How Long Is “Fly Away”?

Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical director Janet Grillo revisits the subject of her breakthrough film with this sensitive drama about a single mother who must find the courage to enroll her autistic daughter in a therapeutic residential facility. From the moment Mandy was born, Jeanne (Beth Broderick) loved her unconditionally. But the older Mandy (Ashley Rickards) grew, the more challenging she became. These days, even a simple disturbance can set off an intense reaction in Mandy. Gone are the days when Mandy's eccentric behavior was somewhat endearing; self-control has become a major issue, making it quite possible that she could harm either herself or her parents during one of her frequent outbursts. In the wake of a chance encounter with her warmhearted neighbor Tom (Greg Germann), Jeanne starts to think about romance again. As pressures mount at home and at work, however, the stressed-out single mom begins to push Tom away. Later, it begins to dawn on Jeanne that clinging to Mandy may be doing both mother and daughter more harm than good. When the opportunity arises for Mandy to move to a facility where professionals will be available to care for her around the clock, Jeanne contends with the painful decision to finally admit that the best thing for both of them is to finally let go.