The film
Flying Lessons told the story about a 25 year-old woman, Sophie Conway, who after ruining her life in LA, returns to her hometown, the Santa Ynez Valley. Frustrated and bored, Sophie is forced to confront the friendships and relationships that she had abandoned before. She finds work caring for the sweet, but old Harry Pleasant. Harry is an aging man with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects your short-term memory, and therefore Harry finds himself living in the past. Mr. Pleasant gently teaches Sophie Conway the value of the present and to remember the life you are living right now. Meanwhile, he longs for remembering more of his past. Sophie slowly starts to accept responsibility for her current life, and reconnects with her old boyfriend, Billy whom she loved. This two-part story is about how people of two different generations change as they learn to forgive.
The film Flying Lessons was not my favorite movie. Two hours is a little too long for a film about emotionally growing stronger. Also, I think that there were too many problems to solve in one film. Sophie’s mom was an alcoholic and four months behind on her mortgage. Sophie was a lost young adult, and an addictive smoker. Harry Pleasant had Alzheimer’s to struggle with. However, I thought a lot of the acting was great, especially Hal Holbrook and Maggie Grace (Sophie Conway and Harry Pleasant). The setting was in the Santa Ynez Valley which was beautiful and familiar.
Overall, I thought that the film Flying Lessons was a mediocre movie, and I would recommend it for a person who just wants to relax.
I’d give it a 2.5
