Boyhood (2014)

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Richard Linklater

Starring: Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, Ethan Hawke

Running time: 165 minutes

Boyhood tells the story of Mason Evans Jr., who grows up with his older sister Samantha and his divorced mother Olivia. When the movie starts, the boy is six, and we get to see the world through his eyes, as his mom tries to rebuild her life after her divorce, moving from one place to the other and one bad relationship to another trying to find a better deal for herself and her family.

The production of this 2014 coming-of-age drama started back in 2002. Scenes were shot every year in between, so we can see the characters age before our eyes without there being a need for excessive transformation through makeup. That kind of approach, though not very practical for filmmakers in general, really does give the whole story a big dose of reality. We see these kids grow up, and the fact that it is the same people playing the roles at different times in their lives helps the viewer relate so much more to the characters.

Richard Linklater, who wrote and directed this movie, needs to be commended for his work. Boyhood truly was a major undertaking, and, as the process of filming went along, he adapted the script to what his actors and actresses were going through in their own lives.

Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater and Ethan Hawke all offered solid performances in their respective roles. The filmmaker truly hit the jackpots with four actors and actresses that would age well and keep delivering on screen. When you are dealing with kids, it is not always easy. As a matter of facts, it can be tricky with artists in general.

I found that Boyhood ran a tad long and lost a bit of focus at certain points, but it was all brought to a solid closure in the end. This movie needs to be seen at least once in a lifetime, if not more.

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