I suppose grass is always greener. The images we have of Scotland is that of Castles and beautiful Mountains, with breath-taking scenery.
Some films are so brilliant that they truly stand the test of time. American Flyer is not one of those movies, for it's totally an Eighties time capsule. The mid eighties was a very dark period in the country and Hollywood responded with film and television that was very polished, colorful and squeaky clean.
The Fall of 1985 produced some of the best films of the decade,(Out of Africa, Color Purple, Witness, Prizzi Honor), but the Summer of that year was a wasteland, for Rambo and Rocky ruled the box office. I remember enjoying American Flyer when it was released, for it was a welcome escape from the Stallone mania.