The Bumblebee Flies Anyway
Encyclopedia
For the novel by Robert Cormier, see The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (novel)
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is a 1999 film starring Elijah Wood
, directed by Martin Duffy. It was based on the novel of the same name
by Robert Cormier
.
es.
Mazzo, another patient (Joseph Perrino
), asks Barney to play host for his visiting twin sister, Cassie. Barney immediately falls for Cassie (Rachael Leigh Cook
), and strives to get better, if only to be able to see her in a setting outside the hospital. He is determined to learn about his past so that he can make her a part of his future.
In his explorations, both inside his shattered memories and through the physical rooms of the hospital, Barney starts to realize that there was no car crash. Doctor Harriman (Janeane Garofalo
) induced amnesia in Barney to make him forget everything in his past. Barney demands to know why and Harriman tells him he has cancer
.
The experimental procedure that Barney is undergoing is attempting to test the power of the mind in fighting cancer. Barney had volunteered for the treatment, hoping for a miracle cure.
The theory was that if Barney didn’t know he had cancer, the body might stop creating the cancer cells. The explanation Harriman gives comes from an old urban legend
that bumblebee
s are aerodynamically incapable of flying. Based on weight ratios to wing power and wind resistance, the bumblebee should be incapable of flight, yet, the theory says, the bumblebee doesn’t know that, so it flies anyway.
Torn between his hope for a cure and his desire to continue his budding relationship with Cassie, Barney is forced to choose whether to go through the amnesia procedure again or remain with the memories and knowledge he has thus far acquired.
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (novel)
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is a young adult novel by Robert Cormier. It was published in 1983.-Plot synopsis:This story stars teenaged Barney Snow. He’s a United States resident who is also part of "the Complex," an experimental facility where drugs are tested on children and teens with terminal...
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is a 1999 film starring Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood
Elijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
, directed by Martin Duffy. It was based on the novel of the same name
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (novel)
The Bumblebee Flies Anyway is a young adult novel by Robert Cormier. It was published in 1983.-Plot synopsis:This story stars teenaged Barney Snow. He’s a United States resident who is also part of "the Complex," an experimental facility where drugs are tested on children and teens with terminal...
by Robert Cormier
Robert Cormier
Robert Edmund Cormier was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged...
.
Plot
Barney Snow (Wood) wakes up in a hospital with no memory of why he is there. All he has is his name and some vague recollections of a car crash. He assumes that he is in the hospital for his amnesia and settles in to try to recover. He quickly realizes that all of the other residents of the youth clinic are all suffering from terminal illnessIllness
Illness is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist...
es.
Mazzo, another patient (Joseph Perrino
Joseph Perrino
Joe Perrino was born and raised in the Bronx, New York to Italian parents and began acting when a casting director for the film "Sleepers" saw Joe standing on a street corner and asked him to read for the film. After months of auditioning Joe won one of the lead roles of young Lorenzo "Shakes"...
), asks Barney to play host for his visiting twin sister, Cassie. Barney immediately falls for Cassie (Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
), and strives to get better, if only to be able to see her in a setting outside the hospital. He is determined to learn about his past so that he can make her a part of his future.
In his explorations, both inside his shattered memories and through the physical rooms of the hospital, Barney starts to realize that there was no car crash. Doctor Harriman (Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
) induced amnesia in Barney to make him forget everything in his past. Barney demands to know why and Harriman tells him he has cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
The experimental procedure that Barney is undergoing is attempting to test the power of the mind in fighting cancer. Barney had volunteered for the treatment, hoping for a miracle cure.
The theory was that if Barney didn’t know he had cancer, the body might stop creating the cancer cells. The explanation Harriman gives comes from an old urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that bumblebee
Bumblebee
A bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
s are aerodynamically incapable of flying. Based on weight ratios to wing power and wind resistance, the bumblebee should be incapable of flight, yet, the theory says, the bumblebee doesn’t know that, so it flies anyway.
Torn between his hope for a cure and his desire to continue his budding relationship with Cassie, Barney is forced to choose whether to go through the amnesia procedure again or remain with the memories and knowledge he has thus far acquired.
Cast
- Elijah WoodElijah WoodElijah Jordan Wood is an American actor. He made his film debut with a minor part in Back to the Future Part II , then landed a succession of larger roles that made him a critically acclaimed child actor by age 9. He is best known for his high-profile role as Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's...
- Barney Snow - Janeane GarofaloJaneane GarofaloJaneane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
- Dr. Harriman/Handyman - Rachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
- Cassie - George O. Gore IIGeorge O. Gore IIGeorge O. Gore II is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Michael Kyle, Jr. on the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids, and Gregory "G" Williams on the Fox police drama New York Undercover....
- Billy - Joseph PerrinoJoseph PerrinoJoe Perrino was born and raised in the Bronx, New York to Italian parents and began acting when a casting director for the film "Sleepers" saw Joe standing on a street corner and asked him to read for the film. After months of auditioning Joe won one of the lead roles of young Lorenzo "Shakes"...
- Mazzo/Berto - Roger ReesRoger ReesRoger Rees is a Welsh actor. He is best known to American audiences for playing the characters Robin Colcord on the American television sitcom show Cheers and Lord John Marbury on the American television drama The West Wing...
- Dr. Croft - Oni Faida Lampley - Nurse Bascam
- Jeffrey Force - Allie Roon
- Christopher Mark Petrizzo - Chris Ronson
- Samuel Haft - Samuel Ronson
- John E. Mack - Willy/Orderly
- Matthew Cavallary - Young Barney Snow
- David FranceDavid FranceDavid Harry France is an author, football historian and philanthropist. Throughout the past decade, he has been the driving force behind numerous initiatives related to Everton Football Club including Gwladys Street’s Hall of Fame, the Everton Former-Players’ Foundation, the Founding Fathers of...
- Richard Snow - Joan Levy - Woman in Suburbs
Trivia
- Billy mentions calling a radio station to request an obscene song named "Lick My Love Pump". This refers to a song in the 1984 mockumentaryMockumentaryA mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
This Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal TapThis Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
. - In the novel upon which the movie was based, Janeane GarofaloJaneane GarofaloJaneane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
's character, "The Handyman", is a man. - The tag line of the novel was "Time and death fight the sweet sharpness of life, but dream a little and the human spirit will fly free and victorious."