Richard Linklater Has Been Anxiously Awaiting My Endorsement, So Here it Is

As an impressive achievement in filmmaking, Richard Linklater’s new film, “Boyhood,” succeeds tremendously. As a record of a boy and his family’s journey through twelve years of struggle and success, it succeeds even more so. Linklater’s film, made during a span of twelve years, using the same performers for the roles of the boy, his sister, his mother, and his birth father, impresses. As the boy, Mason, Ellar Coltrane delivers an excellent performance as the film seamlessly transitions from one year in the boy’s life, starting at the age of 6, to his first year in college at age 18. If you were unaware that the film was made over the course of twelve years, you may not even notice how smooth the transitions from one year of filming to the next transpire. “Boyhood” is not solely about Mason. The film also documents the struggles of Mason’s mother, played wonderfully by Patricia Arquette. We meet her as a late 20’s-ish college student who is a single mother to a woman who marries a jerk of an alcoholic college professor, to becoming a college professor herself.

As well, we watch as Mason’s birth father (Ethan Hawke) goes from an being aimless musician to an early 40’s year old man who eventually finds a steady career. Hawke’s character is a likeable one and a loving father, if a bit of a flake throughout a majority of the film. Lorelei Linklater, the director’s daughter, delivers a very good performance as Mason’s older sister, Samantha. Though her story is not the focus of the film, I was pleased that her character was not delegated to a background character, as would have been easy to do. One minor criticism of the film is that most of the men in Arquette’s life are assholes of one variety or the other. Of course, this part of the story structure allows the character of the mother to move from city to city, giving her and her son new life experiences. Still, the “jerk stepfather” trope is pretty tiresome and the audience has no choice but to dislike this guy, as well they should. The only “good guy” in her life is Mason’s father, however, it is only late in the film when he begins to display responsibility, likely added to his life by his second wife and a new child. Simply put, the men in “Boyhood” are not representative of what anyone wants to see in anybody. They are flawed beyond redemption of their sole volition. Though his character is a reprehensible ass, Marco Perella, delivers a great performance as the aforementioned college professor who marries Mason’s mother. There is nothing redeeming about this character at all, however, Perella portrays such a lack of redemption wonderfully. I really hated this guy, though, I kind of saw the direction of his storyline coming. I knew that less than halfway through the movie, Mason’s mother would not live happily ever after with that guy and that he would be exposed to be a jerk in some way or another. Maybe I just couldn’t relate to the instability of the mother character’s life since my parents have fortunately had a stable marriage for 45 years. I was just lucky. I understand that not all children are born of happy marriages and that single parenthood is almost as prevalent as two-parent family structures. My favorite scene in the film occurs near the end when, while the family is at lunch, a waiter reveals something to the mother. This scene made we smile quite widely. I wish there had been more scenes like this, however, the entire film as a whole, made me smile, especially after its satisfying conclusion which includes some gorgeous cinematography in Big Bend National Park.

“Boyhood” succeeds in many ways, most of which is by its seamless transitions through time as we watch these characters age twelve years. It is a true cinematic achievement, which should not be forgotten when Oscar nominations are announced. The film has a true “indie” feel, with its location shooting in Texas and New Mexico, lack of big-name actors with the exception of Arquette and Hawke (similar to Steven Soderbergh’s 2005 film, “Bubble,” which you should see soon), and its simple, yet compelling storytelling aided by a great script and great performances. Keep in mind that the film is 165 minutes. It does not feel like a long film, however, if you do not have the patience for long films, try to put aside those feelings for this film. You may also want to empty your bladder before the film begins, preferably before the Fathom Events trailers start up, if not a little before then. Mine is just one of many positive endorsements of "Boyhood," so if you are of a mind to wait until I have said so (as so many people are, of course) let it be known that Linklater's film is well worth your time, whether you are able to get to it at the theater or watch it when it is released on dvd or blu-ray.