X
- 2010
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 1 h 38 m
- 2010
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 1 h 38 m
Summary Imagine… John Lennon's childhood. Liverpool 1955: a smart and troubled fifteen year-old is hungry for experience. In a family full of secrets, two incredible women clash over John: Mimi, the buttoned-up Aunt who raised him, and Julia, the prodigal mother. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into the new and exciting world of rock...
Directed By: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Written By: Julia Baird, Matt Greenhalgh
- 2010
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 1 h 38 m
- 2010
- R
- The Weinstein Company
- 1 h 38 m
Nowhere Boy
67
7.3
Where to Watch
Summary Imagine… John Lennon's childhood. Liverpool 1955: a smart and troubled fifteen year-old is hungry for experience. In a family full of secrets, two incredible women clash over John: Mimi, the buttoned-up Aunt who raised him, and Julia, the prodigal mother. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into the new and exciting world of rock...
Directed By: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Written By: Julia Baird, Matt Greenhalgh
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
67
72% Positive
23 Reviews
23 Reviews
25% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
67
72% Positive
23 Reviews
23 Reviews
25% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
By the end of Nowhere Boy, you'll feel you know John Lennon better than you ever did.
It's strange enough to be raised by your aunt. For young John Lennon, things get stranger still when he finds himself dating his mother.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 68 User Ratings
7.3
79% Positive
54 Ratings
54 Ratings
19% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
1% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 68 User Ratings
7.3
79% Positive
54 Ratings
54 Ratings
19% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
1% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
John would be sure to remind us that that you have to be careful when you venture into idol-making. "Nor is their singing school but studying monuments of it's own magnificence..." So the director is careful here, too careful. It has its moments but this is kitchen room drama not "A Day In The Life."
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"Nowhere Boy" is a fascinating depiction of a driven boy troubled by familial divides. I must begin by saying that I love history, and I love historical dramas. I am able to set the factual history aside to enjoy dramatic stories. Many history lovers are not, but I am fine with a storyteller taking a person or event from history to lay it as the foundation of the movie and then tell a story. Having said that, I am not a fan or history buff of John Lennon or The Beatles, so I truly have no outside opinion when I walked in the theatre. The only fact I truly had at the beginning was the knowledge that the main character, John, would somehow get together with a couple of chaps named Paul and George (I actually did know that Ringo wasn't there at the beginning) to form what would become one of the greatest and most loved rock groups ever. The journey, which is made entirely out of relationships, is incredible. Kristin Scott Thomas' performance (Mimi) is perfection. At the beginning, one considers that her character will be a British, stiff-upper-lipped stock matriarch, but that presumptive viewer will soon be **** I was! It will be hard for a viewer to find fault with any of the performances. This is not a film to be passed over.
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Taylor-Wood stresses the universals rather than the specifics of John's youth. So don't go expecting a Fab Four origin story. The word Beatles is never uttered. But do go.
The baby-faced Thomas Sangster nearly steals the show in the much smaller role of Paul McCartney.
It's a tender, but sometimes untended, portrait of the artist as a young man-and occasionally as a young asshole-that's handsome, dutiful, and finally, a little dull.
Nowhere Boy is a surprisingly conventional film - adroit at weaving a time-and-place mood but way too rigid dramatically to bring the Lennon family dynamic to life.
Johnson is convincing as a swaggering, jokey Lennon, but the photos of young John, Paul and George that end the movie ultimately have more punch than this bubblegummy montage.
Not being a John Lennon fanatic but more of a casual fan of his, it was actor Aaron Johnson that brought me into Nowhere Boy, and I was right to be brought in - he hits this completely out of the ballpark. Lennon's upper teenage years are the focus, and we see the kind of home life Lennon had, and what shaped the man he would become as one of the biggest musical influences of all time. Johnson, a PNR Rising Star this year, is amazing - this kid has so much talent oozing out of him it won't be long before Oscar comes calling. Kristin Scott-Thomas shines as Mimi, John's somewhat icy aunt, with whom he lives, and Anne-Marie Duff is amazing as Julia, John's mum, who he finds out lives just down the road from him. Even for a casual Lennon fan, this is a great film to see just for those three performances. And just to be snarky, if ever there was a film that deserved the MPAA's ridiculous "smoking " advisory, this is it - Johnson is rarely if ever without a cigarette in the last third of the film, nor are many of the rest of the cast...Nowhere Boy shines all the way around, and I think John would be very pleased with the result - and Yoko has said that SHE is...
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This movie is fairly slow paced and very character focussed. Featuring plenty of music from the time (1940s-1950s mainly) throughout, it depicts a time of teenage disillusionment and shows the characters love of music. The movie only really covers Johns rebellious teenage years, although this includes some pivotal moments such as when he met Paul and George for the first time but the movie is really about him and those few others around him at that particular time, more than a general movie specifically about The Beatles, so if your expecting a movie purely about the rise of The Beatles then I'd give warning that this may not be what your looking for but it does give an insight into his upbringing and way of thinking during his teenage years as he was getting a feel for performing. I noticed its quite a colourful movie in a sense, with the brightly coloured walls and carpeting plus some fancy clothing. There's some pretty sharp dialogue - indeed, the interaction between John and his aunt and mother makes for quite compelling viewing, with the aunt and mother having quite different attitudes. I'd imagine most fans of Lennon will be quite familiar with his life story - I feel this movie features pretty steadfast, quite emotional performances from the cast, so they pull it off pretty well. Some scenes are hard to watch from an emotional standpoint, when certain things are learnt and decisions made.
I feel that the title of the movie is quite fitting as in this period of his life, he does seem to be seen by the wider public at times as rather a nobody and questioning his family, identity and future, it does seem a poignant title. Content wise, be aware that strong language is present, as well as one or two sexual references and mild violent scenes - it carries a 15 certificate which seems fair.
I wouldn't say this is an entirely sentimental movie, although it is sentimental in parts, when its needed I suppose. I'd say it seems to illustrate the time well, it doesn't come across as fake to me, though perhaps im not the best one to judge that, not being around at the time of course.
I thought it was an interesting movie, one that wasn't too long winded which is always a plus for me. Not knowing a great deal about the subject but being interested enough to give it a watch, I'd say it was worth the watch but no doubt those who are really big fans of him could find the odd criticism. As a movie generally, I found it to be quite watchable and I particularly liked the interaction with the main characters and I think the musical score will probably please most people. Seeing Paul McCartney as a young boy was a bit of a surprise - I guess I've always seen or thought of him as obviously a much older person but he comes across as very young and innocent, moreso than Lennon at the time.
Yes I'd recommend this movie as I felt the cast gave good performances, the interaction between John, his aunt and mother is quite interesting - there are some quite good emotional scenes and its generally pretty watchable, if a little slow plot wise. This may not suit everyone, its a drama and im not sure if it claims to be 100% completely accurate in terms of his life story but as a general movie, it seemed pretty good to me, so im happy to recommend it.
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I was under the misimpression that this would be a story about the formation of the Beatles from John Lennon's perspective. Instead, we get a poorly paced examination of Lennon and the two women in his life. I was, frankly, a little bored. The lead actor is solid enough to keep me interested, and his mother is terrific, but as a movie - I'd give it a pass.
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Production Company
Ecosse Films,
Film4,
UK Film Council,
North West Vision,
Lipsync Productions
Release Date Oct 8, 2010
Duration 1 h 38 m
Rating R
Tagline The Extraordinary Untold Story Of John Lennon.
Website
http://www.nowhereboy.co.uk/
Awards
British Independent Film Awards
• 1 Win & 6 Nominations
London Critics Circle Film Awards
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
BAFTA Awards
• 4 Nominations
