Anybody that knows me knows that I have seen many movies in
my time. I have to say that Boyhood is
one of the most extraordinary movies I have ever seen. That being said, there are some flaws in the
movie that I will point out.
Boyhood is the story of the early life of a boy named Mason.
This movie takes place over twelve years, using the same actors for the whole
movie. Watching these actors grow up on
screen, particularly the kids, is one of the most emotional things I have ever
experienced in movies. Almost every
character has a story arc in this movie, which makes for wonderful
storytelling. However, I did find the
time jumps a little jarring. I would
have liked to see some kind of transition or caption like “Six Months Later”
instead of the typical cut.
Patricia Arquette plays the mother of the two children. She is a single mom that struggles with
working two jobs while also taking care of her children. It is very clear that she wants a better life
not only for herself, but for the kids as well.
It is also very evident that her track record with men is not that
great. This is also difficult on the
children because every time she leaves a man they end up moving, and it is hard
for the children to make any friends. Living
this kind of life is an emotional, and sometimes physical, struggle and she is
almost pushed to her limit several times.
Throughout all this, however, it was great to see her set a goal for
herself and achieve it. Patricia
Arquette is exceptional in the role. I
did not feel like I was watching an actress in this movie. I felt like I was watching a real human
being, which is one of the reasons Arquette deserved her Oscar.
Ellar Coltrane plays Mason.
Mason is generally a good kind who enjoys living life. Coltrane is very good in the role. He oozes coolness and confidence just like
any teenager. He also effectively conveys what an emotional struggle it is to
accept that his mother is moving on after a divorce, and that the men she dates
are not of the highest quality. It is great to see Mason find his passion in
life, and not care about anything else but that. He procrastinates with his schoolwork
sometimes, but it is only because he is so good at what he does that it does
not take much time for him to do it.
Lorelei Linklater plays Mason’s sister, Samantha. I was quite shocked at how little of this
movie revolves around her. I understand
that the movie is called Boyhood and the story is mainly about Mason, but it
would have been nice to see Samantha have a story as well instead of just
arguing with her brother. Her character
is almost a behind-the-scenes role.
Every other character in the movie has a story arc. Why not her?
Ethan Hawke plays the father of Mason and Samantha. He was
the first husband of Patricia Arquette’s character, and they got divorced. He shows up on weekends and during the
summer to see the kids. I like the fact
that you are not quite sure about him the first time you see him. You fear that he is going to abandon the kids
again, and actually what happens is that you see that he wants to become a
better person and a better father. It is
also great to see that Mason and Samantha get along with their father better
than the other men that their mother marries, especially considering that their
mother and father do not have the best relationship after the divorce at
first. However, as the movie progresses
they really develop a mutual respect for each other. Ethan Hawke is fantastic in the role. There is a certain mystery about his
character, but he also has a good heart and Hawke is so good at playing this
kind of character. This may go down as
Ethan Hawke’s best role of his career.
Richard Linklater is the director of Boyhood. In my opinion, there is a strong argument to
be made for Linklater winning the Best Director Oscar for this movie. I am not saying he should have won, I am just
saying there is an argument to be made.
Filming a movie over the course of twelve years is by no means an easy
task, and the journey these characters go on is truly epic to watch. This is an emotional story that shows the
struggles of this family, and you really feel like you are along for the ride
with them.
There is a quote from this movie that says, “You kind of
find your people in college.” This line
resonated with me for many reasons. For
many years, quite possibly most of my life, I felt like this lone movie
nerd. I felt like I was the only one in
the world who really had a passion for film and moviemaking information. Two years ago, I finally decided to go to
film school and pursue my dream. I found
my people. I felt welcome, and I did not
feel alone anymore. I am so happy that I
found my passion, because there is nothing I would rather do with my life. While I am not upset that Birdman won Best
Picture, I also would not have been upset if Boyhood would have won. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime
movie. If you do not mind Samantha’s
lack of story and the occasional plot hole (when exactly did the mother leave
her 2nd husband….or is it her 3rd?), I highly recommend
this movie.
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