Rating: 
Summary: Meaningful
Review: At first the only reason I rented this movie was because I think Elijah Wood is the greatest actor this world has ever seen(which still hasn't changed), but after I watched it tears were streaming down my face. I immediately rewinded it so I could watch it the next day(I was tired). The friendship between the two brothers was incredible, and hilarious. I copied down certain lines that I thought were very meaningful, and I ended up with two pages. Though it may not be possible what they did in the movie, the companionship between dreams and reality are real in everyones heart, and that, in my opinion, is what made me believe the Radio Flyer could fly.
Rating: 
Summary: Author's Intent
Review: According to him, the movie was never supposed to be so ambiguous. Mr. Evans had some abuse in his childhood, and this movie was created out of that experience. It is meant to be taken literally, as it is essentially supposed to be a story about an extrodinaty event fueled by brotherly love and hope.
It was probably Richard Donner who decided to make the story more ambiguous, so that each person would digest the events differently. Once a film goes into producting, the screenplay writer has little, if any, say to what happens.
But, if you want to know the truth from the man behind the story, what he meant for the characters, and ultimately - what the truth of the characters were. Read on.
Was Bobby real? - yes he was.
Did Bobby Survive? - yes he did.
Did he really fly away? - yes, and that was the remarkable part of the story.
Does Shane (the doy) really die? - in the original screenplay, yes, the King was supposed to have killed Shane when he shot him.
What happened to Bobby? - He grew up and flew planes for a living.
The last scene of the screenplay that was not included in the production of the movie, was the grown up Michael (Tom Hanks) taking his kids into the airplane hanger (if you remember, he was at some kind of air show when he tells his kids the story) and the radio flyer is on display. Here, grown up Bobby shows up to meet with his older brother.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, don't want my kids to see it
Review: Hey its PG 13. Well everyone else gave away the end. Call me a idiot. I believed he flew away in the wagon. Why (...) would Tom Hanks spend 2 hours at the airport waiting for his brother to show up. Or maybe he was about to go to therapy as the other viewers suggest. The movie is great
Rating:
Summary: "History is in the Mind of the teller...."
Review: I had seen this movie a couple time when I was younger. It always made me sad. But I saw it on Tv recently and decided to watch it, and I did. But I didn't closely watch it. Because I came on Amazon.com and read some reviews that opened my eyes to the movie in a new way. And with knowing this detail the end makes a lot more sense. Th story is about Mickey and Bobby. Two brothers who live their mother, their stepfather, and a dog. And later a pet turle as well. But Bobby is being abused by the stepfather so together Bobby and Mickey work to make an escape for him, via a Radio Flyer wagon that they make into a flyer. Now I'm not going to tell you what will help you understand the movie better on many different levels, as many other reviews talk about it. But I would like to talk about the childrens performances. Both Elijah Wood and Joseph Marzello are absolutely amazing. Its worth seeing the movie just for their performances alone. If you're a fan of Elijah Wood and have'nt seen this, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR.! And if you have seen it, watch it again, and bear in mind that "History is in the mind of the teller, truth is the teller." So you be the judge of what the movie and the ending are. :D This deals freely with domestic abuse so if you like to pretend its not there, well.... I wont even go there. But for everyone else *enjoy*.! :D
Rating:
Summary: A deserving movie-lovers movie
Review: I have read many reviews of this movie, and not just a few here on Amazon. I'm constantly amazed at the negative comments from people who think that this movie recommends a way to deal with child abuse, or that it takes a stand on the subject. It does not. Child abuse is bad, an evil in this world. This movie shows this from the viewpoint of the two boys. As children, they can little understand why this evil has befallen the younger brother, they only know that their Mother was unhappy, and that the new man in her life has made her happy. Loving their mother and wanting her to be happy, they make the best of the situation, and try to get by, to escape into the things boys will escape into. This is not a statement on child abuse: it's a statement about the will to survive, and that of adventure, of these two boys. To view this movie in any other light is in injustice. The acting of the boys is simply tremendous. Sure, the step-father is seldom seen and when seen, from low-angles and stereotyped. But he is seen as the boys see him: a giant, and seldom. This is, after all, their story.
Rating:
Summary: a different view on the ending
Review: I have read many reviews on Radio Flyer, most concerned with the ambiguity of the ending. I saw the movie for the first time a few weeks ago. After watching it, I decided that it had, in fact, been a good movie. It was able to depict many aspects of child abuse, emotionally and physcially, along with the unstableness of the family. However, this alone does not even scratch the surface of the movie's depth. Like I said, after watching the movie, I had decided that it was good. However, if Mike's brother Bobby had flown off and never returned, then where did the turtle in the end come from? The same turtle that they boys had found when they were little, and the same turtle that Bobby took with him on his flight. After this perplexing detail was brought to my attention, I realized that Mike (tom hanks) at the beginning of the movie had said "History is all in the mind of the teller; truth is in the teller". The story recounted by Mike being told to his children was his version of what actually happened to him, and him alone, as a child. After considering this, other facts seemed to make sense. Why had only Bobby been abused? Why hadn't Bobby's flyer ever seem to fail? and for that matter, why hadn't Bobby ever come back? Because Bobby had never existed. In an attempt to escape his own childhood dilemas and tragedies, Mike created an outlet to disguard all his pain. The new idea of this ending made the movie so much better than I had originally perceived it. I'd definitely recommend it, even if it's just to get your own view on the ending :).
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I just watched this movie for the first time, and enjoyed it immensely. After watching it, I read all the views at Amazon. I feel the younger brother was in fact created by Mikey as a way to deal with (and escape from) the physical abuse he endured, and the ending a metaphor. I did not think it meant suicide. I too found the actors' portrayals of the young brothers excellent, done in a way I would not have normally expected from some so young. As for the post cards the adult Mickey supposedly receives, maybe that is his way of keeping Bobby (his means of survival as a child) alive in/for him, a reaffirmation that he did in fact survive the abuse. If you haven't seen this movie, see it and come to your own conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I just watched this movie for the first time, and enjoyed it immensely. After watching it, I read all the views at Amazon. I feel the younger brother was in fact created by Mikey as a way to deal with (and escape from) the physical abuse he endured, and the ending a metaphor. I did not think it meant suicide. I too found the actors' portrayals of the young brothers excellent, done in a way I would not have normally expected from some so young. As for the post cards the adult Mickey supposedly receives, maybe that is his way of keeping Bobby (his means of survival as a child) alive in/for him, a reaffirmation that he did in fact survive the abuse. If you haven't seen this movie, see it and come to your own conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: I realize there are a lot of fans of this film and that I will probably get 0 out of 19 people found this review helpful, but please read this review anyway. I really enjoy the performances of Elijah Wood and many of the other talents in this movie. The film is great until the last ten minutes or so. I am writing this because many people view the ending as a metaphor for suicide (many of the other reviews here have stated that or alluded to it). It occurs to me that, as astounding as the performances and as well-written as the film is, I can't recommend this motion picture, it completely gives the wrong message. The film is about two little boys who are being emotionally and physically abused by their step-father. They kept it to themselves and attempt to solve the problem in their own way. They could have told their mother, they could have told the policeman, or even the post man who delievered their potion. They didn't. Then, before the credits roll, the producers of the film, after having laid out the moral "put your problems in your own hands", gives a hotline number for abused children. It simply was irresponsible. The film should be rated R because children should not be able to see it and get the idea that if they are faced with a terrible problem they can only deal with it on there own.
Rating:
Summary: deserves one word - WOW
Review: I've been waiting years for Radio Flyer to be released on DVD!!!!! i know many others who want this great story on DVD too... this is a CLASSIC and greatly deserves to be preserved in the newest form of portable video!!!!!
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