One of my favorite films from 1996 has finally made its way to laserdisc and it is one of those maddening examples of the inconsistencies that still plague the laser format. The film is Carroll Ballard’s 'Fly Away Home' starring Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin and Dana Delany.
A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed New Line’s 'Last Man Standing', a decidedly mediocre film and an exceptional laserdisc. This new release from Columbia Tristar is, unfortunately, an exceptional film and a decidedly mediocre laserdisc. Typical of most of Columbia’s laser transfers since they began using HDTV down-conversions, there is a persistent haze of graininess that is most visible in poorly lit or indoor shots. Outdoor scenes fare somewhat better. Colors are often slightly oversaturated resulting in a loss of detail and a bit of softness to the image. The color balance does appear fairly accurate, however. The film was shot flat and the transfer is matted to about 1.85:1. On the plus side, the copy I viewed was mostly free from the various pressing flaws ("speckles", etc.) that have plagued most recent Columbia titles.
The matrixed Dolby soundtrack is very nice with excellent range and dynamics. The mix contains a number of good directional effects and the surround channel is used to good effect. Of particular note is the wonderful score by Mark Isham containing a haunting song, '10,000 Miles', beautifully sung by Mary Chapin Carpenter. A 5.1 soundtrack would have been a welcome addition. Too bad Columbia continues to release their films on video with little regard for artistic excellence.
The film runs 107 minutes and the disc contains 57 chapters (no one can accuse Columbia of being cheap with the chapters). The side break, though it occurs in the middle of a scene, works in an unexpected sort of way.
For those not familiar with the story, a 13 year old girl, having recently lost her mother, becomes the surrogate mother of a gaggle of Canadian geese when developers bulldoze their habitat. She, with the help of her father, must first teach the birds to fly and then lead them south on their winter migration. While the story admittedly turns toward the improbable in the second half, director Ballard handles it with a deft touch and allows Caleb Deschanel’s stunning photography to carry you along. And, if the last ten minutes don’t evoke some sort of emotional response, then you are way too jaded. I like this movie a lot and, despite a lackluster disc, highly recommend it.
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