The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (2000)
Directed by Martin Duffy (U.S.A.)
Boy Actors: Elijah Wood, Jeffrey Force

Elijah Wood was in my opinion one of the best child actors to ever appear in American films. I was blown away by his performance in the very first film I ever saw him in - Paradise - even though I was only 13 years old at the time (I'm only about three years older than he is). I remember distinctly the scene where the girl tells him his father is not coming back and his entire face turns red with anger and emotion. To this date, I've never seen a 10-year-old play an emotional scene in any film more convincingly.

I followed Elijah's carreer ever since and, with each new film, was pleased to see that he remained a very gifted actor and grew up to be a very handsome young man (unlike other kid actors who often lose their good looks as soon as they hit puberty).

Well, he's 19-years old in The Bumblebee Flies Anyway - definitely no longer a boy in any sense of the term. But I think this is a must-see for all fans of his earlier work, who will undoubtedly find pleasure in seeing what an accomplished actor Elijah's become. Plus, there are a few boy characters in smaller rolls throughout the film, which justifies my reviewing it here as a boy movie.

The film takes place in a hospital for kids suffering of cancer. Elijah's character is the only patient there who isn't dying - he was involved in an experimental treatment that involved erasing all his memories. He doesn't know who he is or exactly what is wrong with him.

He develops friendships with several of the other patients, most notably with a boy his age, with whose sister he falls in love. While struggling with his own illness and loss of memory, Elijah's character also has to face the harsh reality that any friendship within the walls of the hospital will be short-lived, as the patients are all terminally ill.

It's not the greatest movie ever, but the characters are very compelling and the story is nicely told. Of the various boys in smaller roles, the most prominent features Jeffrey Force as a weird, kind of spaced-out kid who hangs out with Elijah's character. Here is a picture of the two together (sorry for the huge size). There are several more excellent DVD caps or Elijah and Jeffrey at this page: (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

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