Fly Away 2011

Jeanne is a devoted mother navigating a heavy and unrelenting routine with her autistic teenage daughter, Mandy, who battles frequent anxiety attacks. The film opens with Mandy waking to cries and Jeanne soothing her by singing a lullaby-like refrain. In the moment, Jeanne hopes to restore calm and prepare Mandy for what lies ahead, but the weight of Mandy’s condition is never far away.

“Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home.”

The next morning brings the practical struggle of getting Mandy ready for school, as the schedule and expectations clash with Mandy’s needs. A phone call from Sue, Jeanne’s freelance business partner, underscores the mounting pressure to finish a project for a major client. Before long, Mandy experiences another anxiety-driven episode at school, and Principal Liz Howell suggests Mandy might need to change schools. The suggestion is blunt, and it deepens the sense that Mandy’s challenges are shaping every decision the family makes.

In a moment of crisis, Jeanne reaches out to Mandy’s father, Peter, asking if he can take Mandy for the weekend. He offers his usual excuses, and Jeanne’s attention momentarily shifts as she notices Mandy at her laptop deleting her own work. The very next day, Peter unexpectedly appears, sweeping Mandy off to the park for an afternoon away from the routine. Jeanne briefly savors a rare quiet spell, but distress returns when Peter calls in trouble: Mandy has had another fit and attacked another child on the playground. The sense of danger and responsibility intensifies for Jeanne, who springs into action to help and protect her daughter.

A day later, Jeanne tries to console Mandy with a simple outing to an ice cream shop, but Mandy’s behavior disrupts the room and draws attention. The next stretch brings a chance encounter at the dog park with a neighbor named Tom, who is drawn to Mandy’s eccentric charm. Mandy has another episode at school soon after, resulting in a one-week suspension. The persistent need to care for Mandy begins to affect Jeanne’s work commitments, and the partnership with Sue ends, marking a significant shift in the family’s professional life.

The following day, Jeanne and Mandy cross paths with Tom again, and the connection deepens: Tom is genuinely intrigued by Mandy and her world, and they share a meal of pizza after a visit to the park. As time passes, the two adults discover a growing closeness, though Jeanne instinctively tugs back, balancing her sense of responsibility toward Mandy with a desire for personal connection.

With Mandy expelled from school, the options feel increasingly limited. Mandy responds to the moment by cheering her mother with a song, singing “fly away home.” The reshaping of their lives becomes palpable as Jeanne, grounded in love yet overwhelmed by circumstance, and Peter discuss the potentially long-term step of placing Mandy in a residential facility. The film closes on Jeanne’s ache over losing daily contact with Mandy, juxtaposed with a quiet, almost symbolic moment where she notices an airplane flying freely and contemplates a future in which Mandy could one day stand on her own, independent of the daily restraints that have defined their life together.