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Here are some interesting notes about The Bumblebee
Flies Anyway which have appeared in various trivia questions on Internet
boards or could well appear.
- Symbolism abounds in the movie, especially when it
comes to the title character. Barney Snow, is short for Bernard Snow
(Burn Hard Snow), a melting reference to the Fire and Ice poem that
Cassie quotes when defining the conflict between her parents. It symbolises
the inner conflict on Barney’s mind.
- The Bumblebee soapbox racer is similar in plot use
as the one in Radio Flyer, both symbolizing an escape. They are
very different in tone however as set in the scenes. However, in both
cases the audience is led to believe that these cars actually flew.
In Radio Flyer’s case the storyteller (Tom Hanks) says that the
ending is in the hands of the storyteller. In the Bumblebee its
left open. After all, the bumblebee flies anyway. In any event, it is
a softer question as we are relieved and glad that Barney chooses life.
- To this reviewer, many Elijah Wood movies employ the
use of Junkyards—The War, Radio Flyer, The Good Son—maybe because
they are resourceful places for kids to let loose their imaginations.
- In his late teen and adult movies, Elijah only bares
his chest in three of them—The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, All I Want/Try
Seventeen and The Return of the King. In the Bumblebee
he also has the shower scene (brief as it is). While, if Peter Jackson
had followed Tolkien closer, we would have had Frodo Baggins naked at
three points in the story (two times in the bath tub and drying off—never
shot scenes in Buckleberry and Bombadil’s; and in Cirith Ungol, where
he was supposed to be "with nothing but your skin, Mr. Frodo."
- Janeane Garofalo’s Dr. Harriman in the book is a male
character. I guess the casting crew thought that the research professional
could not project the proper image on screen as a man, lack of sensitivity
etc. (Don’t tell Robin Williams that). It is the one point in the film
that nearly fails.
- Elijah Wood (star) took a chance acting with two excellent
children (George Gore II and Jeffrey Force). Usually, as he should know,
children upstage their more mature counterparts. He did it to Mel Gibson
in Forever Young, Kevin Costner in The War, and Richard
Dreyfus in Oliver Twist. Of course, in Oliver Twist he
also upstaged the child actor who played the title role. George Gore
II is a perfect foil for the doe-soft performance that Elijah portrays
early in the film. Without it the pillow would have sent us off to dreamland.
- Elijah’s kiss with Rachael Leigh Cook is very convincing
having a good build up and strong audience anticipation. Other than
his friendship scenes with Sean Astin in The Lord of the Rings
trilogy, Elijah has not been as successful with the love bit on screen.
This might be linked to his personal shyness, but he’s an actor and
should be able to imagine something beyond his personal experience.
We do know that in his first screen sex-scene in The Ice Storm,
his mother was on set. Now that would dampen a young man’s—how
shall I say it, spirit.
- The Bumblebee has more than its share
of landscape shots, beautiful sunsets and sunrises and autumnal parks
sloping down to quiet lakesides. Since most of the film is interior,
the balance between interior-exterior makes the Institute prison-like.
Yet, there are no bars. There are choices.
- The ramp used to hoist the Bumblebee racer to the window
has always puzzled me. Why would such a convenient ramp be stored in
the attic? Fortunately, the action diverts our attention to this logistic
improbability and we only catch it upon second or third viewing.
- During Cassie’s dialog about being linked to her brother
as a twin, we first see her speaking as if to no one. Then as the camera
pans, Barney emerges from her (he’s behind her). This is achieved by
having Rachael and Elijah wearing the same color coat and keeping absolutely
still.
- The rebirth of Barney Snow is symbolized by the baptism
shower, the hiding his name on the wall behind the picture and his Christ-like
walk down the corridor. All this is done without a lot of preaching.
Had this been a Kevin Costner movie, we would have a half-hour of dialogue
leading up to it. But Elijah Wood is best as a silent movie star separating
him from the crowd of wannabe young actors, who wink and smile and call
it acting.
- When Mazzo calls Barney Gay, at that point in
the film, even Barney would not be too sure in his answer. So, he doesn’t
deny it. He just says, "What gay man would want you?" Which
could speak to some level of authority.
- The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is the closest Elijah
Wood has come to a one-man show. He is in every scene except three (all
minor clips between the doctors) and a few cut-aways. There is one tender
scene between Dr. Harriman and Billy, quite poignent and defining. But
other than that, Elijah dominates. Sustaining this level of interest
with such passive materials is quite a feat.
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