I enjoyed this movie, but I have an idea a lot was left on the cutting room floor. The hardest part of being a director is either putting your vision on the screen in under 120 minutes or creating a movie so compelling that the audience will sit for 3 hours.
There is so much we don't know about Ryan and his family. We know he is mute through trauma, his father's death, but we don't know how long since his father's death since apparently at the end of the movie his mother either has a boyfriend or new husband. Which is why I think that some of those details got cut out for the sake of time.
All that aside, Ryan Kelly and Hayden Panettiere were very compelling as the young actors. There is a sweet vulnerability about Ryan and a sad undercurrent to Hayden's joie de vivre.
There is also a very strong performance by Armin Mueller-Stahl as the grandfather.
I enjoyed the movie, as I said in my title, but wish that Mr. Small could have put his story on the screen with more clarity.
The Dust Factory
2004
Action / Drama / Family / Fantasy
The Dust Factory
2004
Action / Drama / Family / Fantasy
Plot summary
Ryan is a teenager who lacks the ability to speak. One day, Ryan falls off a bridge and he finds himself transported to a strange fantasy world where he encounters his Grandpa Randolph and a pretty girl named Melanie; together, Ryan and Melanie learn to help one another with their problems, and they both discover the wisdom they can gain from elders like Grandpa Randolph.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
June 29, 2020 at 12:48 AM
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Enjoyed it, but disjointed
Feature length nightmare in the guise of whimsy
I'm mixed on this one. The actors are very charming, and it works very well on that level. The three leads are all solid and have great chemistry.
I find it very hard to watch this movie a second time. The cast and setting are far more charming than Jacob's Ladder, but when you've had a personal loss, you may not fancy the presentation of the films.
With the strength of the three leads' acting, I kind of wish they were in a happier plot together. I do think the three of them can carry a complex emotional movie.
I'm skeptical how well this even works for kids. It seems like it would be bizarre but scary for really young kids, and dark and frightening for older kids.
And be aware, the background here is the boy has been a mute since his father died, his grandmother has just died (we see the funeral), and in the course of the movie, the grandfather (who is senile in real life) is healthy in this limbo/purgatory and they get to share a brief adventure then HE dies. The grandfather dying is what I can't handle knowing it's coming. It's just so heavy.
Update: I tried to watch this again because it has themes relevant to another movie I was reviewing.
As likable as the cast is, I simply could not watch this again without muting it, and it was STILL a struggle.
Whatever the intent of the creator or the charm arm of the players, this is effectively a feature length nightmare.
"The Dust Factory" an excellent, inspiring, family film!
"The Dust Factory" was for me one of the finest allegorical films about life, death, and loss, that I have ever seen.
It presents this theme in a story that is entirely suitable for both children and adults. "The Dust Factory" is charmingly sentimental without being sappy, maudlin, or too scary for a younger audience. I applaud Eric Small's fine writing and direction.
I appreciated and enjoyed this film more than I did "Finding Neverland," yet it only shows what a difference that a good distribution deal can make to insure a successful movie. While I read a consumer review of the film that said they saw it in a theater, I have also read that it went "direct to video." If the former is true, I don't understand why "The Dust Factory" didn't open and play to a larger audience? I recommend this film to any and all, and can only hope that Eric Small has a long career to continue following his dream and inner vision.
Gary Myers BOCA PRODUCTIONS