Come Away Home (2005)

On the precipice of her twelfth summer, Annie Lamm's ecstatic anticipation of a season filled with parties, boys, and freedom is abruptly shattered. Her parents, swept up in the romantic whirlwind of their second honeymoon, decide to ship her off to the sun-drenched Hilton Head Island, a place she hardly knows. Worse still, she is to spend her half-cherished summer with her septuagenarian grandfather, Donald, an enigma to her. Donald's dwelling, marketed as a 'beachside beauty', unveils itself as a dilapidated shelter, teeming with dust-cloaked trinkets and decaying newspapers. Grandpa Donald's eccentric existence, punctuated by crosswords, naps, and the company of Barney - his storytelling comrade, is far from Annie's idea of summer bliss. His home, devoid of modern comforts like a TV or computer, boasts a swimming pool transformed into a murky turtle habitat. Caught in the web of her grandpa's flamboyant tales of snake-slaying adventures, spectral patriot raiders, and unlikely encounters with icons like Mickey Mantle and Elvis Presley, Annie yearns for escape. She sees a glimmer of hope in Grandpa Donald's neglected fishing skiff, a potential vessel to her freedom. She dreams of navigating it to the Greyhound station, and back to her vibrant life in New York. Donald, aware of his granddaughter's discontent, strives to bridge the generational divide, but Annie remains aloof. The question that plagues her is whether this man, a relic of a bygone era, could ever rival the excitement her friends and city life offer. Annie's plan to escape the island, initially born out of desperation, morphs into a transformative journey. What begins as a seemingly doomed summer evolves into a poignant tale of self-discovery, bonding, and timeless memories. The summer that was destined to be a disaster becomes an unforgettable season, etched in the hearts of Annie, her family, and her unexpected new friends.

Come Away Home is a family movie featuring Paul Dooley.

Come Away Home is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Peacock, Peacock Premium, Plex, Plex Player, The Roku Channel and Tubi TV and it's also available on Amazon Prime Video and DIRECTV.

It is also possible to buy Come Away Home on Amazon Video.