Flying (film)
| Flying | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Paul Lynch |
| Written by | John Sheppard |
| Produced by | Anthony Kramreither |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Perci Young |
| Edited by | Nick Rotundo |
| Music by |
|
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest |
Release date | 14 May 1986 |
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Flying (also known as Dream to Believe and Teenage Dream) is a 1986 Canadian drama film directed by Paul Lynch and starring Olivia d'Abo, Rita Tushingham, and Keanu Reeves.
Plot
Robin is a teenage girl who used to compete in gymnastics. A few years ago, she and her father got into a car accident. Her father was killed, and her leg was injured, which forced her to stop competing. Robin's mother Marge then married a man named Jack, and he mistreats Robin. Robin's best friends are Roy, a bus driver, and Fred, a security guard.
Attending a new high school in New York, Robin becomes attracted to a classmate named Mark. She catches the attention of another classmate, Tommy. Tommy tries to ask out Robin multiple times without success.
Robin hangs out in the gym with the school's gymnastics team, the Buffalo Flyers. She is bullied by two gymnasts, Leah and Stacy, but becomes friends with another gymnast, Carly. After getting back into shape, Robin makes the team. She is then pranked by Leah and Stacy into thinking that Mark likes her. Afterwards, Robin tries to talk to Tommy, but he has started to talk to other girls.
An important regional gymnastics competition in Niagara Falls is coming up, and Robin is one of the girls selected to go. Then, Marge dies, and Robin moves out of Jack's house. Robin and Tommy finally start a relationship with each other. He invites her to his house, and they have sex. With help from Carly and Tommy, Robin continues her gymnastics training.
At the regional competition, Leah is in first place, and Robin is in second, going into the final routines on floor. Jack appears at the meet. Still angry at Robin, he hits her until she is defended by Roy and Fred. Robin then performs a flawless routine. She is awarded a perfect 10 score and wins the competition.
Cast
- Olivia d'Abo as Robin Crew
- Rita Tushingham as Jean Stoller
- Keanu Reeves as Tommy Warneki
- Jessica Steen as Carly Simmons
- Renee Murphy as Leah Kilbourne
- Sean McCann as Jack Crew
- Samantha Langevin as Marge Crew
- Nicole Kolman as Gillian Crew
- Samantha Logan as Stacy
- Anthony Kramreither Jr. as Mark Sanderson
- Denis Simpson as Fred Stoner
- Eugene Clark as Roy Teler
- Louis Tucci as Leo
Production and release
Filming took place from October 1984 to December 1984. Flying was one of the first film roles for both Olivia d'Abo and Keanu Reeves. Cynthia Rhodes reportedly served as a dance double for d'Abo.[1]
Flying was first screened at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. According to director Paul Lynch, it had a very strong showing at the festival due to its coming out in the wake of similar and highly successful films such as Flashdance and Footloose, leading production company Golden Harvest to turn down bids from numerous distributors in favor of releasing it themselves.[2] That year, it was released theatrically in its native Canada on 12 September 1986. According to Lynch, Golden Harvest lacked resources as a distributor, so the film's theatrical release was very limited.[2]
Sometime after its theatrical release, it was released on video in the United States by Cinema Group Home Video and in Canada by Cineplex Odeon. In the Philippines, the film was released as Love at the Edge on 10 December 1992; Reeves is the sole actor mentioned on the local poster, with taglines that capitalize off of his then-recent stardom.[3] Since Golden Harvest was a Hong Kong company, it never copyrighted the film, so it has been released on VHS and DVD from several different distributors and under several different titles.[2]
Flying features songs by Stephanie Mills, Lynn Davis, and the Lydia Taylor Band. Members of the Lydia Taylor Band also appear in the film.
References
- ^ http://houseofselfindulgence.blogspot.com/2010/02/flying-paul-lynch-1986.html
- ^ a b c Weisberg, Sam (November 18, 2011). "Interview with Paul Lynch". Hidden Films. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
- ^ "Grand Opening Today". Manila Standard. Kagitingan Publications, Inc. 10 December 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ENJOYED 'THE CUTTING EDGE'... this film is made for you to enjoy again.
External links
- Flying at IMDb
- Flying at Rotten Tomatoes