie, look for Tom Hanks he pops up now and then. Enjoy!

cute movie
first i just want to say that Bobby did exist and was not "imaginary"! he was spoken to directly many times and when he asked questions people answered. if he wasn't real then the adults would never say his name would they? check out "the sixth sense"......you can easily see when reviewing that movie the bruce willis character was not addressed.
also the step-father had a face and it was shown constantly.....what movie were you guys watching anyhow, haha?
just because he flew away in his home-made plane near the end doesn't mean he wasn't supposed to be a real kid......remember "ET" when all the kids on bikes went soaring through the air?
i love the way people misinterpret movies and then try to act like they are smarter than the average bear :)

Beautiful story and there really are 2 boys
This is a beautifully crafted movie with a controversial ending. A lot of people are annoyed by the ending (which I won't reveal here), viewing it as inappropriate for this thype of movie. Others believe that instead of there being 2 brothers there is only really one boy with an imaginary brother taking all the abuse. And this explains the strange ending.

However, as I recall after many years, in the original story the boy dies in the last episode that we see him in. But this was thought to be too extreme for a Hollywood movie. (It's against the unwritten rules of Hollywood to kill a child) So once the story had gotten to that last scene there has to be a what happened next scene.

The boys and the dog steal the movie.
I haven't read all the 70 or so reviews posted thus far; only some of them. Sometimes I think Hollywood movie makers become a little too obtuse or purposely ambiguous. Scorsese does this too. Perhaps that was done here as well. I first saw this film 15 years ago when it was released, no one I spoke to at that time understood the ending, although everyone enjoyed the movie. I saw it the second time just a few days ago. I see what some reviewers are getting at with the two boys actually being different facets of one person. Looked at that way, the ending (yes, as a metaphor) makes more sense. Still, I disagree that there are many clues, and evidently that was not what the movie maker was shooting for. There are too many scenes where there is no ambiguity about the presence of two distinct boys, both to the mother and to others. At the end, with Samson the turtle still on-board with Bobby, one wouldn't know what became of him. Yet, at the very end, Tom Hanks' two screen sons ask if that is how they "got Samson". Another ambiguity. (We know the dog jumped out to defend the boys.)

Anyway, ambiguity aside, the two boys' performance is astonishingly good. If only current movies aimed at teens had equally excellent acting. They really, really are quite good. The dog comes in a close second. He played the best dog someone could ever have, and he played it well.

The message of the movie provoked some observations. Although this would not be the case in every instance in real life (thank god), my experience has been that the typical woman portrayed as their mother would have, again and again, taken this man back. The psychodynamics and dysfunction which explains that is too much to go into here. Or, having finally rid herself of this individual, she would find someone like him to take his place. The efforts of social agencies, the police, the courts, well-meaning friends and family--all are of no avail in so many tragic cases.

The film is well worth watching. It is useful in making us more aware of child abuse. The DVD I purchased has no "extra's" on it, but it did come in widescreen and the transfer was very good.

By the way, if you can figure out the deeper metaphor of the buffalo, good for you.