Flying Lessons (2010) User Reviews

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

[trancelucence · 1/10 · 30 January 2022]

Bad in nearly every way. An utter waste of good actors. They do their best, but the script, the plot, the characterizations, and the dialogue are so appallingly bad I can't imagine who green-lighted this. It's a mystery concerning why the lead actress (lovely and charismatic) is promiscuous and a drug addict (unsavory in the extreme, with nothing to redeem it)- what went wrong with her relationship with her mother, former boyfriend, best friend, etc? The answers, such as they are, are slow in coming (the pacing is GLACIAL) and the woeful lack of chemistry between the lead and her lost love is a crime. And as an aside, the depiction of alzheimer's by Hal Holbrook, alternating between doddering and worldly wise, bears little resemblance to reality (the script's fault).

The overly simplistic plot points make little sense, i.e., NOTHING is explained in ways that are psychologically valid (very few explanations are given, and those that are aren't expanded or detailed enough to offer real insights, or make one care)- as if a none-to-bright ten year old wrote it. To make matters worse, little evolution is shown in the characters, a happy ending is just tacked on. If you can see anything of value in this mess, you're a better man than I Gunga Din (and I would secretly say you're a master or mistress of pure projection &/or wishful thinking). Shockingly bad. I'll add that it reminded me a bit of In Her Shoes, but THAT film does everything right, whereas for me, this one has no redeeming qualities whatsover.

A sappy stinker of a movie

[pariszone · 1/10 · 31 March 2016]

I rarely would give 1 out of 10 to any movie but this one barely makes a 1.

Deadly slow moving, overly sappy and sentimental with unlikable characters, with the possible exception of Hal Holbrook's character "Harry Pleasant". Sophie Conway (Maggie Grace of "taken" fame) plays a snotty little self-centered disrespectful brat. Her character's mother was equally as snotty and self centered who is dating a disgustingly poor excuse for a man. Sophie's main love interest (there were more than one) was a one-dimensional dull wimp.

In other words, it's difficult to like a movie when there's not one likable character in the bunch (other than Harry Pleasant).

The plot (if you can call it that) was so slow and plodding, just making it to the end without falling asleep was a challenge.

This was apparently a made-for-TV or a Direct-to-DVD production, not even worthy of its own hyper-link on Maggie Grace's Wikipedia filmography page. (Speaking of whom, Ms. Grace is a "one trick pony" and plays essentially the same character in any movie she is in. She did not disappoint this time around in that respect.)

No spoiler alert here, other than this movie was a real stinker.

Too bad

[ebokneez · 2/10 · 8 September 2013]

Only saw 30 minutes, too bad about not providing CC. not engaging.

Ilike the main actors but we see early on that lahti is a wino with a ton of money and possibly her daughter

is slutty. then hal holbrook seems to think he's still a cop yet it appears he is too old to be one. Too slow for me, and the lighting was unrealistic. the girl's old boyfriend is also a bad actor. that sort of casting can ruin an iffy movie.

I suppose if It had CC I could watch more but since they do not weant to spend to small pittance required to provide that for people, I don't have the time to read the lius of the thespians.

A quality indie drama.

[amplifiedheart-2 · 7/10 · 13 February 2013]

I believe Hal Holbrook is genuinely a fantastic actor that should have won an Oscar by now, and the older he gets - the better he is, just like a glass of fine wine. Here you have intriguing drama with a delicate portrait of a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease, but that's just the underlying theme of how fractioned our lives are when relying only on our memories. But no - it's not another of those movies dealing with 'terminal illness', it's much more than that.

The main story revolves around Sophie Conway as played by Maggie Grace who is really a capable actress which most of you will remember from now cult TV show 'Lost'. And no - she's definitively not just a pretty face on the screen but does a great job portraying a torn, broken girl haunted by her past and yet emanating a sort of hidden, quiet strength at the same time. All of the supporting cast is excellent, notably Jonathan Tucker and Christine Lahti and I'd hate to spoil details of plot for you. If there is any issues, I'd have to mention that pace of the movie suffers a bit in some parts but then again the director Derek Magyar is taking his time developing the characters to the fullest and resolving the story in, albeit expected, satisfying manner.

With accompanying melancholic and absorbing soundtrack, this might not be a perfect movie or breaking any new grounds - but I'd recommend this to anyone that has a small degree of patience and likes slow-burning character driven dramas. Especially when you have such fine actors in leading roles like Hal Holbrook and Maggie Grace.

Regular...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 10 January 2021]

Our beautiful and eternal Shannon, miss you... A good film, a little dragged and full of mysteries about the protagonist's hurts, and the past of the rest, but the outcome, despite the cliché, is worth it, the romance was a little weak, track beautiful and suffering sound...

A Complex Interplay of Damaged Characters

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 4 July 2013]

It is not evident why this film, released in 2010, did not attract more attention. In many ways it is a tough little story that takes audience concentration throughout to make it all fit together, but the impact of the messages it delivers make it one of the more impressive films of the decade!

The film opens with down on her luck Sophie Conway (Maggie Grace) stumbling through a drug and alcohol addled existence in Los Angeles, her life in shambles as she has sex on a bus with stranger Benji (Rick Gonzalez). With her life at a crossroads, the 25 year old Sophie returns home to the small town of Lompoc (a little town in Santa Barbara County) she always wanted to forget. Once home, she is faced with the friends - Mila (Nikki Deloach) - and lovers - Billy (Jonathan Tucker) - she left behind, a tangled relationship with her Mother (Christine Lahti) and her married paramour Steven (Cary Elwes), and Harry Pleasant (Hal Holbrook), an Alzheimer's Disease patient who, in an opposing way, shares Sophie's struggle to remember. Each of the characters in the story is trying to mentally escape a past that is painful and their interaction slowly reveals the truths of their past experiences, why they have grown apart, and how facing cloudy memories and struggling to make them clear can actually change their lives.

Hal Holbrook gives an incredibly thoughtful and eloquent portrayal of the cruelties of Alzheimer's Disease, Christine Lahti returns to the screen in a potent portrayal of a woman who attempts to disguise her life disappointments with alcohol, Maggie Grace completely inhabits the tough role of Sophie whose inability to remember the details of her father's suicide influences all of the characters' lives, and Jonathan Tucker is the epitome of a lad unable to forgive the past and move forward out of the small town into the world of adulthood. Derek Magyar directs Thomas Kuehl impeccable script with a natural ease -a factor that allows the story to unfold slowly like entering a strange other place for the first time. This is a very fine film that deserves a wide audience.

Grady Harp

Great heart felt movie. Deserved an Oscar nod.

[shallquist-960-986313 · 9/10 · 19 July 2013]

My honey rented this movie and I had very low expectations. The movie started off with me expecting a story about a spoiled rich kid. It quickly transformed into a story about the struggles of young lost girl who returned home to a drunken mother. Still I thought, what a rich spoiled brat, but then she took a job caring for a retired sheriff with Alzheimer's. Her transformation and the story of a man trying to remember his past sucked you in!

Maggie Grace does a phenomenal job in her role. It's quite a true performance and shows her true abilities! Above and beyond Taken. Hal Holbrok at 85 years old put's in a great performance. His skill sucks you in and you really feel his plight!

The final message at the end, was trans-formative and compelling! I give this movie 9 out of 10 stars!

Flying Lessons 2010

[Djames240 · 8/10 · 20 December 2012]

I think this film will change the way we see how people deal with Alzeimer's Disease. Hal Holbrook plays his role in this film brilliantly! "Flying Lessons", deserves the very best of what it can get and receive. When I first saw it at it's premiere for it's release the next day. I just thought, Wow this really touches your heart in every way. But Hal, just lifts the film to it's edge, that no other actor I believe can do. He was made to act in "Flying Lessons". I hope this film makes it to the Oscars and get's what it deserves. Every actor in the film did an amazing job! "Flying Lessons", deserves to get released worldwide!

Sincerely, my very best regards David Goulard