If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

"Spoilers ahead!" I just saw this movie on Cable for the 1st time today. I was stunned. I had never heard of the "Avro Arrow". And I consider myself somewhat of a history buff.To think that they designed and built not only the Plane, but also the engine and a defense system is amazing. I saw at the end of the movie that it had done things that not even our F-18 could do today! The worst part was they were all destroyed. What a shame. Another case of a stupid moron politician getting in the way of progress. Anyway, just a terrific film. Strongly recommend. I wonder what happened to the one they flew off in. We may never find out. I'm glad I saw this film. Dan Akroyd is a very underrated actor.

in having a crack at the C.B.C. out of Windsor. I watch it all the time.*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***THE ARROW is based upon a story of which I was ignorant, no aviation expert, but it has inspired further study. Knowing something of Canadian history, I too find the anti-Progressive-Conservative angle in THE ARROW a bit much. They could have shown something of the Government point of view in the recession of 1958-9, and the serious doubts emerging about Canada's fiscal ability to build, deploy, and maintain such an armada. Also, the knock-out redhead engineeress played by Botsford does seem to find her way into a awful lot of prominent places in scenes, a function more of the gender of one of the co-producers than any weight of female contribution to the project. Ackroyd does fine work, but how close to Gordon that rendering is . . . cannot say. I agree with another writer that Eisenhower is not done well at all, and certainly the Canadian stable of actors could have provided a man better suited if less well known. I have it on decent authority that Chamberlin was not a quirky as depicted, and were he alive in 1997 he would be offended. Oh yes: the is NO WAY the Arrow could have reached the edge of space.All said, however, I found THE ARROW genuinely moving in places, and understand the mythic proportion it has come to occupy in Canadian history and that people's sense of national accomplishment as well as the bitterness from the airplane's cancellation in subsequent decades. It is good that someone put it on film.

It's a shame that most people in the USA aren't aware of this great film, or this chapter of history, as this TV mini-series produced by the CBC (like most Canadian programming) never made it to our screens. Seeing Dan Aykroyd in this dramatic role shows how good an actor he really is, and that is more than his Saturday Night Live persona.The DVD is chock-a-block with the 3 hour film, the documentaries 'There Never was an Arrow', 'The Legend of the Arrow', 'The Plane Truth', a Dan Aykroyd interview, photo and magazine gallery, and the pilot training manual!My advise to other Americans: search for this gem and buy it!

Few movies are made of the aviation industry. Of course, the most popular, Top Gun was a fictional movie about the glory of flying. This movie, based on a true story, was amazing. First viewed it on CBC in December of 1997. I bought the movie direct from CBC I was so impressed. Dan Akroyd plays an executive with the "right stuff" to make Canada's Avro corporation a success. Character development was fabulous as you see how his professional and personal life affect each other. A few fictitious characters are introduced to help add depth. For example, one of the lead engineers is a female developed in this movie to represent all females who contributed to the Arrow's success. It is a true representation of the actual events. Political influence from the government in Canada's business sector. Governmental influence of the United States and Europe on Canada. The fight for political power within Canada. And the struggle for air superiority in the 1950's. It also is a very real portrayal of the challenges of producing an aircraft. The engineering team includes all facets of design. The unrealistic expectations and design specifications. But most importantly the dedication of the employees to make Canada a great country and respected in the political and economical arenas. This movie is a long, detailed drama that starts slow and keeps rolling down hill. I recommend that those with any interest in the aforementioned items, it is worth the time for your viewing pleasure and historical knowledge.