What’s this then? Richard Linklater’s new film, Boyhood.
Oh yeah, I’ve heard lots of talk about this one. Why’s it so special? Well, have you seen Linklater’s Before trilogy?
**Er, yeah of course. Well, I sort of dozed off halfway through Before Sunset one time… **Yep, they’re not for everybody but they’re the sort of thing you should definitely have seen at some point if you’re even thinking about entering a conversation about arty films.
Alright, alright I’ll head down to Blockbuster and rent them out (lol). So what’s his new film? Boyhood was filmed over a couple of weeks every year between 2002-2013. It’s about the life of an average American kid called Mason, who we first meet at age six.
Woah, That’s a big project to take on. Yes sir. In fact, it was initially called 12 Years, but after 12 Years A Slave was released Linklater obviously had to change the title.
Probably a good idea. Was making it worth all that effort? Yeah, definitely. Using one actor to play each role means you witness an honest physical portrayal of ‘coming of age’. This also meant that Linklater was able to make really relevant, on-point references to the time period throughout the film. That noughties nostalgia is really nice to see – think boho skirts, Harry Potter obsessions and emo kids. Pretty sure we spotted a Baby G watch, too.
Cool! So tell me more about the storyline? It’s one of those films that doesn’t really have a plot with a black and white beginning, middle and end – it’s more about the subtle detail in each character’s evolvement and the typical everyday events that change them. Things like divorce, moving house, having to deal with financial problems – there’s a really poignant scene where a young Mason’s stepfather forces him to get his long hair shaved off and you remember how invasive and infuriating it felt to have that control taken away from you as a kid.
Preach! So who’s in it? Ellar Coltrane plays Mason – he’s not been in many films yet, but his performance in this is bound to get him loads of attention. Patricia Arquette plays Mason’s mother and Linklater’s old friend Ethan Hawke is her ex-husband and Mason’s father. Also, Richard Linklater cast his daughter Lorelei as Samantha – Mason’s older, dramatic sister.
So what are other people saying about it? ‘It's lovingly assembled and acted with such grace and ease that it scarcely looks like acting at all. Midway through the film, I found myself wondering whether I'd ever seen anything remotely resembling it before. Except that of course I have; we all have. Simply look at your own family; it's happening all over. People screw up and make good. They grow bum-fluff beards and fall in love and there's never any resolution, just more full-speed forward motion.’ Xan Brooks, The Guardian
What are we saying? Boyhood shows that ‘coming of age’ is a constant as you witness Mason and all the other characters growing up. You even see a change in the builder you meet only briefly. There are loads of reasons to go see the film – the acting is faultless and the ending, although a tad cheesy in our opinion, did make us feel happy for the rest of the day. And having been a teenager in the noughties, it makes it feel all the more special.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.