The Black Balloon
“Sometimes it's hard to be the odd one in.”
Thomas is turning 16. His dad's in the army and they've just moved to a town in New South Wales; his mom is pregnant; his older brother, Charlie, who's autistic, has his own adolescent sexual issues. Thomas finds Charlie an embarrassment in public, so when Thomas is attracted to Jackie, a girl in his swim class, Charlie presents any number of obstacles when she drops by their house, when the three of them go for a walk, and during a family birthday dinner. Can Thomas find a way to enter the world of teen romance and still be his brother's keeper, or is Charlie's disability going to prove more than Thomas can handle?
A raw, intimate look at the complexities of family life and adolescence. It captures the tender, awkward moments of growing up, set against the backdrop of a brother's unique challenges and a family's enduring love.
