FLY AWAY HOME (1996) ***1/2 Wow what a great story! And I'm willing to believe that it's true, mainly. Yeah, sure you can see a little bit of Hollywood touches around the edges, but it's the heart that counts. That heart is Anna Paquin, and it's a good heart. She's so great at being that early teenager, communicating those things that can't be said or explained, the face gestures you can't even see and the body language. But she couldn't have done it without some adults: Michael J. Reynolds-I know that dude! Met him when I lived around military bases, a couple times, a different incarnation...I know there's more to each of him than that, but that's what he shows the world. Jeff Daniels as the rugged individualist obstinate father, and Dana Delaney as the kind of woman who can both deal with that guy and keep him interested, impossible but it can be done. If the Mary Chapin Carpenter accompaniment to the climactic scene is a bit much for you, at least remember that Canadian Geese really do mate for life, and that's more of a commitment than a lot of us. I love Canadian Geese.
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