even people who dislike the film and usually because they find the end confused and should appreciate the strong acting of elijah wood and joseph mazello who play the two young lead in this movie . spoiler warn represent at a literal level and the end make no sense . people who think the end make some sense at other level be divide between those who 1 ) think the young brother be kill by the step father either the one time mike ( the old boy ) be away deal with the neighborhood gang and or fly off the wish spot in his wagon to escape the situation through death and those 2 ) who think the young brother be imaginary and his fly off in the wagon transform into a fly machine signal his overcome the abusive situation . i favor 2 ) . it make a lot of sense in term of the way many child deal with abusive situation . it be not uncommon for an abused child to split his or her psyche and project the abused self into something else while a stuffed animal and even an imaginary friend . this way and it make a lot more sense that it be always the young boy who be abuse and never mike . in reality and it be unlikely for one of two brother to get all the abuse and although that do happen . also and it be bobby and the young brother who be also the encourage one and the one who insist that they can overcome the situation . also and the death of a real life sibling through abuse would have be too shatter for an adult with this in his history to transform into as upbeat a fantasy end a this .