SummaryWhen Thomas and his family move to a new home and he has to start at a new school, all he wants is to fit in. When his pregnant mother has to take things easy, his father Simon puts him in charge of his autistic older brother Charlie. Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie, faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie's unusual antics tak... Read More
Directed By:Elissa Down
Written By:Elissa Down, Jimmy The Exploder
The Black Balloon
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
68
92% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
8% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
80
For the most part, this unblinking family drama packs a visceral punch. Thomas' journey toward acceptance is blessedly free of noble lessons and filled with real people.
75
It's compassionate but unblinking.
75
Luke Ford's performance as Charlie is a convincing tour de force. You may recall him as Brendan Fraser's heroic son in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." Rhys Wakefield, in his first feature role, is a good casting decision, suggesting inner turmoil without overacting.
70
Ms. Collette’s Maggie is the film's prime mover. This wonderful Australian actress, who hasn't a shred of vanity, virtually disappears into the complicated characters she plays, and Maggie is one of the strongest.
70
Within its resolutely mainstream parameters, The Black Balloon courses with a firsthand feel for languorous Aussie summers, the shifting scales of love and hate in sibling relationships, and the earned wit that helps families cope with difficult situations.
70
Much has been made of supermodel Gemma Ward's doll-like features, but there's nothing plastic about her debut performance in the charming Australian indie The Black Balloon.
30
Cringe-inducing when it's not cliched, this brassy, vulgar 2008 comedy from Australia mines mental disabilities for laughs.
User Reviews
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
67% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
11% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
22% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
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Production Company:
- Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)
- Black Balloon Productions
- Icon Entertainment International
- The Australian Film Commission
- The New South Wales Film and Television Office
Release Date:Dec 5, 2008
Duration:1 h 37 m
Rating:PG-13
Tagline:Normal is relative.
Awards
Australian Film Institute
• 6 Wins & 11 Nominations
IF Awards
• 1 Win & 11 Nominations
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards
• 3 Wins & 10 Nominations
