The town of Waterston is facing a severe drought, so it seems odd when a mysterious farmer named Harvey Potter moves into town and attempts to plant a new crop. Thus begins Disney's Balloon Farm, a tale about keeping one's trust and belief even in the bleakest of times. Rip Torn stars as the farmer who finds skepticism in all of the residents except one, a small girl named Willow (Mara Wilson, of Matilda). Greater suspicion arises when it appears that Harvey is able to grow a field of balloons that have seemingly magical powers. The film is quite colorful, not only in its bright hues but also in the variety of characters that populate the town. The suspicion of Waterston's town folk grows, however, when the highly profitable balloon farmer appears to be in cahoots with a company determined to foreclose on the local farms and turn the town into a massive garbage dump. As this is a Disney film for children, one can expect a happy ending--but not before the tension in the town rises and all seems lost. Hope survives, however, and the film teaches its viewers that "It's what you believe" that counts. (Ages 7 and older) --Zachary Lively Amazon.com
"Balloon Farm", based on the Jerdine Nolen children's book of the same title, takes you and your family on a ride to a drought-ravaged town. A strange visitor (Harvey Potter) tries to boost the morales of the repressed townspeople by turning a simple seed of corn into a crop of colorful balloons. With an all-star cast including Rip Torn, Mara Wilson, and Laurie Metcalf, this movie is a sure winner with kids and their families alike!
August 3, 2007 |  | Every Kid Likes a Balloon |  |
This is a movie filled with magic, excitement and just plain fun. Kids of all ages love balloons, and who wouldn't love a balloon that you can grow in your back yard, one that can follow you around and make things happen, and one that can make life better for you and those around you.
January 31, 2006 | | Colorless and predictable | |
This movie is watchable.
Yet, despite the Disney DVD motto "Pure Digital Magic," this movie is strangely unmagical. First, to reflect the drought conditions of the plot, the film is all dull warm browns. This should create a stunning contrast with the colorful balloons, but it just didn't work for me. Then, the characters are written colorfully enough, but so blandly acted (except the over-the-top sheriff, the goofy bad guy neighbor, and the serenely competent Rip Torn as the balloon farmer) that they fail to bring the story to life. Even the expected Magical Moment, (when the girl discovers balloons growing in the farmer's field) is sadly pedestrian -- the music tells us it's magical and amazing, but it looks like a few dozen balloons in a field, with a child trying to look amazed. Then at the end (STOP reading if you don't want to know!), an aerial view of a truly amazing quantity of balloons is shot with the sunlight at such an angle that it washes out all the color.
It is a Disney show, so the story follows the standard formula: [Choose one: CHILD, children, young person/animal] with the help of supernatural [FARMER, nanny, animal, object] teaches stuffy, foolish looking [PARENT, authority figure] a valuable life lesson. That sums it up.
November 4, 2005I am 67 years old, so I guess that I am a child at heart. The cast was uniformally wonderful. I am a big fan of Mara Wilson, and all of the cast performed equally well. The movie is a fantasy, with it's basic moral that faith can do miracles. While, unfortunately this is not always true, in this movie it certainly provides a feel good ending. So, please, lose your disbelief and enjoy this movie.
July 16, 2001| | | Balloon Farm, a charming story | |
Like many fantasy stories, you have to have a suspension of disbelief to enjoy it. I thought the cast did a good job. Perhaps other reviewers shouldn't have watched it many times if they didn't like it the first time. I have watched it many times and still enjoy it. I enjoy most Disney films and am a fan of Mara Wilson.
I thought the concept was well executed. I didn't expect that the balloons' contents would be what they were. I thought all of the characters gave fine performances, that includes the balloons as well.
If you have never believed in magic or can't enjoy a fantasy, this is not the movie for you. If you can you will be thoroughly entertained. July 13, 2001
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Daily Birthdays
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