The Boy Who Could Fly

In the midst of adjusting to a new suburban home, 14-year-old Amelia "Milly" Michaelson (Deakins) finds herself grappling with the weight of her father's passing. As she navigates the complexities of high school and cultivates an unlikely friendship with Geneva, Milly's 8-year-old brother Louis (Savage) struggles to find his footing amidst a backdrop of bullying and academic challenges. Meanwhile, their mother Charlene (Bedelia) grapples with the aftermath of a demotion at work and her own inability to master the intricacies of computer technology.

As the Michaelson family settles into their new life, they're introduced to Eric Gibb (Underwood), a neighbor with autism who lives next door with his uncle Hugo (Gwynne). Eric's peculiar behaviors, stemming from an apparent fascination with flying, only add to the mystique surrounding this enigmatic figure. Rumors circulate about Eric's traumatic past – the loss of his parents in a plane crash – and the dangers he faces at the hands of his uncle's reckless drinking.

One fateful night, Milly and her family bear witness to a disturbing scene: Eric, restrained by two men and clad in a straitjacket, is being taken away. As the truth begins to unravel, it becomes clear that Eric's well-being hangs precariously in the balance. Desperate to protect him from harm, Mrs. Sherman tasks Milly with keeping an eye on her troubled neighbor.

As the school year progresses, Milly works tirelessly to connect with Eric, documenting his slow but steady progress. The breakthroughs are few and far between – a fleeting smile here, a momentary flash of understanding there – but they're enough to keep Milly hopeful. And then, in an instant, everything changes. A stray baseball hurtles toward Milly's head, only for Eric to spontaneously appear and snatch it from the air.

As the boundaries between reality and fantasy begin to blur, Milly finds herself questioning the very fabric of her existence. The strange occurrences – Eric's seemingly impossible teleportations, the unexplained appearances in each other's windows – leave her wondering if she's losing her grip on sanity.

As Milly's school field trip unfolds without anyone else in sight except for Eric (no doubt an enigmatic presence), she takes a tumble off the bridge, desperate to grasp that elusive rose. Her fall leaves her unconscious, but in her dreamlike state, she awakens in a hospital room where Eric sits vigilantly by the window, his silence punctuated only by the soft rustling of the wind. Their wordless conversation sparks an epiphany within Milly: she becomes convinced that Eric possesses the extraordinary ability to defy gravity. As if to corroborate her theory, Eric produces the very rose she was so eager to retrieve and, with a gentle grasp, guides her out of the window and into the sky. Together, they soar above the clouds, bathed in the warm glow of a fireworks display. The euphoria is short-lived, as their flight is followed by a tender kiss and a return to the hospital room. But just as Milly begins to bask in the afterglow of her fantastical adventure, reality crashes back down upon her like a cold, hard anvil: she finds herself staring at her father's lifeless form in the hospital bed, with Mona's volleyball careening towards her like a harbinger of doom.

The harsh awakening is compounded by Milly's subsequent confession to her mother about Eric's aerial prowess and his timely rescue. However, Dr. Grenader, a no-nonsense psychiatrist, sets the record straight, attributing Milly's fanciful notions to the stress she's under following her father's untimely passing. As it turns out, Milly's dad had been struggling with cancer, but chose not to burden his loved ones with the truth; instead, he opted for a quiet goodbye and took his own life.

Upon returning home, Milly finds herself fixated on the rose now perched on her windowsill, convinced that Eric's aerial abilities are more than just a figment of her imagination. When she calls out to Uncle Hugo about Eric's whereabouts, he reveals that the institute has taken him away, citing the recurring theme of unexplained events surrounding Eric. Despite their best efforts, Milly and her family are denied access to Eric, sparking further frustration when his attempts to break free are thwarted by two men trying to sedate him. Meanwhile, Louis's valiant efforts to outmaneuver the system are foiled when a group of bullies dismantle his tricycle, and things take a tragic turn when his faithful canine companion, Max, is struck by a passing car and whisked away to the animal hospital.

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As the stormy night wears on, Milly's gaze fixes upon Eric perched precariously on his rooftop, only to discover him shivering with cold and drenched in rain. As she wraps a blanket around him, he produces a small box from which he extracts a ring, presenting it to her with an air of quiet significance.

The next day, when the authorities descend upon Eric's abode, Milly takes matters into her own hands, slipping Eric out of the house and orchestrating a daring escape that culminates in a high-stakes chase through the streets. The pair makes their way to the rooftop of the local school, where the sounds of carnival revelry fill the air. With the throngs of people below, Eric turns to Milly and utters her name, his voice barely audible over the din. As she asks if he truly possesses the ability to defy gravity, a gentle smile spreads across his face, and he nods solemnly. Holding hands with Milly, they plummet towards the ground, only to find themselves soaring through the air, their trajectory followed by the stunned onlookers gathered at the carnival. The crowd trails them as they float effortlessly down the streets of their hometown, leaving in their wake a trail of wonder and awe.

As Eric's departure is imminent, he guides Milly to her window, his eyes burning with affection as he whispers his love for her. With one final kiss, he vanishes into the ether, leaving behind a bereft but ultimately enlightened Milly. The weeks that follow are marked by chaos and scrutiny, as scientists and the curious flock to Eric's neighborhood in an effort to unravel the mysteries surrounding this enigmatic figure.

In the face of adversity, however, those closest to Eric find inspiration in his story. His uncle shakes off his addiction and secures a promising new career path; Max, the Michaelsons' loyal canine companion, begins to thrive once more; Louis finds the courage to confront the neighborhood bullies with an unexpected arsenal at his disposal – a water gun filled with urine; Charlene masters the digital realm at her workplace; and Milly herself regains her footing, reinvigorated by Eric's presence in her life. As the sun dips below the horizon on the film's final day, Milly gazes longingly out her window, awaiting the return of her beloved Eric. With a quiet sense of resignation, she sends a paper airplane soaring skyward, its trajectory lost in the vast expanse of possibility.