Richard Linklater’s sprawling 2 hour and 45 minute magnum opus details 12 years in the life of a family, and principally that of a young male lead, Mason (Ellar Coltrane), a six year old boy when our drama begins. Mason is like many juveniles. He happens to live in Texas in a typical town like many others. He has a sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater, the director’s daughter) who is older by one year and a Mom played by Patricia Arquette. Olivia is a divorced single parent. A struggling working class woman, Olivia is raising her children the best way she knows how. We see Mom’s choices revolve around her family at the expense of being able to go out and have fun. Mason does have an absentee father, Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke). He doesn’t appear right away but then shows up rather unexpectedly one day to take the kids bowling. Once he is introduced to the audience, his presence becomes a bit more familiar. Given the narrative breadth, Boyhood could have just as easily been called Motherhood, Fatherhood or simply Childhood.
As the story progresses, the principals grow older. In most movies this would involve casting different people to represent the kids at various stages as they got older. Makeup would probably be used to age the adults. Instead, Boyhood was actually filmed over the course of 12 years so as the characters mature, so do the actors. It’s a fascinating development that infuses the tale with an allure not found in the way a traditional picture is shot over a few months. Richard Linklater not only utilizes the appearance of his performers to inform the passage of time, but also little cultural touchstones in each era. These present the minutiae that makes up our everyday lives. Mason ogles the women in the underwear section of a department store catalogue, is annoyed by his sister’s rendition of “Oops! I Did It Again” by Britney Spears, and attends a book release party for the latest Harry Potter novel. These non-events are what compose a life. Individually they mean very little, but added together they represent the sum total of an existence.
Boyhood has an astounding level of characterization. The depiction of the four principals is deceptively simple. Yet it isn’t until after you contemplate the full scope of the chronicle that you fully comprehend the complexity of the portrait. The production was shot over 39 days beginning in the summer of 2002 and completed in October 2013. Mason gets taller, his voice deepens. His personality matures before our very eyes. But even more than the physical changes is the emotional evolution of a life. Linklater isn’t content to merely gives us Mason’s reality. Mom Olivia has a compelling dramatic arc as well. Incidentally, Patricia Arquette is extraordinary. This is the single greatest performance of her career. She registers fear, pain, sorrow and joy with absolute veracity. At different points, her depiction details two marriages to men of questionable character. A scene where her husband Bill interrogates the kids about their mother’s whereabouts is chilling but it gets increasingly intense when he starts checking their cell phones for calling history. Conversely there are moments that are quite moving as well. An offhand comment by Olivia to a handyman replacing their home’s water pipes will have major repercussions later. All of these vignettes immediately make an impression but they must meditate in the mind well after the saga is over. The drama advances organically and the actors perform naturally. Rarely has an individual’s developmental transitions been dramatized so imaginatively on film. Boyhood is an outstanding achievement and a magnificent paean to the simple brilliance of the human experience.
31 Responses
Great review! I was so disappointed this wasn’t showing near me. Can’t wait to finally check it out.
The slow roll-out of this film has been a bone of contention for me. I understand the marketing strategy, but it gets frustrating when Transformers: Age of Extinction opens in 4,200+ theaters and Boyhood opens in 5.
Nice review! I had the opportunity to see this in Munich–the movie poster stared at me across from the hotel–and I passed. I wish I hadn’t.
Well how many times are you in Munich?! How fun. There will plenty of time to see Boyhood in the U.S.
🙂
I really wish this was playing near me. I’m dying to see it. I have one art theater nearby, and since this has only gotten one negative review that I know of, I’m very excited.
Also, with regard to the movie’s 12-year filming process, this will blow your mind: http://link.deadline.com/532b4917899249e1cc077cfd1otsy.jn1/U8lcAcPoDqwcqWybAe9c5
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It’s finally expanding to a lot more theaters this weekend, so look for it Friday.
Ooh yay!!
Lol. When you said “finally expanding,” I thought you meant to, like, Regal and Cinemark-type theaters. Apparently not. 🙂 I could go see Lucy this weekend instead, but seeing that this is the closest it’ll be playing to me, and god only knows how long it’ll stay this close, I’ll probably take a trip to see Boyhood. Thank you for letting me know of this. 🙂
It’s expanding to a significantly larger number of theaters than the week before. It hasn’t gone WIDE and I doubt it ever will.
It’s now playing at all the CineArts and Landmark theater chains where I live.
I’m going to a Landmark theater.
And you’re right, it’s definitely expanding. It started in 6 theaters, moved up to 33 theaters, and this weekend it’ll be in 77 theaters. By next weekend, it’ll be in 185 theaters. Of course, this is all assuming none of the theaters already playing it drops it.
Great review, Mark. Very intrigued about this one. And 5 stars! Wow.
Yup. Did you see RT? 99% Unless you’re Short Term 12, that rarely happens.
I know. Amazing!
Good review Mark. Absolutely loved this movie. As totally expected, considering that I’ve been waiting around for it ever since I first heard about its existence, way back when in the days of 2007, mind you. So yeah, it’s been a long wait, but it was oh so worth it!
Richard Linklater has really cemented his reputation as a visionary director with this film. The “Before” Trilogy, School of Rock, Dazed and Confused – He’s got an impressive filmography.
Nice review. I was blown away about how great Boyhood is. Really extraordinary film and I think this rivals Dazed and Confused as Linklater’s best.
I’ve always loved School of Rock but yeah, this is his best.
Just loved this film so much. You are right about Arquette. She is wonderful.
And the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress goes to…
Amazing piece of work! I really loved this. I thought the whole body of work was creative and true to life. Patricia will hopefully get nominated for an Oscar. However, all of the actors were great. She just stood out more. My favorite movie of the year, so far. 5 stars.
It’s too early to be talking Best Supporting Actress but I can’t imagine an Oscar race without her.
The wait gets more difficult every day and every stellar review I read of this movie! I really hope I enjoy it as much as everyone seems to be, it sounds like an absolute treat.
And I’ve always thought the idea of Hawke, Arquette, et al reconvening over a period of slightly more than a decade a fascinating prospect. That is a really cool, refreshing way to work, I’d imagine. This movie has got to reflect that
It’s extremely good, but reviewers have a tendency to over-sell a critical darling. Just treat it as the greatest movie of 2014. Kidding! (Sort of) 😉
That’s only slight exaggeration, i find, after just now seeing it this afternoon!
Wow. Wonderful film.
I absolutely loved this movie. The best movie I’ve seen all year.
Also, saw Snowpiercer yesterday. Loved that one too. Your two five-stars for this year (so far) are quite accurate. 🙂
Nice! Seems like we might have some overlap in our Top 10’s this December. 😉
I’ve already started working on mine. Under the Skin, which I took your recommendation on as well, is at #2.
Normally I’m not excited about watching films this long, however it seems that the complexity of this narrative requires it. It’s a grand experiment in filmmaking and I’ve been happy to hear that it was a risk that paid off for Linklater.
Yeah the way the narrative unfolds, you don’t notice the length. 3 hours is not the same for all movies (couth cough – Transformers: Age of Extinction).