Sky West and Crooked
Sky West and Crooked
| 31 August 1965 (USA)
Sky West and Crooked Trailers

A young, lonely, emotionally challenged teenage girl finds solace in burying dead animals after the sudden traumatic death of a childhood friend 10 years earlier.

Reviews
LouHomey From my favorite movies..
Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Allissa .Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
Leofwine_draca SKY WEST AND CROOKED is an engaging and long-forgotten little movie, the sole film directed by John Mills. His daughter Hayley stars in the lead role of a young girl disturbed by the childhood death of her best friend, and she gives an interesting, unusual performance here. She's at that awkward phrase, right at the cusp of adulthood (and unrecognisable in comparison to her all-grown-up role in 1968's TWISTED NERVE) but still resembling the Disney starlet of the early 1960s.This is a film of lyrical beauty, finely judged but perhaps too subtle for modern tastes. It's a film which mixes humour, psychological depth, and romance, and it features a matinée idol performance from a very youthful Ian McShane who also shines. Animal lovers will enjoy the film's handling of the more sensitive moments, while it also captures a rural slice of life in England in the 1960s, for all its good and bad sides. The likes of Laurence Naismith, Annette Crosbie, and in particular Geoffrey Bayldon are all very good in support.
richievee I did not much care for this film the first time I saw it, but a second viewing created a more favorable impression. The acting is very good all around, particularly from the talented Hayley Mills, who holds my attention at every moment that she is on screen. Ian McShane, too, is quite convincing as the young Gypsy man, Roibin. Also deserving of special praise is Geoffrey Bayldon as the vicar. For a change, it is nice to see a church pastor portrayed in a positive light. The direction (John Mills) is always acceptable and at times much more than that. The fleeing of Brydie White is nicely handled with swiftly moving camera and quick cuts. Close-ups are very effective indeed, especially of Brydie, Roibin, and Rev. Moss. I love the way Hayley Mills invests her character with tiny facial mannerisms that almost certainly were not in the script. For example, watch her while Brydie is recuperating in the wagon's bed. Her look of confusion when she wakes up, views her surroundings, and later tastes the hedgehog soup is so real and convincing! She is just a brilliant and captivating actress who is able to make her roles come to life in a believable way. Hayley is, of course, utterly beautiful throughout every frame of the film, and it is no wonder why the Gypsy would be so smitten by Brydie's charms. The acting of village children is rather a hit and miss proposition, sometimes quite good and often impossibly amateurish. Plaudits, too, for Brydie's lovable canine companion, "Dog," whose real name is "Hamlet." Be sure to see the image gallery, which is one of the DVD's bonus extras. It contains lots of black-and-white shots from behind the scenes. Several show Hayley Mills's father (director John Mills) and mother (writer Mary Hayley Bell) during the days of production. Not a perfect film, by any means, but if you liked the far superior "Whistle Down the Wind," you will probably find something to enjoy here as well.
mrs tracy jane delieu I was a young teen when I saw this film, I will never forget it. Now I have a family of my own & wish for them to see it. Fantastic film, a right heart puller! So full of learning! Gypsy way & Christian,.. but most of all Love, yes real Love. I remember being scared, climaxing between thrills & tears, laughter & fears! Brilliant all rounder, if only I could get hold of it for my family... ok for me!
oleander-3 I've seen every movie Hayley Mills was in (except for "The Truth About Spring"), from age 20 and under, and I like this one the best. You won't find this on video--it aired here on t.v. at about 3:00 am, and I was lucky to tape it. Just like anonymous from N.Y. said, you almost watch this movie more for the many interesting people than for the plot. The plot itself is pretty simple--Brydie White is a 17 year old girl who meets a gypsy named Roibin, and the two fall instantly in love, almost like their under a spell. However, it's the personalities that the characters are given that make this story different. Brydie is an innocent, somewhat simple girl, who's friends with all the children in the village. Hayley Mills was excellent in her portrayal of this lonely girl. Ian McShane did a good job as well, forever gazing about with those soulful eyes. The song sung at the beginning of the movie sets the right mood from the start. Another thing that I liked about "Gypsy Girl" was that throughout the movie Brydie and Roibin's love stayed innocent. If at all possible, try to track down this movie, or ask a local t.v. station to air it. It's a shame that such a beautiful film has only been seen by a few.