You’ll see many movies in your lifetime. Some, like The Godfather, you’ll remember for a lifetime. Others, like Mr Woodcock, might leave you horrified that you actually paid money to see them. And then there are the movies that have stuck with you, even though they flew under everybody else’s radar. That’s what this series is about. The forgotten movies that you want to tell the world about. Radio Flyer is one of those movies.

What’s it about?

Radio Flyer is about Mike, his little brother Bobby and the effect of domestic abuse and alcoholism on their lives. Mike and Bobby move with their mother Mary and their dog to a new town in which Mary meets a man named Jack.

Early on, it seems as though Mary has found the man of her dreams and that the kids finally have a father figure in their lives. But soon it becomes clear that Jack, referred to as “The King” at his own request, is an alcoholic with a hard temper and a penchant for domestic abuse.

When The King’s abuse of Bobby becomes too much, Mike and Bobby find a way for Bobby to escape the King.

Why is it great?

What’s great about Radio flyer is its pace. The movie wastes no time, hitting you in the feels early on, getting your heart racing in fear and anger, then hitting you in the feels all over again.

A significant stylistic choice you’ll note is the filmmaker’s decision to take the Muppet Babies approach. By that I mean that you never see The King’s face. You see his body and hear his slurred speech and angry drunk screaming but never look him in the eyes, instead maintaining the eye-line of the children in the film. It’s an interesting approach by director Richard Donner, and we’ll get into that a little more in a bit.

As far as casting goes, there’s not a single miss here. Lorraine Bracco who was coming off a really weird two years in which she would get a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Goodfellas and a Worst Actress Razzie nomination for Medicine Man, delivers an excellent performance. Adam Baldwin gives the best performance of his career as the King. The ability to act without using facial expressions is not easy, but Baldwin does it well. But Elijah Wood is the star here. This is the movie in which it became clear that Elijah Wood wasn’t another Macaulay Culkin, and wouldn’t fade away into child-star oblivion. Joseph Mazzello also gives an exceptional performance in the role of the oft-abused child.

Why did this movie resonate with me?

Earlier on I noted Donner’s decision to avoid showing The King’s face throughout Radio Flyer. Why did he take that approach? Perhaps it was a statement about the facelessness of the threat of alcoholism and abuse – it’s something that anyone can be affected by.

And this facelessness certainly allows the viewer to apply his or her own imagination to interpreting The King. That is certainly what I did. When I first saw this film it was at a time when I had a stepfather dealing with alcoholism, and like The King, he had a temper that would very often turn violent. And like Bobby, I was the one that took the brunt of that.

Radio Flyer captures so many of the truths of a situation like this. The alcoholic husband who often does the wrong thing, then shows up with flowers later to apologize. The alcoholic step-father who often does the wrong thing and then cries for forgiveness. Sadly, it’s all too predictable.

As a kid, this movie made me feel like I wasn’t the only one going through what I was going through. Sadly, it also made me feel like I was lucky that I didn’t have it as bad as these characters.

Unlike the film, I’m happy to say that my stepfather has overcome this illness and is a completely different person now. And I love him and have forgiven him. I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up how proud of him I am.

Why is this movie forgotten?

Radio Flyer came out at the worst time possible. Wayne’s World, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Beauty and the Beast were all in theaters at the same time. Radio Flyer finished in the 11th spot in its opening week. Sadly, the film grossed just that $4,651,977 against a $35 million budget. It was a certifiable box office flop.

To make things worse, the critics panned the film. Roger Ebert brutally noted that, “I was so appalled, watching this kid hurtling down the hill in his pathetic contraption, that I didn’t know which ending would be worse. If he fell to his death, that would be unthinkable, but if he soared up to the moon, it would be unforgivable—because you can’t escape from child abuse in little red wagons, and even the people who made this picture should have been ashamed to suggest otherwise.”

Of course, Ebert was wrong. He may not have understood what Donner was trying to say with Radio Flyer but this is a deeply affecting story of abuse and its affects on families. And if the ending feels jarring next to everything that has come before it, I’d argue that that only highlights the importance that that moment of hope brings.

All that aside, with the low box office and the panning by the critics, Radio Flyer all but disappeared. I’d encourage you go out now and find a copy.