Taglines: You don’t have to find out you’re dying to start living.
Clouds Movie Storyline. Seventeen-year-old Zach Sobiech is a fun-loving high school senior with raw musical talent. But a few weeks into his senior year, just after asking out his long-time crush, Zach’s world gets turned upside down when he finds out his cancer has spread, leaving him with a life expectancy of just six months.
With the limited time he has left, he and his best friend and writing partner, Sammy, decide to follow their dreams and finally make an album. Little do they know, they’ll soon become a viral music phenomenon. But with time running out, Zach is confronted with the reality that no matter how he spends his time, he is going to hurt the people he loves the most, including Amy, the love of his life.
As Zach’s health condition begins to worsen, he is left to make difficult decisions about how to spend his time and more importantly with whom. Ultimately, he discovers the best way to say goodbye is with music, and his hit song CLOUDS is born. With an unfiltered, heartbreaking, and beautiful look at the duality of life set to uplifting music, Zach’s inspiring story is a testament to what can happen when you start to live as if each day might be your last.
Clouds is a 2020 American biographical musical drama film directed and produced by Justin Baldoni and written by Kara Holden from a story by Holden, Patrick Kopka, and Casey La Scala. It is based upon the memoir Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom’s Small Prayer in a Big Way by Laura Sobiech.
The film stars Fin Argus, Sabrina Carpenter, Madison Iseman, Neve Campbell, Tom Everett Scott, and Lil Rel Howery, following the life of Zach Sobiech. Originally scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Disney took over the distribution rights and released the film on their streaming service Disney+ on October 16, 2020.
Principal photography began on October 19, 2019. Most of it was filmed in Baie-D’Urfé, Quebec, Canada and in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada. Part of it was filmed at Heritage Regional High School and neighbouring school École secondaire André-Laurendeau. Filming wrapped on November 27, 2019.
On May 14, 2020, it was announced Disney+ had taken over distribution rights to the film from Warner Bros., in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry. Clouds was released on October 16, 2020. A making-of documentary series entitled Beyond the Clouds was released from December 4, 2020 to January 29, 2021.
About the Story
In the fall of 2012, Zach Sobiech performs an acoustic rendition of “Sexy and I Know It” to an amused crowd at his school’s talent show. Zach has been struggling with osteosarcoma and has been receiving regular treatments for it. His best friend, Sammy Brown, conspires with him by helping him to write music (“Blueberries”).
Zach manages to ask out fellow student Amy Adamle for a picnic, but before he is able to do so, he begins to have a coughing fit that concerns his mother, Laura, who rushes him to the hospital. He has a collapsed lung and emergency surgery is performed on him. While they fix his lung, they learn that the treatments are no longer effective and his cancer is now terminal, giving him six to ten months to live. Zach tells Sammy and Amy about his diagnosis while he is inspired by his teacher, Milton Weaver, about what he is to do with the rest of his life.
In the winter of 2012, Zach and his family go to Lourdes, France, in Laura’s desperate attempt at Zach having some sort of miracle. Zach returns home to hang out with Sammy (“Coffee Cup”) and learns that she has bought tickets to a Jason Mraz concert. Zach decides to use the opportunity to ask Amy out to prom and she accepts (“I’m Yours”).
After having convulsions, Zach goes to Sammy’s house in the middle of the night demanding that they form a band. Both realize that they have romantic feelings for each other, but that they are incapable of having a full relationship. They continue to bond over songwriting (“Fix Me Up”) and Sammy posts their music on YouTube which earns them some fame. Despite this, Zach is certain that he will fail to achieve anything beyond the video. He is later given encouragement by Mr. Weaver.
Zach’s father, Rob, borrows a Nissan GT-R for him to drive and impress Amy with. While at her house, the two proceed to make out (“My Little Dancer”), but when Amy comments on his scars, Zach becomes despondent and tells her that he will never offer the things she wants from him and breaks up with her while leaving in a huff.
Laura confronts Rob over the decision to get a car for Zach and he breaks down admitting that he did it to make his son happy as he is unable to do anything about his eventual death. In the spring of 2013, Weaver reveals to Zach and Sammy that he showed their video to BMI and that they want to sign them. They head to New York City to sign their contracts, calling their band A Firm Handshake (“Ames”). On the flight back home, Zach suddenly has a moment of creative energy and writes the song “Clouds” and records it shortly afterwards, becoming a colossal hit.
Zach finally makes the time to apologize to Amy about his behavior and the two of them get back together. Zach speaks privately to his mother about how to handle his remains and his funeral, suggesting bagpipes be played. Sammy and the Sobiechs learn that Zach might not make it to prom.
With Zach having been given the opportunity to play at the Metro Theatre, they decide to combine the concert with prom, a graduation, and a fundraiser for osteosarcoma. The day arrives and despite Zach’s worsening condition, he decides to go perform anyway. Sammy begins the show by performing “How to Go to Confession” before Zach heads out to perform “Clouds”. Zach’s breathing begins to labor, but he is moved when the entire audience sings the song for him.
Clouds (2020)
Directed by: Justin Baldoni
Starring: Fin Argus, Sabrina Carpenter, Madison Iseman, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Everett Scott, Neve Campbell, Summer H. Howell, Vivien Endicott Douglas, Dylan Everett, Emily Baldoni
Screenplay by: Kara Holden
Production Design by: Michele Laliberte
Cinematography by: Ben Kutchins
Film Editing by: Brett M. Reed
Costume Design by: Rachel Sage Kunin, Simonetta Mariano
Art Direction by: Mathieu Giguère, Vincent Gingras-Liberali, Philippe Lord
Music by: Brian Tyler
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language.
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: October 16, 2020
Views: 114
