The Black Balloon
2008, Film, 97 min, Drama, Romance, English, Australia, MoviePedia score 67
Normal is relative.
Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?
Directed by Elissa Down
Cast
- Rhys Wakefield as Thomas Mollison
- Luke Ford as Charlie Mollison
- Toni Collette as Maggie Mollison
- Erik Thomson as Simon Mollison
- Gemma Ward as Jackie Masters
- Sarah Woods as Woman Next Door
- Sam Fraser as Kid Next Door
- Makirum Fahey-Leigh as Mate of Kid Next Door
- Oliver Brookes as Other Mate of Kid Next Door
- Jan Ringrose as Neighbour
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