Return to
Home Page
|
(Note: This material is copyrighted.
Please see our copyright notice.)
Fly Away Home:
A film with a female hero
(click any image to return to top of page)
Finding a young female hero
Over the years, one of the difficulties we have had in applying the
hero�s journey pattern in the classroom is finding good literature and
film with strong female heroes, especially young female heroes.
Recently, a 10th grade teacher using the hero�s journey pattern told
us about a film called Fly Away Home, which she said worked well
in her classes. The film has many of the qualities which would make it
an excellent addition to a 9th or 10th grade curriculum.
Synopsis
The story, which takes place in Ontario, Canada, is about 13-year-old
Amy Alden. When she was very young, her father and mother split up, with
mother and daughter moving to New Zealand.
The film opens with Amy and her mother involved in an auto accident,
which kills the mother and injures Amy. Thomas, the father, comes to New
Zealand to be with his daughter and to take her back home with him. Thus
begins Amy�s journey to come to terms with her mother�s death and to reconcile
with her eccentric father.
But Amy isn�t the only one on a journey. When his daughter reenters
his life, Tom must learn to become a "good father." This involves learning
to be more responsible, responsive and caring.
Amy�s first morning on the farm she wanders into her father�s workshop.
Tom is sculpting a metal dragon and he tells Amy that he will be very
busy. "I�m not a baby," Amy tells him. "You don�t have to hold my hand."
Of course, that is exactly what she needs from her remaining parent. Later,
Amy meets Susan, Tom�s girl friend, and immediately resents her, possibly
because she feels Susan might try to replace her mother.
The beginning of reconciliation comes when developers move into the
land adjacent to Tom�s farm and destroy a grove of trees which had been
the nesting place for a flock of Canada geese. Amy finds several abandoned
eggs, which she takes back to the barn to raise.
The geese bond with Amy and follow her everywhere. Soon, however, she
learns that without their parents the geese they will never learn to migrate
and could cause problems, so their wings must be clipped. Everyone rejects
this idea, but there seems to be no other solution.
One day, as Tom is watching the geese follow Amy, he has an idea. "Our
problem," he tells Amy, "is that your birds don�t have anybody to show
them the way." (Isn't this the nature of all Journeys?) His plan? By using
an ultralight airplane, he can lead the geese south to teach them how
to migrate. After some initial resistance and the realization Amy must
lead the geese in the ultralight, not Tom, everyone buys into the plan.
From then on, father, daughter, girlfriend, uncle and friend join in
a quest to help the geese. They overcome numerous failures, an interfering
(though well-meaning) ranger, and mechanical and logistical challenges
to make their dream a reality.
The film's classroom strengths
Besides a compelling story line, Fly Away Home has many other
elements which make it a good choice for the classroom.
First, it lends itself well to teaching and discussing symbolism. There
is, of course, the dragon imagery. The dragon is the creature which unites
the eagle (the symbol of the sun and eternity) with the serpent (the symbol
of the moon and temporal life). The dragon represents a reconciliation
of polar opposites, reminding us that while poles may be opposite, they
are not separate entities but two sides of the same system.
The film also uses a number of feather images: the geese (obviously),
a pair of earrings Susan give to Amy, the feather which triggers Tom�s
idea, and several others. The feathers represent flight and freedom, which
are the characteristics of growth and maturity, elements which come out
in both father and daughter. The image of Amy flying in a "feathered"
ultralight also emphasizes her "migration" toward a new level of understanding
and awareness.
Concentric journeys
Another element which makes the film good is that it involves more
than one journey. It is important for students to learn that they are
part of the lives of others, and though they may be on a journey of their
own, they are also play parts in the journeys of others. Tom, for example,
plays the mentor (and "uninvited god") for Amy, while Amy becomes a helper
and focus for Tom�s growth.
Good vocabulary opportunities
Finally, the film offers a number of opportunities for vocabulary development.
Words such as imprinting, eccentric, migration and reconciliation
give you the opportunity to discuss some important Latin prefixes and
roots. For example, you can compare "in-" (from imprinting) with
"ex-" (from eccentric). Using reconciliation, you can teach prefixes
"re-" (back or again) and "con-" (with or together).
You teach the root centr (center) from eccentric and
show how it is parts of words like "concentric," thereby reinforcing the
prefix "con-".
Other qualities
The film also has other qualities going for it. It has wonderful music
and is beautifully photographed. It is subtle and suggestive, with opportunities
for in-depth discussion, such as the barn being place of birth (the geese),
creativity (Tom�s sculpting) and life/rebirth (the light and the swing).
We think the film would work best with 8th through 10th graders, although
it might be a good exercise in studying symbolism, tone and motif with
older classes. It is certainly worth considering.
Have you used Fly Away Home?
If you have used Fly Away Home in your classroom, what has been
your experience with it? How did you approach the film? How did it fit
into your curriculum? What elements of the film did you emphasize or explore?
Contact us directly.
|
|
