It gets irritating when seeing movies where the casting just doesn’t fit. For any number of reasons the casting department may find fault in casting actors meant to be family members, miscast an older or younger version of another character, or completely fail in casting an actor who’s supposed to resemble a real person. Richard Linklater took most of those factors out of the equation when he created Boyhood. Boyhood debuted at film festivals in 2014, and it was literally unlike anything audiences had ever seen. Filmed over the course of twelve years, Linklater’s film features all of the principle characters played by the same actors throughout the entire duration.
As a story: Boyhood is about a boy named Mason and his upbringing from childhood to young adulthood.
As a story: Boyhood is about a boy named Mason and his upbringing from childhood to young adulthood. As a concept: Boyhood is a ground breaking project that Richard Linklater pioneered, one of which more than likely won’t be equaled in its execution any time soon. Mason is played by Ellar Coltrane, who began filming with Linklater as a young boy of seven, ending as young man of nineteen. His parents played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, Hawke who has since become very sought after, were also there with Coltrane and Linklater from the beginning of this ambitious endeavor.
The plot of this movie is dictated by real world time. Linklater’s vision would have the movie film in parts once a year, assembling everyone back together to shoot their scenes when the time came. Interestingly enough, out of the years it took to shoot, it was said to have only been about forty-five days of shooting. The style of shooting is fairly consistent from start to finish, the editing having been a challenge as technology evolved over the shooting period. This was likely done with intention on Linklater’s part so as to keep with continuity. The performance highlights are obviously granted to Hawke and Arquette. Both of them are the most authentic, raw, and believable in every scene. Coltrane’s skill progresses as the years literally pass by, again, this to be expected having started production when he had little to no experience as an actor, or even, in life for that matter. There are flaws in this film, as it’s not perfect by any stretch, but the approach in which Richard Linklater brought this story to life is what makes it such an interesting movie experience.
There’s something to be said in the methodology of making this film, the idea itself, and the will to have seen it through. There’s a lot wrong with it even, but frankly, this isn’t the type of movie to pick apart so callously. Mainly because nothing like this may ever be done again, much less even attempted. What Richard Linklater did was revolutionary as a director, so he deserves every ounce of credit he’s received thus far. Due to that, it should definitely be seen. Amazon Prime Video is currently its subscription home, but it’s available for rent and purchase across multiple platforms.
