Paradise (1991)

Paradise is a bittersweet drama about a shy and lonely young boy and the couple whose lives he touches. While his father is mysteriously away, 10-year-old Willard is sent by his pregnant mother to spend his summer vacation with her best friend Lily in the small coastal Carolina town of Paradise. Lily is warm and tries to make Willard feel at home, but her husband, Ben, is less than welcoming to him and there is a strange coldness between the couple. Willard is befriended by an appealing tomboy named Billie, and the pair play gentle pranks and enjoy childhood adventures together. Before long the boy's charm begins to melt the icy Ben and we learn that the couple's estrangement began with the death of their three-year-old son several years before. Willard's presence helps reconcile them while he matures and faces his own fears and problems.
Modified Certification

  Animal Action

Poster for Paradise
Paradise
Release Date: September 18, 1991
Certification: Modified Certification

Wildlife, such as a squirrel, birds, deer, seagulls and other seabirds are seen in the natural setting of the seaside location. The wildlife footage was shot documentary-style at the South Carolina location of the film. Billie holds a frog in her hand briefly, and gently puts it back in the grass. Cows standing in their stalls in a barn add to the atmosphere as the mischievous Willard and Billie spy on two young lovers. When the two young pranksters drop earthworms from a tree above the mourners at a grave site funeral, both live and fake earthworms were used and the scene was edited. Fake worms were dropped from the tree, while the live worms were dropped from a short distance onto soft grass or other cushioned objects. Great care was taken that none of the insects were harmed in any way and the actors were instructed to be careful where they stepped. All of the earthworms were retrieved unharmed upon completion of the scene. For a scene that takes place on board a shrimp boat, purchased dead shrimp and dead fish were used with some live crabs which were piled on the ship’s deck. The actors sorted through the pile briefly and put the shrimp into a basket. When Ben baits a fishing line, he uses a lure, not live bait. The fish that Willard brings into the kitchen were purchased dead fish. A dog rummaging through overturned garbage is seen briefly in the headlights of Billie’s car. The dog was a privately owned pet and the car never came close to the dog.