Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
The Black Balloon is a very touching and amusing film highlighting the difficulties involved in Autism, both from the point of view of the person with Autism and other family members who have to cope with these difficulties and still retain their sense of humour and patience with the sufferer, all the time letting the sufferer know that he/she is still loved and a valued and worthwhile member not only of the family but society in general. Toni Collette is perfect as the overworked and very pregnant mother, having to deal with 3 male members of her family, all of whom have their own different personalities and idiosyncrasies. She manages this with good humour, tolerance, and often open defiance in the face of unwarranted and ignorant criticism from the uneducated general public who view Charlie, the autistic youth, as an aberration simply because he happens to be different. Erik Thompson as the often chauvinistic but basically loving father and husband gives a performance full of insight and oft ill concealed frustration. Rhys Whakefield as Thomas, Charlie's younger brother, is struggling to accept his position as the new kid at a new school in a new neighbourhood, and also his rapidly awakening interest in the opposite sex, personified by Jackie, played with an appealing contrast of confidence and vulnerability by Gemma Ward, the popular and pretty leader of a group of girls at Thomas' school, who befriends Thomas and his family, and comes to see Charlie as a lovely person in his own right. But the movie belongs to Luke Ford as Charlie, who is so very realistic in his portrayal of the autistic Charlie that the viewer is drawn unequivocally into Charlie's world from Charlie's eyes, and swept along on the ever increasing dramatic turn of events which highlight the very real problems that autistic sufferers and their families and friends face every minute of their complicated lives. Thomas gradually learns to accept Charlie for what he really is - a loving and thoughtful brother - rather than a person who is different because of a medical condition and through no fault of his own. Thomas learns to deal with his own embarrassment and to openly express his love and support for Charlie and in doing so unifies his family. The concert scene put on by the group of autistic and intellectually challenged students from Charlie's school sums up for me the message behind the entire movie - be proud of who you are!Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned