There's also the "loss of a loved one" element in this movie. Anyone who enters the dust factory must face the ring master and play his games to determine if they live of die. It is kind of like a movie about choices and also about faith. The story line is a bit slow to start with, but if you keep on watching the film, you will fall in love with Hayden and the way she smiles. In this limbo world, Ryan once again talks, and he is reunited with his Grandpa Randolph (Armin Mueller-Stahl). Danger-Philosophical-Requires Functioning Brain Cells. Ryan Kelley is engaging, playing a young boy who gives up talking after a series of family tragedies. The Dust Factory (2004) Cinafilm Score = 55% based on 58 reviews. Not For The Very Young, But Good For Tweens, Sappy script almost saved by terrific actors...almost, Quest for Paradise - "... an honest to goodness fable". There's lots of heart string tugging, and obvious emotional grabbers, but I'm okay with that considering the perspective of the lead characters. Ryan Flynn (Ryan Kelley), a teenage boy who hasn't spoken since the death of his father, winds up in a fantastical realm after nearly drowning in an accident. He shuts up completely after a fall and near-drowning experience while roaming the countryside with his admirably patient, cheerful playmate Rocky Mazzelli. Hayden P. is so hot, i would like to meet her, but if i can't get to Hollywood, i hope she could come to Australia to shoot a film. It kept saying that we need faith in order to make the choices that could change the lives of a lot of other people. I saw the film two weeks ago at a screening and Ryan Kelley and Hayden Panettiere are terrific young actors who are normally very natural on screen, but even their exuberance for the material did not transcend the syrupy goo of the dialogue. 01 Jan 2004; 99 mins; 7 critic reviews; 51 user reviews; Ryan is a teenager who lacks the ability to speak. | There grandpa and resident teenager Melanie 'Pan' Lewis shows how youngsters prepare for their next life phase. I just picked up this movie off the shelf because the title was interesting. I'm sixteen and I just watched this movie. Great film; ashamed the vast majority of the American audience can't understand the basic story, which my 10, 12, and 14 year old kids had no trouble following, guessing at the outcome, and loving. We went to this movie quite by accident - had never heard of it - but was rated PG! How rare is that in this day and age? Ryan is a teenager who lacks the ability to speak. Also the way Hayden's character didn't know what to do while she was in the Dust Factory. It seemed like an interesting, enchanting story, my wife and I watched it last night along with a teenage neighbor. This movie met those expectations. The Dust Factory (2004) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Approved Running time 95m 1s . The only thing I understood was that the grandpa lost his Alzheimer's when he was in the place between heaven and earth and he became friends with the girl. Falling from a bridge into the river, he awakens in The Dust Factory, a place between Heaven and Earth inhabited by free-spirited dawdler Melanie (Hayden Panettiere) and his grandfather (Armin Mueller-Stahl), robbed of speech in the real world due to Alzheimer's. The only way out of the world is via a leap of faith from a circus trapeze, above a pit of quicksand-like dust. This movie will probably never win an Oscar but for any sake it should. I didn't really understand the whole thing with the circus and the black hole. | One day, Ryan falls off a bridge and he finds himself transported to a strange fantasy world where he encounters his Grandpa Randolph (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and a pretty girl named Melanie (Hayden Panettiere); Hayden Panettiere is so cute and boy can she act. The basic question of what is life's purpose is a central theme. After his dad Ryan senior's death in a truck accident, schoolboy Ryan Flynn, a gentle, somewhat nerdy space-fan, becomes a recluse. I had never heard of it before. THE DUST FACTORY could serve as a Bible Study lesson, with the appropriate study guide. The Dust Factory is a very cute fantasy film that obviously comes from the heart. We weren't sure what the point was, but in the end it probably can be summed up, 'If you are afraid of dying, then you probably also are afraid of living.'. The grandfather is superb. This film is not easy to understand. After his dad Ryan senior’s death in a truck accident, schoolboy Ryan Flynn, a gentle, somewhat nerdy space-fan, becomes a recluse. Type of media Video. The hardest part of being a director is either putting your vision on the screen in under 120 minutes or creating a movie so compelling that the audience will sit for 3 hours. I wish that they had gone into a little more detail of the circumstances of why they were at the factory but overall a good story about learning to deal with your fears and moving on with your life. A very lyrical story where the young boy will meet where love and magic and courage will be part of his journey. This is why Hollywood has to dumb down to the most basic plots and expected action sequences, instead of well-written creative fantasies like this about death (spoiler alert: there goes 98% of the U.S. audience). Ryan Kelley (until now best known for guest appearances as Ryan on Smallville ) is a troubled boy who's been mute since the trauma of witnessing his father's violent death in a train accident, several years ago. This film is fantastic. Good family movie with a deeper subject matter then most. That kind of joy/pain is represented in a playful way that is still heartfelt and can be grounded in everyday life and death circumstances. He shuts up completely after a fall and near-drowning experience while roaming the countryside with his … The writing and the performances turned in by the young cast were amazing, Working in the movie industry I do see a lot of films and this one was one of the best I have seen in a long time. Hayden's portrayal of a scared, lonely girl is outstanding, with her acting ability setting the foundation for a long and successful career. So I didn't know what to expect. Often, we are searching and longing and confused throughout our lives, but we kind of grasp profound things like eternity, love, joy and living. Why is The Dust Factory rated PG? Summaries. RELEASED IN 2004 and directed by Eric Small, "The Dust Factory" is a drama/family/fantasy about two young teens (Ryan Kelley and Hayden Panettiere) and the boy's grandfather (Armin Mueller-Stahl) who enter into a strange dimension parallel to the real world. He shuts up completely after a fall and near-drowning experience while roaming the countryside with his admirably patient, cheerful playmate Rocky Mazzelli. He is so informative. "The Dust Factory" was for me one of the finest allegorical films about life, death, and loss, that I have ever seen. A teen falls off a bridge into another world. I'm hoping that one of these days the people writing scripts will create an understandable and original movie. Haunting family fantasy film about a young boy who is drowning and falls into a parallel limbo world in which the dying hover between life and death. Ryan also meets the precocious Mel, an adorable tomboy who idolizes Peter Pan. Synopsis He is soon reunited with his Grandpa, whose Alzheimer's keeps him from communicating in the real world. As it is, the movie is slightly Jungian in its images, because of its use of creative imagination and spirituality. She has a smile that could melt an ice berg, Throw away everything you think you know about a PG movie. Like any fable or story, when it speaks to you and to your experiences, it will move you. #BlackLivesMatter. The Dust Factory is an adventure about the love and friendship between two teenagers who help each other through a difficult time in their lives. The only bit that i don't understand is when the Ringmaster walks over and grabs onto Ryan and tries to take him back to his house. This movie seriously was a great film. I really enjoy movies that I have to watch more than once to understand the meaning. The Dust Factory Synopsis. In fact, the viewer may not understand it at all save for basic concepts of life. For being a family film it was sure sweet and had a very deep meaning. The actors are very charming, and it works very well on that level. The Dust Factory is one of those films with a long sequence where you can't tell if it's real or a dream - not until the end. "The Dust Factory" an excellent, inspiring, family film! Dealing with sensitive subjects on life, death, love, and sex, parents should be forewarned that this isn't some feel-good Disney flick (although it has some of its elements). The place is a beautiful landscape with a circus and a dreaded ring master. This film has very "indie" production values, but it is very ambitious for a small budget film, and the special effects come off well. The director has a wonderful imagination. I must say that this movie was very inspirational and it helped me figure out a lot of things in my life. Will they live or will they die? The Dust Factory is an adventure about the love and friendship between two teenagers who help each other through a difficult time in their lives. The inexperience of children struggling with lifelong and profound questions and finding their way is sweet, and allows some viewers to grab hold and dance again. Taking a walk with a friend, Ryan falls from a bridge and supposedly drowns. Young Ryan has been scarred by the death of his father, and no longer speaks. I believe that in this era of film, it is extremely difficult to find a movie below a PG-13 rating that measures up to my expectations of a story in film. The music felt like every Disney-fied, cliché-ridden score cut together into a mish-mash of saccharine, sugar and Nutri-sweet. We enjoyed it very much. An accident transports him to a fantastic world called The Dust Factory, where Ryan regains his voice. He shuts up completely after a fall and near-drowning experience while roaming the countryside with his admirably patient, cheerful … The Dust Factory (Eric Small, 2004) is an interesting fantasy film with a genuinely peculiar, unsettling middle section. Reading previous reviews makes me very sad about the state of the average American audience's capacity to understand anything but the most obvious predictable action plot. The writer/director obviously wanted to tell this story, and hard work pays off in a very enjoyable independent fantasy film. "Daughters of the Dust" is currently available to stream for free via the Criterion Channel and Kanopy. This movie is touching, emotive, and moving without the usual misery. The PG rating is for thematic elements and some scary images.Latest news about The Dust Factory, starring Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Kelley, Armin Mueller-Stahl and directed by Eric Small. Only Ryan's late granddad finds a magical way to get through to him and introduce him to a mysterious place, the 'dust factory'. I enjoyed this movie, but I have an idea a lot was left on the cutting room floor. An accident causes him to travel to a place called "the dust factory" which is a place between heaven and earth. Imaginative, a 'Secret Garden' feel to it. Director(s) Eric Small Cast includes Armin Mueller-Stahl, Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Kelley, Kim Myers, George De La Pena, Michael Angarano, Peter Horton, Kyle Hansen, Ted Roisum, Ayanna Berkshire, Shuhe, Robert Blanche Ratings Info Contains mild sense of menace and bereavement theme. He ends up at a place between life and death called the dust factory. The movie's theme is something that is rarely touched on by most mainstream films, now dominated by empty action films. Ryan also befriends Melanie Lewis (Hayden Panettiere), who provides him with additional emotional support. "The Dust Factory" is charmingly sentimental without being sappy, maudlin, or too scary for a younger audience. THE DUST FACTORY is more of a tween film than one for younger kids. Ryan Flynn (Ryan Kelley), a teenage boy who hasn't spoken since the death of his father, winds up in a fantastical realm after nearly drowning in an a… It was a beautiful movie, with such a touching storyline, and I found myself crying at the end, because it was so sweet. I thought this movie was very good. I just have to conclude by saying that although not my favorite movie it is sure up there on the top ten list. In this fantasy drama. Interesting story, comes across a bit muddled, could have been much better. The Dust Factory is an adventure about the love and friendship between two teenagers who help each other through a difficult time in their lives. The movie is saved by the excellent acting and the surreal sets and concepts. | Hellens, which owns the land, Pattinson Properties and Barratt Homes have applied to Sunderland Council for planning permission to bulldoze the … The two main characters were very likable. This movie will tug at you heart strings from the moment you meet the Melanie Character. The always sublime Armin Mueller-Stahl's well modulated performance almost kept the film from making a resounding thud, but even his prowess was undercut by an overtly cutsie score by the usually talented Luis Bacalov. This is a great film for teens and pre-teens to watch who are dealing with, or who have dealt with the death of a grandparent in a very imaginative way that will make them feel better. I had not heard of this movie but came across it at my public library. They go to a new world which is perfect, but they have to go back. While we enjoyed it, most of the time we were puzzled by what was shown and what was said. I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but I don't think this film works. And it's a shame because it's a variation on a genre that I like a lot: someone gets a chance to see what life would have been if they had made other choices ("Peggy Sue Got Married," "Me, Myself & I" with Rachel Griffiths, etc.). Ryan Flynn (Ryan Kelley), a teenage boy who hasn't spoken since the death of his father, winds up in a fantastical realm after nearly drowning in an accident. This movie made absolutely no sense. A definite tear jerker, in which two young teenagers struggle to find hope and belief that life is worth living, regardless of how strained their lives are in 'reality'. It presents this theme in a story that is entirely suitable for both children and adults. We kind of remember something, and feel like there is something to do, or something we forgot to do. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and would recommend it to all as a family or even just for the kids. Just because it doesn't have exploding cars or big romantic love scenes doesn't mean it is a stupid movie. In some ways, it was boring because everything was too perfect. This movie discusses topics that may not be understood by all ages, but are certainly suitable for all ages. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Dust Factory (DVD, 2006) at the best online prices at eBay! Ryan Kelley is also fantastic, but i think Hayden steals the show as Melanie. My son and I really enjoyed this film. Much of the pleasure they get comes from puzzling out complex plot developments and recognizing subtle details. The relationship between Mel and Ryan is the core of the film, with Grandpa providing sage advice. Although Ryan was extremely successful in playing the role of 'mute' young boy, it was, at times, hard to find emotion in his face during certain scenes. After his dad Ryan senior's death in a truck accident, schoolboy Ryan Flynn, a gentle, somewhat nerdy space-fan, becomes a recluse. "The Dust Factory" was for me one of the finest allegorical films about life, death, and loss, that I have ever seen. The people who say this movie is lame or boring or stupid for any reason don't know what good movies are. The Dust Factory is an unusual film about young teenagers, because it deals with issues of life and death instead of the usual commercialized pap about climbing high school social ladders or kids with super powers. And there is actually a small sub-genre of children's films (mostly independents) that challenge young viewers to use their imaginations and film viewing skills. Julie Dash's "Daughters of the Dust" is a tone poem of old memories, a family album in which all of the pictures are taken on the same day. After his dad Ryan senior's death in a truck accident, schoolboy Ryan Flynn, a gentle, somewhat nerdy space-fan, becomes a recluse. Free delivery for many products! Or sometimes we are prompted to something by someone or some story coming along at a good time for us. The movie brings up the notion that life is not a problem to be solved, but rather something to be experienced; finding paradise and total bliss comes at a price, but must be paid. This movie about the magic land between heaven and earth will really make you think about how you live your life and what you can do better. I think it deals very well with the subject of loss and bereavement. There are many wonderful little moments that did that for me. The three leads are all solid and have great chemistry. Can she act work pays off in a hockey match and... a youthful Hayden is... 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