D.A.R.Y.L. The flight of the navigator. The boy who could fly. We had this stretch of movies in the 80s focused on the outcasts of society in the suburbs.

Yup, I identified with their protagonists.

The boy that could fly had Jay Underwood and Fred Savage. Jay was the titular character, a quiet loner with a power that the USA government wanted for itself. Fred Savage was the younger brother of Milly Michaelson, whose father had passed away before the movie begins. We follow all three, with a blooming romance between Jay and Milly, and Fred’s own troubles with bullies as his storyline.

It’s a teen drama with fantasy elements. Fred’s character is obsessed with GI Joe and whenever one broke, he buried it in the yard. His dog eventually is run over and everything collapses.

Since I had to deal with bullies in my own life and had a good amount of GI Joe’s, I felt identified. My brother noticed and showed me how to fix my own broken toys with cheap rubber bands.

Thrice’s ballad focuses on the romance aspect of the movie and it’s the highest point in the Air EP. Sweet, sorrowful, and lovely.

-Sam J Valdés López