Boyhood is a
great coming of age film and I am going on the record to say that in a few
years time it will come to be known, with the right publicity, as one of the
great coming of age films. At this particular point the film is not well
received by some members of the general public because of its length and the
almost ordinary moments that seem so insignificant. These criticisms aside it is
well made from a technical point of view with a real world quality that
shatters the more fantastical approaches to the subject. American Graffiti could be considered a counter point to this film.
It is more fantastic and hilarious because so much is concentrated in such a
short time but in the end it still achieved something towards the end and this
is because, in its own way, it was also a coming of age story. Regardless a film like this makes it clear
why critics are important to place things in perspective for those who might
not be aware of what’s going on.
This film, written and directed by Richard Linklater, traces the growth of Mason (Ellar Coltrane)
from his early childhood days through to young adult years. Throughout the film
he encounters several individuals and situations that clearly shape his
character and attitude towards life. The
two most influential people are his mother (Patricia Arquette) and his father
(Ethan Hawke) but there are other influences and one can see how they shape the
youngster. This was filmed over a 12 year period by using the same actors and
the growth of the fictional child characters also reflect the growth of the
child actors that play the part.
Positives
The primary positive is that this film is one of the great
coming of age stories. This film ranks as highly as it’s more glossier
counterpoint American Graffiti. Boyhood
is less flashy and more subtle in its approach whereas American Graffiti is a glossy affair with references to several
cultural references in the form of familiar music, events and moments that were
representative of that time period and would have been easily identifiable to
many. The primary difference being that Boyhood
is more comprehensive in its approach by highlighting growth in the individuals
from childhood and how character develops. American
Graffiti was a coming of age story but there was not much character
development just recognition from the lead character about certain things. In that one night many fantasies were shattered by reality. Boyhood improves on this by showing how
a young adult has come into his own or becomes his own person.
The use of the same child actors over a 12 year period was
crucial for the structure of the film particularly as the child actors, Ellar
Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater as Samantha, are able to stay in character. The
amount of depth here is astonishing. Yes the parents remain the same and we see
how Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette change but watching those child actors
stay in character for such a long period is quite impressive. I was drawn in to
the story rather than put off by what many would consider the mundane. The
growth of the two children, particularly Mason, makes sense within the context
of the film. It does not seem botched or scripted, although it is. Other films
don’t always account for growth in such detail. There are normally some cuts
from childhood to boyhood in most films. I used to grow up watching The Sandlot and in that film you are
asked to accept that this is the direction the several characters took when
they left the sandlot. We were supposed to gleam that from how they acted as
teenagers. Boyhood is the
quintessential coming of age film because the structure it uses clearly
transmits the idea of growth in an individual and the use of the same actors
from their early childhood days was very important. It clearly had some bearing
on how Mason grows into the role and makes it his own. One wonders how much
actor’s intuition there was on Coltrane’s part particularly as he literally
grew up in the role. I also wonder how much of him we are seeing in the role as
well. The same would go for Linklater and her character. There has not been
other coming of age films with this sort of approach and the world of film will
be the better for it because there are not many filmmakers that will be willing
to wait 12 years to watch child actors grow into a role. This film should be
commended for its approach.
One of the main criticisms of this film is the ordinariness
of the context. According to this kind of criticism it would seem that the film
has nothing to say apart from watching a boy growing up. This is false and
superficial criticism. There are many themes in this film that relate to a
coming of age story. It is clear that a film like this really needs the critics
to elaborate on the many themes involved so that people will not continue to
assume, needlessly, that the film does not have much to say. There are many
themes that are addressed in this film related to growing. Firstly, there is
the alienation felt by Mason that leads to his particular personality traits.
His sense of alienation comes about because he and his sister, Samantha, are
never allowed to concentrate in one area because their mother is always on the
move. Whereas Samantha consistently challenges the constant upheaval that comes
with moving Mason retreats and takes everything as it comes. He becomes used to
the situation by isolating himself and not getting too caught up with emotional
attachments. One of his more meaningful attachments, his first main squeeze,
betrays him although she gave him an opportunity to reach out. His sense of
alienation is reflected externally when he is criticized for being lazy or
disinterested and negative or cynical in his outlook. His alienated being also makes him into a
drifter that can be adaptable because he remains so isolated or things don’t
seem to make much of an impression. We do see that there are times when he does
act sentimental but he comes to acknowledge the moments or living in the here
and now because his life was comprised primarily of such moments where nothing
really hardened or became too fixed. Mason’s sense of alienation is something I
can relate to hence why it was immediately identifiable. Samantha, on the other
hand, keeps in step with the times and always tries to maintain some sense of
identity through her peers.
Another important theme is the sense of transition from the
old to the new. The theme itself might be corny but this would explain how the
lives of the parents contrast with the bloom of life in the more youthful
individuals. One can see how the youth eventually embody something quite
different to the dictates of their parents. The
parents and other supporting characters
also reveal the limits that come to define us in the long run. It seems that
most adults reach this limit where they cannot push beyond in any significant
measure. If they do push beyond it they end up looking like caricatures of
themselves in some cases. They become caricatures of themselves because they
cannot grapple with the possibility that they have reached a peak which can
only be followed by decline. You end up doing one thing or acting a particular
way that comes to define you. Even though you may attempt to be diverse your
approach to certain things does not change and you become static or your core
becomes so hardened that change can only take place in superficial ways such as
lashing out angrily or getting drunk. The mother, for instance, always makes
bad choices when it comes to husbands. The father, likewise, is a glorified
deadbeat whose impact always remains peripheral despite his attempts to dazzle
his children. In contrast to the adults Mason’s growth seems more fluid but we
also tend to see the elements that will eventually characterize him as an
adult. His sense of being alienated has made him very observant, hence his love
for photography, but he can be antisocial and soft at the core which can make him
very susceptible to external influences or dismissive of them in order to
preserve his individuality. The perception that he can be susceptible is the
question that comes up, from time to time, regarding his sexuality especially
as he is so soft at the core shielded by his individuality. This also reflects
the mood in America at the time regarding the gay marriage debate and the
amount of celebrities that came out of the closet.
There are other important themes but the last one I will
mention here is the element of control. The growth of Mason and his sense of
alienation corresponds with what could be considered the attempts to control
him and his fluid or malleable state of being. In such instances the adults
seem to be individuals clinging to a system that is no longer workable and this
becomes more apparent as the children grow older. It seems like an old system
in such superficial moments such as a church ceremony but the core of growing
up still remains the same. You will reach your limits and you will eventually
become hardened or boxed in. In your youth you’re softer and more flexible. The
adults come across as desperate to preserve their little worlds or the dignity
of those worlds. The mother might make bad choices when it comes to her various
husbands but one can discern her need to prosper and be settled. She also
drifts but eventually comes to the conclusion that things you represent get
smaller the older you get or are perceived to be smaller because you have to
let go of all that you accumulated. The children eventually outgrow you as they
begin their own quest for expansion on the back of your accumulated labour. One
must learn to let go and make do with the fact that time has changed. This
applies to most of the adults in the film although the father is conscious of
how time has passed by and revels in his own decline whereas the mother tries
to come to terms with her limitations or the limits of her expansion. Coming to
terms with your limits means that you will have to relinquish control to those
about to move beyond them. When Mason opens up for the first time as teenager
for the first time in the film it is important to note that he refers to the
element of control.
I like the many historical elements that people will find
relatable. It’s not just a recollection because it shows how these external
forces give some sense of perspective to our upbringing. At one point we were
so much into Harry potter before we moved on to smoking wed and getting
liquored up or even partaking in political campaign.
Great supporting cast and great writing
Negatives
The primary negative has been repeated a lot: the
ordinariness of the film. The primary issue with the ordinariness of the film
is that most of the themes will be lost on some individuals whereas they are
normally made clear in other movies by some dramatic spectacle. The film relies
primarily on the passage of time to achieve its result. The ordinariness of the
film does make you a bit distracted while you’re watching and you don’t feel as
if you will miss much if you step away from the screen. You can relate to it
but you’re trying to understand what makes it so different from other films.
The flipside is that most coming of age films rely on the familiar but they
must achieve some breakthrough for it to be a coming of age film. You know that
you come of age when things that used to appear so big, initially, start to
appear small or even insignificant. All of these things are brought out in the
film but not with real impact apart from some moments of reflection. This is
why I felt a bit shortchanged by the end because I thought the film could have,
at least, continue until he graduated from college, assuming that he would
graduate from college. It makes you wonder how different all this is because
despite Mason’s growth as a character as an alienated individual he does follow
a pretty linear path and for all of his cynicism he does embrace the road laid
out for him by the requirements to join
society as a petty bourgeois. This is why, apart from a few reflections, we
could see if he eventually became a conformist trying to fit in as a adult or
if he assumed certain characteristics that made him truly stand out as an
individual. I understood his character and how it grows but most people won’t
get it and only see a rebellious teen or another teen fed up with the system
but eventually embraces it and becomes a grudging member.
This is why the influence of the external world could have
pointed to more reflections on his part. Did he ever get frustrated and smash
something? Was he always so cool and collected as a teenager? His character
seems to just roll along as we take in the decline of the adults that surround
him. He makes a few comments or just mopes around. Few teens are so calm and
collected and I am sure they are prone to moments of rage against adults.
Samantha does lash out and this is to the films credit but even if Mason did
not lash out at least we could get a sense that he was conscious of his
limitations as a person which is the mark of an adult that understands his
place in the world. The longer it takes individuals to acknowledge their limits
and failings the lengthier the coming of age process. I was not too sure then
if there was some sort of acknowledgement on Mason’s part. The adults mention
it but does Mason? If he does not acknowledge his limitations then the
conversation he has towards the end comes across as a means to preserve his
youth or living in the moment and disregarding your history on the basis of
aggressive expansion. The film may want to be stuck in that moment but I would
have loved to see how he did after college because his own character would
begin to make more of an impact in a social context especially as it concerned
his interest in photography because, if he finished college he would be
considered a professional instead of just merely talented.
In the end it is still a great coming of age film but it
needed more of an impact in some areas to truly drive home some of its points.
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