"The Black Balloon" is a coming of age story about Thomas, a boy with an older brother who is severely autistic, a pregnant mother, and a military father whose enrolment necessitates the family constantly changing houses.
There are some humiliations in store for Thomas, such as when it is found out he can't swim - more on that later - but the worst of all involves his brother, who runs down the street in his underwear, making Thomas need to chase after him in a similar state of undress.
This grey cloud truly has a silver lining, though, and that's Jackie, a cheerful and down-to-earth girl who takes a shine to Thomas through all of this.
"The Black Balloon" is a fun, enjoyable movie, though it does have some serious scenes. The pleasant chemistry of the characters, especially from Toni Collette, really works in the movie's favour. I did occasionally lose interest, though, and it was weird the way every school scene in the movie took place at the swimming pool, despite Thomas not being able to swim.
There are some humiliations in store for Thomas, such as when it is found out he can't swim - more on that later - but the worst of all involves his brother, who runs down the street in his underwear, making Thomas need to chase after him in a similar state of undress.
This grey cloud truly has a silver lining, though, and that's Jackie, a cheerful and down-to-earth girl who takes a shine to Thomas through all of this.
"The Black Balloon" is a fun, enjoyable movie, though it does have some serious scenes. The pleasant chemistry of the characters, especially from Toni Collette, really works in the movie's favour. I did occasionally lose interest, though, and it was weird the way every school scene in the movie took place at the swimming pool, despite Thomas not being able to swim.