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the black balloon
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THE BLACK BALLOON (2008)
Director: Elissa Down
Screenplay written by Elissa Down
Starring: Toni Collette, Gemma Ward, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford
Reviewed by Vance Aandahl
Because our younger grandson has a severe case of classic autism, Mary and I bicycled to the Mayan on a cold, windy day to see THE BLACK BALLOON, a realistic Australian family drama set in Queensland in the early 1980’s about a middle-class couple with two teenage sons, one of whom is normal and one of whom has a severe case of classic autism.
The other members of the family are stressed and exhausted by their efforts to protect and take care of the autistic son. They bicker with each other and scream at their neighbors. The hard work, embarrassment, anger, and sadness seem endless, but there are also moments of love, laughter, and happiness, and the story ends on a bright, hopeful, feel-good note.
Some of the secondary characters are unreal stereotypes, and most of the scenes feel contrived to make a point, so I can’t give the film as a whole a strong recommendation.
But Luke Ford performs brilliantly as the autistic son. His depiction is truthful and convincing, unlike Dustin Hoffman’s stylish but inaccurate performance in RAINMAN. Watching Ford is worth the price of admission. He deserves an Oscar.
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| | Copyright © 2009 Vace Aandahl |
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