Fly Away Home (1996)

85% of critics liked it
(34 reviews)
64% of users liked it
(57,375 ratings)

Inspired by a true story, Fly Away Home is a family drama about Amy Alden (Anna Paquin), a 13-year-old girl who, after the tragic death of her mother, is sent to live with her father Thomas (Jeff Daniels), a sculptor. Amy misses her mother and has never enjoyed a very warm relationship with her… More Inspired by a true story, Fly Away Home is a family drama about Amy Alden (Anna Paquin), a 13-year-old girl who, after the tragic death of her mother, is sent to live with her father Thomas (Jeff Daniels), a sculptor. Amy misses her mother and has never enjoyed a very warm relationship with her father, so the first few months in her new home are very difficult for her. However, one day Amy finds a nest full of eggs, which was tossed away by land developers clearing a wooded area. Amy brings the eggs home and builds a makeshift incubator; a few weeks later, a flock of tiny Canadian Geese are hatched. While caring for her new pets makes Amy happier, a problem soon presents itself -- young geese "imprint" on the first creature they see after hatching and follow it, as if it's their mother. Without a mother to show them how to fly south for the winter, how will they learn normal migratory patterns? Thomas comes up with a solution to the problem: as a hobby, he flies Ultralights, lightweight aircraft that look like gliders with engines. If he puts Amy in an Ultralight and has her fly the migratory route to the South, perhaps the birds will follow her and learn the route their mother would normally teach them. Amy's adventures help her learn about independence as she tries to teach it to the birds, bringing her closer to her father. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 47 min.
Directed By: Carroll Ballard
Written By: Robert Rodat, Vince McKewin
Genres: Drama, Kids & Family

In Theaters: Sep 13, 1996 Wide
On DVD: Apr 29, 1997
Studio: Columbia TriStar

Critic Reviews

Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Thrilling, touching adventure for animal lovers.
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
A lovely and unjustly forgotten family film.
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
Somehow makes the story of orphaned geese entertaining.
James Rocchi, Netflix
Story of a girl and her geese is complex entertainment for kids and grown-ups.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

I hadn't realized that this was based on a true story, but either way it's a good family drama with ducks. Yes, ducks. Father and daughter have to work together to raise these cute little ducklings. The actors are good, the story is good, and the ending is cool.
Anthony L

A touching children?s film that is beautifully shot and is hugely underrated.
Jason O

In "Fly Away Home," a young girl named Amy (Anna Paquin), has to go live with her dad (Jeff Daniels) in Canada after her mom dies. She doesn't remember her dad or where he lives that well, so she's real lonely. That is, until she raises some geese. Like you might… More
In "Fly Away Home," a young girl named Amy (Anna Paquin), has to go live with her dad (Jeff Daniels) in Canada after her mom dies. She doesn't remember her dad or where he lives that well, so she's real lonely. That is, until she raises some geese. Like you might expect, these geese think Amy is their mom and they become VERY spoiled :-) . But that's not bad. The bad part is that winter is coming up and the geese have to somehow find out how to migrate to the South. If you like family movies at all, I recommend getting "Fly Away Home." It's a good movie that has a great story to go along with it. It's not only about becoming friends with animals, it's a story about growing up and learning to adapt to new people and a new place to live. "Fly Away Home" also has good cinematography and the acting isn't bad either. Get this high-flyer before it flies away! NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. Good movie.
Jeremy S

A film that will steal your heart, with stunningly beautiful cinematography, and a great story Fly Away Home will up lift even the most cynical person
Leigh R

Love it!
Film C

aww it was sweet and soopy
Jennifer X

heartwarming and adorable!
Drew S

Sappy if anything, but honest most of the time.
Yinalí R

Love this movie.
Sarah P

A very cute and touching story. Jeff Daniels is great (as always) as the dad. This is one of my childhood favorites!
Angela A

Cheesy feel-good kid greeny movie.
Sunil J

Kinda like a duck version of any movie of a girl and her dog.
Marcus W

A simple tale told simply, with a very strong performance by a young Paquin.
Richard F

This film is not without its problems. However, the beautiful cinematography, music, and feel-good effect outweighs these downfalls.
Haley A

A touching movie.
Sarah B

This shows the world what family films should be. A beautiful story which never falls into the saccharine due to the quirky casting.

Read all 16 featured audience ratings

Cast

Jeff Daniels
as Thomas Alden
Anna Paquin
as Amy Alden
Dana Delany
as Susan Barnes

Terry Kinney
as David Alden
Holter Graham
Jeremy Ratchford
as Glen Seifert

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