Richard Linklater's New Film, BOYHOOD

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/30/14 at 9:25am

Even the trailer has my jaw on the floor. The man is a genius.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 6/30/14 at 9:27am

I'm eagerly awaiting this -- hope it's good.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/30/14 at 9:30am

My hope is that Patricia Arquette is so great in this that she wins every single award ever created and is then given an abundance of films to work on.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/30/14 at 9:46am

I'm really looking forward to this.

[Addison D.]

Posted: 7/2/14 at 11:22pm

BAM is screening 'Boyhood' at the Harvey, and there is a Q&A with Linklater and Ellar Coltrane--the young man who is the subject of the film--on July 12th.


'Boyhood' at BAM

[Luscious]

Posted: 7/11/14 at 10:30am

Saw the advance screening at BAM last night, introduced by Linklater and Coltrane. LOVED it! It's a very special movie. The best I've seen in a long time. Not without its flaws, but the few false notes that it hits are far outnumbered by the true ones. All things considered, it was a gamble that paid off in spades, and a fairly remarkable achievement. Do yourself a favor and see it. Highly recommend!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/11/14 at 3:32pm

I've been eagerly awaiting this release!

My hope is that Patricia Arquette is so great in this that she wins every single award ever created and is then given an abundance of films to work on.

Ditto every single word.

[GlitterandBeGay2]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 5:15am

Great interview here: bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048nqk7

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 11:31am

So we marched out like good little followers of Meta Critic and Rotten Tomatoes to see this yesterday at the Arclight Hollywood, and......

I'm utterly mystified by the unanimous raves for this movie by the professional critics. There are beats and performances to enjoy here, particularly those of the children cast in the roles of Mason Jr and his sister Samantha. And there is an innate fascination with watching a boy's face and body become that of a man that is captivating here. But the minute the adults around Mason Jr start speaking, I just felt like I wanted to leave the room. The parade of inappropriate (or downright terrifying) fathers that march through the story made me wonder at the miracle that young Mason would actually survive into adulthood at all. Had the brilliance of the concept been matched with a more invigorating and cliche-free screenplay, I too would have rewarded the movie with a 10. As is, it's hard to recommend even investing the 2 hours and 45 minutes it takes to wade through this particular boyhood.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 11:38am

I am here for the Patricia Arquette revival train.

They did a really good job choosing the boy. The shots of him much older he does look like a young Ethan Hawke.

"The parade of inappropriate (or downright terrifying) fathers that march through the story made me wonder at the miracle that young Mason would actually survive into adulthood at all."

Not that I can judge because I have not seen the movie but there are plenty of people who are well-adjusted adults who came from screwed up family situations.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 4:26pm

I saw it this morning and F*CKing LOVED it! I'm a massive fan of the Before trilogy, but I wasn't sure if this could live up to the critical hype Boyhood was getting. All of my expectations were completely surpassed.

It was very powerful to watch the two kids grow up, and the performances were excellent. I was involved during every phase of his life; like the Before films, there's so much to be found in the ordinary everyday.

I thought it was a beautiful achievement and the time lapse never felt like a gimmick.

SPOILER*************

The scene that got me sobbing was the one in the restaurant where the manager It's a Wonderful Life-d Patricia Arquette. It took me completely by surprise and I just lost it.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 4:33pm

Linklater just did a CBC interview where he talked about how, when making this movie, he initially was worried he wouldn't be able to direct the final scenes (he had it all mapped out from the start,) but he trusted that he would be able to by the time he had to make them. Anyway, the whole filming process sounded amazing. I can't wait to see this (Whizzer's review just makes me want to see it more.)

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 4:41pm

I wondered how much of it he had written from the start. Did he just have an idea of the story? Did he have specific scenes/stretches of dialogue written?

Another I loved were some of the long takes of two characters walking or driving around. There was one scene in the middle of the film where Mason was walking home from school and he ran into a girl in his class. The had a fairly lengthy conversation walking down a side street/alley without a single break. It was like filming live theater.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 5:50pm

In the interview, he said he had solid story points for each year--but otherwise he incorporated elements from his own life, or from the actor's lives. Only Ethan Hawke asked to see the elements from year to year, the other actors didn't want to (and Linklater thought that was a good thing.)

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 7/12/14 at 6:14pm

Whizzer-- I agree that the moment with the restaurant manager is the one scene that actually had me choke up. Afterwards that was one of the things that so puzzled me about the film-- why was the most emotional beat in the piece one with a very minor character? I wanted to be engaged emotionally with our 4 principals in equal measure and was surprised when the film failed to bring me there.

No argument about the performances of Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater being absolutely exceptional throughout the film. Watching them from beginning to end was a joy.

Updated On: 7/12/14 at 06:14 PM

[Luscious]

Posted: 7/14/14 at 10:05am

It's funny how things strike people differently. While I loved the movie and agree with most of Whizzer's assessment, one of the few scenes that struck me as false was the bit with the restaurant manager. To me, in a film this naturalistic and understated, it seemed unlikely and contrived. It just wasn't necessary. But it's a minor quibble. Overall, it's a lovely film. I'm looking forward to seeing it again tomorrow night.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 12:58am

We saw it tonight. We (the citizens of this planet) will not see a better American film this year.

I'm thinking there will be books written about this movie for years to come.

I have never seen either Hawke or Arquette give better performances.

[brdway411]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 1:30am

Looking forward to seeing this. Just saw a trailer for it. Looks amazing.

[Islander_fan]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 2:40am

Count me in as one who is looking forward to seeing it too. Interestingly enough I was reading an interview with Linklater. It was there he said that with regards to the writing he got a lot of input from the cast in order to make it seem more organic. And, that some of the scenes were written as late as the night before shooting happened.

[east side story]

Posted: 7/26/14 at 9:39am

Haven't seen the film yet, but I am so pleased to hear such glowing notices for Patricia Arquette. I have always been a fan of hers, and the closest she has ever come to true acclaim was winning an Emmy for the first season of Medium.

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 12:32am

Wow, what a phenomenal achievement, caught this tonight and 2:45 flew by like it was 80 minutes... I went to a 92Y event with Linklater and the boy, but it was before their opening at BAM, so most of the audience didn't really know what to ask, since we didn't see the movie yet. ;-(

I also lost it at the same point as Whizzer...

Was the crazy guy in the diner in Slacker or Waking Life? Seemed like a good opportunity for a callback...

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 12:44am

This is a great movie. I just laugh when I think about having a discussion with somebody who doesn't think so.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 1:23am

Linklater is 50 years too late with that idea. --Michael Apted

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 1:37am

We can't make a new movie if there is a previous movie with a similar idea?! Would we even need movie theaters if that were the case?

Not sure a 12-consecutive-year fictional movie and an every-7-years documentary are the same idea. I'm sure someone wrote about the passage of time before Apted...

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/29/14 at 1:55am

Only a stupid person would think those are the same idea. If anybody suggests it, laugh in their face.