Radio Flyer (1992)

41% of critics liked it
(29 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(14,937 ratings)

Two brothers are the victims of their widowed mother's violent drunkard husband who spares no rod with the youngest brother. Reverting to a world of make-believe, they imagine that their Radio Flyer wagon can fly and that in it they can escape their tormenting stepfather. This film deals in an… More Two brothers are the victims of their widowed mother's violent drunkard husband who spares no rod with the youngest brother. Reverting to a world of make-believe, they imagine that their Radio Flyer wagon can fly and that in it they can escape their tormenting stepfather. This film deals in an almost make-believe manner with the serious issue of child abuse. ~ Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Richard Donner
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Feb 21, 1992 Wide
On DVD: Oct 12, 2004
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
A film one would like to like more.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Richard Donner's Radio Flyer is one of those infrequent and embarrassing efforts of a perfectly adequate Hollywood director to make the kind of offbeat movie for which he has no aptitude at all.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Despite the flaws, Evans's thoughtful script and the unclichTd performances of Wood and Mazzello exert a powerful grip. The film stays with you.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
It all makes for a soaring -- and tearful -- ending.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Radio Flyer pushes so many buttons that I wanted to start pushing back.
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
Donner has a reputation for manhandling scripts, and you get the feeling that buried beneath his stalker-movie techniques is a real movie, with a genuine feel for its characters and its subject.
Clint Morris, Tsunami Magazine
One of the most touching films ever made. A must-see
, Film4
This perverse script is flying without a pilot.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The resulting film is like a travesty of a Spielberg paean to childhood innocence -- an uplifting fantasy about child abuse and suicide.
, Time Out
It's not a total loss, but the voice-over is infuriatingly overdone, as if the film-makers didn't trust the visuals, the kids are resistible and the tone's discomfortingly cute.
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum
A bittersweet and underrated drama.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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

Tim S

An interesting story, but not all that memorable.
Thomas J

Sweet, sappy and predictable.
Lorenzo v

"Powered by imagination." A father recounts a dark period of his childhood when he and his little brother lived in the suburbs. <center>"Powered by imagination." A father recounts a dark period of his childhood when he and his little brother lived in the suburbs. <center>REVIEW</center> Not much material nearly grounds "Radio Flyer" pretty quick, but in the end the film is somewhat enjoyable and almost becomes one of the biggest surprises of the 1990s. Tom Hanks tells his two young sons about a dark time when he (Elijah Wood in the flashbacks) and younger brother Joseph Mazzello moved to the suburbs in California with mother Lorraine Bracco. Almost immediately she meets trouble-maker Adam Baldwin (his face barely seen throughout the film) and marries him. It is crystal clear that Baldwin is a child abuser, always choosing Mazzello as his target. A plan develops very quickly by the two youngsters to turn Mazzello's new wagon into a flying machine so he can get away from Baldwin's abuse. The film has many holes in it, but it still remains interesting nonetheless. Co-directors Richard Donner and David M. Evans almost turn the movie into a whimsical fantasy and I am not sure that was a good thing. It also seems that a lot of trouble went into Wood and Mazzello's plan when it would have been so much easier to go to their mother or local police officer John Heard and explain the situation. The film-makers wanted to show the movie through a child's point-of-view ala "E.T.---The Extra-Terrestrial", but a truly gifted director like Steven Spielberg is one of the few people that could pull that off successfully. "Radio Flyer" is above average and still pretty good in spite of numerous shortcomings. Ben Johnson adds an endearing cameo and really should have had a little more airtime.
Conner R

A powerful story about brothers. It has great performances from Elijah Wood and Joseph Mazzello. It is a very brave film and doesn't shy away from risque topics. In fact, the subject matter is quite mature and unlike the majority of kids movies.
Jason S

A good one with kids who belive they can build a flying machine.
ashley h

Sort of hard to watch, but good. The boys were excellent and really got into the roles, which makes a difference.
Leo L

Fantastic film!
Jared H

One of those movies that you love when you're a kid, but when you watch it again when you're older, it doesn't have the same effect.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Elijah Wood as Mike

            Joseph Mazzello as Bobby

            Lorraine Bracco as Mary

            John Heard as Daugherty

            Adam Baldwin as The King

            Ben Johnson as Geronimo Bill

            Tom Hanks as Older Mike

            Sean Baca as Young Fisher

            Robert Munic as Older Fisher

            Daniel Bieber as 2nd Boy

            William J. Bonnel as Uncle

            Lennard Camarillo as 4th Fisher Friend

            Victor di Mattia as Little Raymond

            T.J. Evans as Big Raymond

            Lois Foraker as Aunt

            James W. Gavin as Pilot

            Adam Hendershott as 1st Boy

            Garette Ratliff Henson as Chad

            Joan Hyman as 2nd Ticket Taker

            Stephen Kahan as Coffee Shop Manager

            Henry LaPlante as Priest

            Susan Gale Linn as Waitress at Coffee Shop

            Coleby Lombardo as 1st Fisher Friend

            Michael Maiello as Gas Station Patron

            John Mazzello as School Boy

            Thomas Ian Nicholas as Ferdie

            Scott Lloyd Nimerfro as Golfer

            Isaac Ocampo as Jorge Hernandez

            Rhea Perlman
            
            Elden Ryan Ratliff as 3rd Fisher Friend

            Reye Reed as Restaurant Patron

            Kaylan Romero as Jesus Hernandez

            Hattie Schwartzberg as 1st Ticket Taker

            Dawan Scott as Bigfoot

            Mike Simmrin as 2nd Fisher Friend

            Paul Tuerpé as Market Cashier

            Hannah Wood as School Girl

            Steven Anthony Jones as Postman

            James Oliver as Gas Station Attendant

            Judy Taylor
            
            Valorie Massalas
            
            Mike Fenton
            
            Abraham J. Verduzco as Carlos Hernandez
See full cast

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