The Black Balloon (2008)

88% of critics liked it
(41 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(4,130 ratings)

An adolescent boy from a most idiosyncratic family attempts to adjust to his new neighborhood as his 16th birthday looms on the horizon in this family drama from director Elissa Down. Thomas is about to turn 16, and as if adjusting to a new neighborhood, a new school, and new friends isn't enough… More An adolescent boy from a most idiosyncratic family attempts to adjust to his new neighborhood as his 16th birthday looms on the horizon in this family drama from director Elissa Down. Thomas is about to turn 16, and as if adjusting to a new neighborhood, a new school, and new friends isn't enough for a teenage boy to contend with, his family is about as unpredictable as they come. His autistic older brother, Charlie, suffers from ADD, and attends a special school on the days that he actually chooses to go. His father, Simon, is an enormous cricket fan who is prone to holding intense discussions with his teddy bear, and his mother, Maggie, is a free spirit who sleeps with pretty much whomever she pleases. Recently, Thomas' mother revealed that she is pregnant. As a result, Thomas finds himself looking after Charlie much more frequently than usual. When Charlie strips half-naked and dashes into the neighbor's house in search of a bathroom, Thomas storms in after him and encounters pretty classmate Jackie -- who is currently attempting to take a shower. Mortified, Thomas begins to realize that he might not be capable of caring for Charlie. Later at school, Thomas realizes that he'll have to learn to swim before he earns his lifesaving badge. Of course, every student in class needs to have a partner, and it just so happens that Thomas' partner is a pretty fellow pupil named Jackie. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Elissa Down
Written By: Elissa Down, Jimmy Jack
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Feb 9, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Mar 23, 2010
Studio: NeoClassics Films

Critic Reviews

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Thomas and Jackie's friendship, blossoming into a chaste romance, is the dramatic engine that powers The Black Balloon, but it's far from the most important relationship in the film.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
The film's vision is neither a grim wallow nor falsely cheerful. It's compassionate but unblinking, and in the end we can't help but admire the genuine strength of how its characters accept their special challenge.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
At its sharpest Elissa Down's feature directorial debut is guided by intense, rough-edged emotional swings that feel authentically alive, even when the script settles for tidiness.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The Black Balloon establishes this family with a delicate mixture of tenderness and pain.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Structurally and cinematically, The Black Balloon sticks to the coming-of-age basics, but [director] Down has a gift for conveying time and place.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The Black Balloon, a splendid Australian film about a teenager and his older autistic brother, gets it, from the happy/sad imagery of the title through the uplifting, but not saccharine, finale.
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
It's a well-meaning film, marked by Luke Ford's sensitive portrayal of a disabled character. But the main character is bland, imparting the same vibe on the rest of the film.
Christian Toto, What Would Toto Watch?
The Black Balloon is neither 'Rain Man' nor 'The Other Sister. This Aussie charmer charts its own course.
Alicia Potter, Boston Phoenix
Wakefield anchors the well-paced quieter moments.
Graham Killeen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Black Balloon is marked by the fiercest bravery you're likely to encounter on screen this year.
Kimberley Jones, Austin Chronicle
A film that mostly skirts artifice and sentimentality for a truer portrait of a family battered and bruised but nowhere near broken.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
The outlines are broad and obvious, and Thomas such a bore, that The Black Balloon loses air.
Ted Fry, Seattle Times
There are wrenching scenes that are brutally stark, yet there remains a steady sense of calm that is touching and sensitive without ever turning sentimental.
Stan Hall, Oregonian
It sometimes skirts melodrama territory, but the deep emotions ultimately are real and gratifying. Dependable Toni Collette keeps it grounded, disappearing into her role as the incredibly patient mother.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Collette aside, there is no wow factor in The Black Balloon -- just a not-bad story told with better-than-average skill.
Brian Tallerico, Movie Retriever
It's a film about a supposedly real-world set-up that never feels true, even though the people who made it clearly set out to treat their subject matter and the audience with respect.
Shannon J. Harvey, Sunday Times (Australia)
It's brilliant; a beautifully balanced comedy-drama that makes you laugh as much as it makes you cry, sometimes in the same scene.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

An Australian household has a full plate and then some with their eldest, who is autistic, and how they live their lives in the face of staunch adversity is the subject of this realistic portrayal of the old Biblical maxim that faith w/o works is dead. Nothing overtly cinematic, but… More
An Australian household has a full plate and then some with their eldest, who is autistic, and how they live their lives in the face of staunch adversity is the subject of this realistic portrayal of the old Biblical maxim that faith w/o works is dead. Nothing overtly cinematic, but a fine subtle touch by the director here instead. Collette does stand out as the Mom whose presence you feel guiding the family even when offscreen.
Nicki M

Another decent Australian film. Amazing! Follows the life of a 15 year old boy and his family, including his autistic brother. I have to admit, I am watching this movie thinking, I couldn't do it! As well as the constant screaming and running around, there is the shit smearing… More
Another decent Australian film. Amazing! Follows the life of a 15 year old boy and his family, including his autistic brother. I have to admit, I am watching this movie thinking, I couldn't do it! As well as the constant screaming and running around, there is the shit smearing (ugh!). This is actually quite a sweet little movie and I was impressed with Gemma Ward as an actress. The 90's setting also gives it that something extra. Worth a look!
Cynthia S

Interesting, and depressing, but in no way "compelling" as the "recent reviews" would indicate. A decent film, but not great. The two boys were truly outstanding in their roles, however the scene of the musical at the autistic school was a real stretch. Some very… More
Interesting, and depressing, but in no way "compelling" as the "recent reviews" would indicate. A decent film, but not great. The two boys were truly outstanding in their roles, however the scene of the musical at the autistic school was a real stretch. Some very funny laugh out loud scenes, but not enough everything else to make me really like this movie.
Thomas J

What a great film. Superb acting! It felt as though I was seeing this difficult situation from an insiders point of view.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Luke Ford, Rhys Wakefield, Toni Collette, Gemma Ward, Erik Thomson DIRECTED BY: Elissa Down Thomas and his family move to a new home where he starts at a new school. All he wants to do is to fit in, but when his pregnant mother has to take things easy, he is put in charge of his… More
Luke Ford, Rhys Wakefield, Toni Collette, Gemma Ward, Erik Thomson DIRECTED BY: Elissa Down Thomas and his family move to a new home where he starts at a new school. All he wants to do is to fit in, but when his pregnant mother has to take things easy, he is put in charge of his autistic older brother, Charlie. Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend, Jackie, then faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie's unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that causes pent-up frustrations towards his brother to pour out. Such a beautiful, honest, and emotional film. It has extremely good acting. Luke Ford is amazingly good in this movie along with Rhys Wakefield. Toni Collette gave a great performance as well. The story is a real honest look at a family with an autistic son and brother. The struggles the family go through, the anger, and the love they have for each other. It also shows the ignorance people have towards autistic people. They don't understand it, so they act out and make fun of it. The things they do to the girl on the bus absolutely disgusted me. Some things are hard to watch and others you feel the embarrassment for Thomas. It is a really good film and its not all serious. There is comic relief as well. Hope more see it.
Luke B

I liked this film. I liked it a lot. I found it unfortunate that there were some aspects that prevented me from loving it. Wakefield is fabulous as a young man trying to cope in a family where his autistic brother takes up most of the attention. After all it must be hard to have a… More
I liked this film. I liked it a lot. I found it unfortunate that there were some aspects that prevented me from loving it. Wakefield is fabulous as a young man trying to cope in a family where his autistic brother takes up most of the attention. After all it must be hard to have a normal life when every time you have a girl over your brother rubs poo on the carpet or masturbates whilst looking at her. It's at such extremes that through a life of constant moving (his father is in the army) and his brother's needs, Wakefield hasn't even learned to swim that well. He just about stays afloat, the perfect visual image to sum up his character. The reason I failed to love this movie is that Wakefield was never allowed to get THAT angry. Sure he beats his brother pretty hard in one scene, but soon he's apologetic and forgiven. Best of all in this film is Thomson as the father, he manages to get the right amount of frustration and genuine love. His outburst at his son in the supermarket and at the woman next door for complaining to the authorities is probably close to the real complexities of dealing with autism in the family. The film also ends too damn cinematically. In Little Miss Sunshine style Wakefield must dance with his brother in the "spastic" school play to save his brothers embarrassment. It's sweet, but very corny.
Dean M

This is a heart-warming tale that deftly weaves comedy and drama together like <i>What's Eating Gilbert Grape</i>. Luke Ford make an excellent performance as an autistic older brother like Leonardo DiCaprio in 1993 movie. And I was surprised Toni Collette used Auslan… More
This is a heart-warming tale that deftly weaves comedy and drama together like <i>What's Eating Gilbert Grape</i>. Luke Ford make an excellent performance as an autistic older brother like Leonardo DiCaprio in 1993 movie. And I was surprised Toni Collette used Auslan to communicate with her older autistic son - very impressive and understanding clearly for Australian Deafies including me.
Lea L

Charlie is played by Luke Ford who gives a wonderful performance. Rhys Wakefield and Gemma Ward are great too. The winner of this film is Toni Collete whose acting through the turmoil is completely convincing. The acting together with a strong script really make this a movie worth… More
Charlie is played by Luke Ford who gives a wonderful performance. Rhys Wakefield and Gemma Ward are great too. The winner of this film is Toni Collete whose acting through the turmoil is completely convincing. The acting together with a strong script really make this a movie worth seeing. Written and directed by Elissa Down, who has two autistic brothers in real life, obviously brings her experiences to bear and is innately able to bring pressure to this trouble torn family while bringing out some very emotional love. A beautiful, honest, and emotional film. It fearlessly reaches outside the box and sets up a tug-of-war between normalcy and idiosyncrasy. I recommend to all.
Lovable M

Fabulous, fabulous movie. A must see for anyone. It's about the effects of autism, not only on the one afflicted, but those that come in contact with it. The movie is a good mix of drama and comedy, as well as depressing and heartwarming.
Daisy M

Thomas and his family who move to a new home where he starts at a new school. All he wants to do is to fit in, but when his pregnant mother has to take things easy, he is put in charge of his autistic older brother, Charlie. Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend, Jackie, then… More
Thomas and his family who move to a new home where he starts at a new school. All he wants to do is to fit in, but when his pregnant mother has to take things easy, he is put in charge of his autistic older brother, Charlie. Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend, Jackie, then faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie's unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that causes pent-up frustrations towards his brother to pour out. <a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/34g0jlk.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> This film is an effective drama with the backdrop of autism. Erik Thomson plays a shy 16 year old who's constantly embarrassed by his severely autistic brother, an excellent Luke Ford. Toni Collette plays the pregnant mother and is solid as usual. The drama never becomes boring and there's a playful tone running through the film. Some events are predictable (like the taunting by class-mates) but they are probably part of every coming of age drama. The film shows in harrowing detail what it's like to take care of someone with severe autism. Written and directed by Elissa Down, who has two autistic brothers in real life, obviously brings her experiences to bear and is able to bring pressure to this trouble torn family while bringing out some very emotional love. The winner of this film is Toni Collete whose acting through the movie is completely convincing. The acting together with a strong script really make this a movie worth seeing. <a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i44.tinypic.com/2h4ghz5.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
Robert F

For an Australian film, The Black Balloon was triumphant in every respect. As always, Toni Collette was amazing, but the acting was top notch all around. Thomas could so easily have been an unlikeable character, but I really sympathised with him and, to some extent, could identify… More
For an Australian film, The Black Balloon was triumphant in every respect. As always, Toni Collette was amazing, but the acting was top notch all around. Thomas could so easily have been an unlikeable character, but I really sympathised with him and, to some extent, could identify with what he was going through - Rhys Wakefield did a great job. For me, most scenes were challenging to watch, but essentially they had to be for the film to properly take you on the journey. One scene in particular, Thomas' birthday party dinner, was especially gut-wrenching. But it was the final two scenes that really pleased me - together they formed the perfect ending to the film. And I have to mention the cinematography, because it was so refreshing to see something shot with rich, saturated colours, rather than something tonally awash with drab greys as seems to be the trend these days with Australian films. Overall, perhaps the best Australian film this year.