Adults drink wine at dinner but don't act intoxicated. A character falls asleep in front of the TV while drinking beer. At the end of the film, in the background, a character is smoking a cigar.
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Early in the film, a car accident is shown from the point of view of the driver's seat as the car flips several times. A character hits a police officer over the head with a metal bowl after the officer attempts to clip the wings of one of the Canada geese. Hunters are shown shooting at geese.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
While in the shower, Amy gets soap in her eye and screams in panic; when her father kicks down the door, a friend of his sees her naked (implied -- no nudity is shown).
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Major themes include communication, perseverance, and teamwork. Habitats and the animals who need them are worth protecting from sprawl and overdevelopment. Taking care of animals -- wild animals in particular -- requires a great deal of love, time, and effort. Through difficult circumstances, loved ones who have had problems in their relationships in the past can find it within themselves to make things better.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Amy Alden is a loving protector of her adopted gaggle of Canada geese. Her father, Tom, is a hardworking and creative inventor, willing to help his daughter figure out a way to protect the Canada geese from being taken by the government.
Educational Value
some
Kids will learn a lot about geese -- how to incubate them, raise them once they've hatched, their migration patterns -- and the importance of wetlands as an ecosystem. They'll also learn a bit about ultralight planes and see how one passionate activist can make difference -- even a kid standing up to a government for what she believes in.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Fly Away Home is a poignant and inspiring film about a 13-year-old girl from New Zealand sent to live with her father in Canada after her mother dies in a car accident. The car accident at the beginning may be difficult for younger viewers and for anyone who has experienced a similar tragedy. But Fly Away Home's message of concern and protection of Canada geese and their habitats, and the inventive ways Amy and Tom Alden work together to save them, should delight animal lovers of all ages. As a "mother goose" to the gaggle of geese she helps to fly south for the winter, Amy shows a great deal of care and conviction. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
This is wonderful to watch with older children. The threats made to the geese by a local wildlife official would be upsetting for younger ones. Still, it is well done in every way and highly recommended for the right age group.
Most of this movie is fantastic for kids between 9 and 13.
There are two things to be aware of.
The main character's mom dies in the opening scene. There's nothing graphic, but it is obvious what happened. The idea that a mom could die may be disturbing to some kids.
The dad, who is divorced, has a girlfriend, and it is implied that she sleeps-over in the same house sometimes, although nothing is actually shown.
What's the Story?
In FLY AWAY HOME, 13-year-old Amy must go live with her father Tom (Jeff Daniels), whom she barely knows, in a new country after her mother is killed in a car crash. Amy does not want to be comforted, and wanders silently through the marshes near her new home. When developers illegally mow down the marsh, killing a goose, Amy finds the eggs she left behind, and begins to resolve her loss by mothering the goslings. Since she is the first thing they see when they hatch, they "imprint" her, and think of her as their mother, following her everywhere, even into the shower. The local authorities insist that their wings be clipped, since without their mother they can't learn to migrate and will cause problems for the community when they try to fly. But Amy and her father won't allow the geese to be impaired. Tom and Amy work together to teach the geese how to fly, and then migrate. As they work together, Amy finds a way to begin to heal her loss of her mother and her relationship with Tom.
This film is a thrilling adventure, exquisitely told, by the same director and photographer who made The Black Stallion. Ballard has the patience to let the story tell itself in Fly Away Home, and the quiet moments are breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreakingly touching.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it's so important to Amy to keep the geese wild and free in Fly Away Home. What kind of a life would they have had with their wings clipped?
Families can also talk about the importance of preserving wetlands and their importance as an ecosystem. What's lost if too many wetlands are developed?
How does Amy's cause help her heal after her mother's death?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
