The Boys Are Back
The Boys Are Back Image
See the trailer
Metascore
57 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
Rate this:
  • Summary: Inspired by a true story, The Boys Are Back is a deeply moving, wryly confessional tale of fatherhood, that intimately evokes both the fragility and wonders of family life. It follows a witty, wisecracking, action-oriented sportswriter who, in the wake of his wife’s tragic death, finds himseself in a sudden, stultifying state of single parenthood. With turbulent emotions swirling just below the surface, Joe Warr throws himself into the only child-rearing philosophy he thinks has a shot at bringing joy
    back into their lives: “just say yes.” Raising two boys – a curious six year-old and a rebel teen from a previous marriage -- in a household devoid of feminine influence, and with an unabashed lack of rules, life becomes exuberant, instinctual, reckless and on the constant verge of disaster. United by unspoken love, conflicted by fierce feelings and in search of a road forward, the three multi-generational
    boys of the Warr household, father and sons alike, must each find their own way, however tenuous, to grow up. Their story is not just about the transforming power of a family crisis -- but the unavoidable grace of everyday life and love that gets them through. (Miramax)    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    88
    In less capable hands, the movie could have been maudlin. Instead, Hicks and Owen have created an intimate drama told with humor and emotion.
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    80
    Few films have so poignantly portrayed a father's relationships with his sons as The Boys Are Back.
  3. NPR
    Reviewed by: Mark Jenkins
    60
    The effect is weirdly lulling. Viewers with a special connection to this story, or a weakness for little boys and single dads, may find The Boys Are Back moving. For everyone else, the movie is merely picturesque.
  4. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    25
    Owen is a magnetic, sensitive presence at the center of a movie that doesn't deserve him and that barely deserves to be seen.

See all 28 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. KerrynS
    9
    Fantastic, thought provoking, real story, with breathtaking scenery.
  2. Marco
    8
    Beautiful cinematography, engaging story, and fine acting. I found it not at all "weepy" or maudlin. On the contrary, the narrative was entirely plausible and admirably understated.… Expand
  3. KarinaM
    7
    Beautifully filmed, perfectly acted, well scripted. I see what some reviewers mean about the stock scenes and the ghost of Joe's wife, but the film was really about the relationships among the various males, which were portrayed with sensitivity and reality. I also liked it that Joe didn't end up in bed with the other 'female interest'.… Expand
  4. JulieD
    1
    Boring - felt like slapping the child - thought there was something wrong with all of them. Yet another failure for Australia in making movies.

See all 7 User Reviews

Trailers

Current Movie Releases

Full List »
  1. Before Midnight
    Metascore: 95
  2. Star Trek Into Darkness
    Metascore: 72
  3. This Is the End
    Metascore: 68
  4. Iron Man 3
    Metascore: 62
  5. Fast & Furious 6
    Metascore: 61
  6. Man of Steel
    Metascore: 55
  7. The Great Gatsby
    Metascore: 55
  8. Oblivion
    Metascore: 54
  9. Peeples
    Metascore: 52
  10. Epic
    Metascore: 52
  11. Now You See Me
    Metascore: 50
  12. Pain & Gain
    Metascore: 44
  13. The Internship
    Metascore: 43
  14. The Purge
    Metascore: 41
  15. After Earth
    Metascore: 33
  16. The Hangover Part III
    Metascore: 30
  17. The Big Wedding
    Metascore: 28
  18. Scary Movie 5
    Metascore: 11
All Current Movies »