Fly Away Home (DVD, 2001, Special Edition)

Carroll Ballard returns to the form of his earlier classics THE BLACK STALLION and NEVER CRY WOLF with this inspiring family drama about the human spirit's ability to tame and conquer nature. In Canada, 13-year-old Amy Alden (Anna Paquin) is having difficulty coping with her mother's recent death. To make matters worse, she is now forced to move in with her eccentric father, Thomas (Jeff Bridges). But everything changes when 12 orphan goslings hatch and Amy becomes their surrogate mother. Amy and the birds instantly bond, their relationship aiding the young girl's emotional state. However, the geese grow up fast, and Amy realizes that they must be sent out on their own. With the help of her father, Amy devises a preposterous plan to force the birds to migrate south, overcoming insurmountable odds--both human and natural--in the process. Ballard's film, based on Bill Lishman's autobiography, is a heartfelt, moving drama that is universal in its themes of love, hope, and determination. Paquin delivers another solid performance as Amy, proving her Oscar for THE PIANO was no fluke. What lifts FLY AWAY HOME to another plateau, however, is Caleb Deschanel's splendid cinematography, which captures the gorgeous landscape in a way that makes Amy's final journey even more miraculous.