The Dust Factory (Eric Small, 2004) is an interesting fantasy film with a genuinely peculiar, unsettling middle section. Ryan Kelley is engaging, playing a young boy who gives up talking after a series of family tragedies. 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.Panetterie is more conventional and less ethereal than Annasophia Robb's similar character in Bridge to Terabithia, while the film itself is somewhat less coherent and affecting. The characters' method of escape also doesn't seem that tricky (surely they should return to Earth if they're caught, not if they fall?), while the lure of the Dust Factory itself is somewhat dubious. But the acting is good and the friendship at the heart of the movie works really nicely. Kudos too to director Eric Small for making the material in the big top so formidably odd.

Like any fable or story, when it speaks to you and to your experiences, it will move you. There are many wonderful little moments that did that for me. Often, we are searching and longing and confused throughout our lives, but we kind of grasp profound things like eternity, love, joy and living. We kind of remember something, and feel like there is something to do, or something we forgot to do. Or sometimes we are prompted to something by someone or some story coming along at a good time for us. 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. There's lots of heart string tugging, and obvious emotional grabbers, but I'm okay with that considering the perspective of the lead characters. 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.

I thought this movie was very good. It is kind of like a movie about choices and also about faith. It kept saying that we need faith in order to make the choices that could change the lives of a lot of other people. Also the way Hayden's character didn't know what to do while she was in the Dust Factory. I must say that this movie was very inspirational and it helped me figure out a lot of things in my life. The people who say this movie is lame or boring or stupid for any reason don't know what good movies are. Just because it doesn't have exploding cars or big romantic love scenes doesn't mean it is a stupid movie. For being a family film it was sure sweet and had a very deep meaning. I really enjoy movies that I have to watch more than once to understand the meaning. I just have to conclude by saying that although not my favorite movie it is sure up there on the top ten list.

Well, like I said. This movie is the most dreadful movie known to man-kind. The movie jumped around and left you confused. The plot was forced, and barely ever made sense. The acting was horrible. No real emotions whatsoever. Everything seemed forced. Whoever directed this movie should NEVER get to direct again. Because if his/her movies are anything like this one, they should be put to shame and kicked out of Hollywood. If you go a lifetime without seeing this movie, it will probably be the best thing that happens to you.