On December 5, 2012, Laemmle Monica 4-Plex rolled out the red carpet for the premiere of director Derek Magyar’s Flying Lessons. I arrived at the theatre and was amazed to find that even at this art house premiere, autograph hounds were lined up in front, waiting to see which of Hollywood’s players would step forth. It was quite funny to see them shuffle through their stack of lithos to figure out who I was. Or maybe it was my imagination!
Thanks to a wonderful publicist to whom I am much obliged, I was the red carpet warm up act. It’s a surreal feeling to have a gaggle of flash bulbs going off simultaneously and photographers directing you how to stand and where to look. Several photogs and interviews later, we were ushered into the theatre for the screening.
Flying Lessons is a story of Sophie (Maggie Grace, Taken) who returns to her small hometown after her big-city life experience goes awry. She reconnects with old friends, past flames and is finally forced to come to terms with her father’s recent suicide. In an attempt to put her life back together, Sophie takes on the responsibility of caring for an elderly man by the name of Harry Pleasant (Hal Holbrook, Lincoln) who is in a downward spiral due to dementia. Together, the pair of misfits find solidarity and the strength to continue moving forward in life.
One of the beauties of independent films is the opportunity to experiment artistically. I felt that Grace took full advantage of this opportunity and dove into her character with full force. She goes through wonderful waves of emotion as Sophie’s flaws and triumphs roll like waves off the tumultuous ocean of despair. Hal Holbrook is particularly touching in his role of a grandfather figure who is haunted by visions of his late wife and daughter through his dementia. He avoids becoming a caricature and was, perhaps, the most sympathetic character in the film. Although the film suffers from some pacing issues and a mediocre supporting cast, it is a beautiful story of two very different people who hit rock bottom, rise from the ashes and learn how to soar above life’s difficulties.
