Boyhood

***Boyhood*** is a 2014 American epic coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Richard Linklater, and starring Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, and Ethan Hawke. Filmed from 2002 to 2013, Boyhood depicts the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr. (Coltrane) from ages six to eighteen as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents (Arquette and Hawke). Richard Linklater's daughter Lorelei plays Mason's sister, Samantha.

## Plot

A 12-year story of Mason the Younger, and his sister, Samantha lived a rough life with their mother, Olivia, divorced with their father, Mason. Mason is always giving them advice about living a simple life when they were hanging out on the weekends. In their American-life journey, Mason Jr. must face the reality that his parents will never be together, started when his parents chose to marry again with other persons, and he must try to focus chasing his own career and achieving his dreams, step-by-step, even when the conditions are awful and full of ugly truths.

## Why It Rocks

1. It stands out from other coming-of-age films since it was filmed in a unique way; **being filmed in a span of 12 years**. This is because the director wanted to see the actors grow up on set so he can incorporate changes he saw in every actor in the script. He even allowed the actors to participate in the writing process by adding life experiences into their characters' stories.
	* Plus, the film is sort of based on Ellar's actual childhood.
2. The acting is surprisingly incredible, especially Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and Ellar Coltrane, considering the fact the latter had no previous acting experience.
3. The premise may sound boring to some, but it is executed in a very interesting way and is nice to watch.
4. The film manages to capture the mundane rhythms of life perfectly, and it's also shockingly realistic to watch.
	* It also conveys how an individual can come of age and mature before time by witnessing too many emotionally painful events and constantly being on the move.
5. It's very easy to relate with Mason and his family, as we get to see him grow up, reminding us of our own childhood. We get to see his everyday life, his parents' lives, even when they're fighting, we still get to relate to them. From sibling problems to parent problems, it's still very relatable.
6. There are even some funny moments, such as when Tommy shows Mason a porn magazine.
7. The lack of melodrama in the film is one of its crowning achievements.
8. Its soundtrack is very appealing and fitting for the film's tone.
9. It was shot entirely in the film's setting of Texas.
10. The following cast members such as Ellar Coltrane (Mason Evans Jr.), Ethan Hawke (Mason Evans Sr.), Marco Perella (Bill Welbrock), Charlie Sexton (Jimmy), and Bill Wise (Steve Evans) are Texas natives while Lorelei Linklater (Samantha Evans), Libby Villari (Catherine), and Brad Hawkins (Jim) were raised there.

## Bad Qualities

1. Mason's sister, Samantha, isn't really likable in the first act, as she's shown to be a brat at times, such as when she throws a pillow at Mason and fake cries when their mother comes in the room.
2. The scene where Mason in the 8th grade, is seen drinking beer with his friends.

## Reception

Upon release, the film received universal acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97%, based on 301 reviews, with an average rating of 9.2/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Epic in technical scale but breathlessly intimate in narrative scope, Boyhood is a sprawling investigation of the human condition." On Metacritic, the film has a perfect score of **100 out of 100**, based on 50 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". It's one of the 8 movies to achieve the score, alongside *The Godfather*, *Citizen Kane*, *Rear Window*, *Casablanca, Three Colors: Red, Vertigo, and Notorious*. It's currently the most recent film to achieve the score. It was also nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Arquette; five BAFTA awards, winning for Best Director and Best Film; and six Academy Awards, winning Best Supporting Actress for Arquette. It has been considered one of the best films of the 2010s, the 21st century, 2014 and is often featured in listings of the greatest films ever made.

## Trivia

* This movie is rated R mainly due to profanity, sexual references, teen drugs and alcohol use. It would be rated PG-13 if it weren't for profanity.
* The film's production began in May 2002 and was finished in August 2013, with Linklater's goal to make a film about growing up. The project began without a completed script, with only basic plot points and the ending written initially. Linklater developed the script throughout production, writing the next year's portion of the film after rewatching the previous year's footage. He incorporated changes he saw in each actor into the script, while also allowing all major actors to participate in the writing process by incorporating their life experiences into their characters' stories.