Radio Flyer Reviews

I love this film. It is so multifaceted. The basic premise of this movie: two boys build a magical flying machine out of an old Radio Flyer wagon so that the younger boy, who is abused by his stepfather - the King -, can escape the abuse. In the end, the machine works, and Bobby, the little boy, is able to get away, abandoning his mother, older brother, school, and life in the process. The ending with Bobby flying away doesn't make sense. Surely the mother would have fetched him back etc. Then I saw it again and the clue is in the end when 'Mike' (Tom Hanks) finishes telling the story and says to his sons something like...'Now you see what I mean about history being in the mind of the teller? That's the way I choose to remember it.' My reading of the film then changed. Bobby flying away to somewhere safe was merely a metaphor. He never made it. The 'King' eventually killed him. If you don't agree then watch it again. I love it. I love children and the way their minds work and I think Tom Hanks does a terrific job in bringing the narration to life. The two young boys are absolutely marvellous and both went on to bigger and better things. This is one of my favorit films