Boyhood

Name: Boyhood
Genre: Drama
Released: July 11, 2014
Duration: 165 min
Rating: 100
Cast: Bonnie Cross, Elijah Smith, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Libby Villari

2014

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 50 Critic Reviews

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100

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 2576 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	Your Score
7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 2576 Ratings

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Boyhood

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: July 11, 2014 | R

Starring: Bonnie Cross, Elijah Smith, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Libby Villari, Lorelei Linklater, Marco Perella, Patricia Arquette, Steven Chester Prince

Summary: Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater's Boyhood is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason's parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha,Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater's Boyhood is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason's parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, Boyhood charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before and is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Richard Linklater

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 165 min

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Metascore

100

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Mixed:

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Critic Reviews

100

Chris Nashawaty

Jul 9, 2014

Like Michael Apted in his "Seven Up!" documentary series, Linklater makes you feel as if you're watching a photograph as it develops in the darkroom. Read full review

100

Todd McCarthy

Jan 26, 2014

It's the selective but cumulative use of seemingly arbitrary but significant experiences that gives Boyhood its distinctive character and impressive weight. Read full review

100

Lawrence Toppman

Feb 7, 2015

There’s not a great theme, a great performance or even a great scene in Boyhood. But I think it might be a great picture. Read full review

100

Joe Morgenstern

Jul 10, 2014

On rare occasions a movie seems to channel the flow of real life. Boyhood is one of those occasions. In its ambition, which is matched by its execution, Richard Linklater's endearing epic is not only rare but unique. Read full review

100

Richard Roeper

Jul 17, 2014

Once in a great while I see a movie I know I’ll be listing as one of my all-time favorites for the rest of my days. So it is with this remarkable, unforgettable, elegant epic that is about one family — and millions of families. It’s a pinpoint-specific and yet universal story. Read full review

100

Joe Neumaier

Jul 30, 2014

This bold movie may sound like a stunt, but it’s so much more than that. Linklater is an effortless, genial auteur, and his passions are woven through “Dazed and Confused,” “School of Rock” and the “Before Sunrise” trilogy. Here, his mellow groove becomes an everyday rhythm. Read full review

Ed Gonzalez

Jun 15, 2014

Richard Linklater's film is an experiment in time, and one that's attentive to the audience's sense of empathy. Read full review

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User Reviews

LucasTS

Sep 23, 2019

Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater's Boyhood is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason's parents andFilmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater's Boyhood is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason's parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha,… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

StevieGJD

Dec 31, 2014

Great film. Ambitious project with actors committed for 12 years. One of the most interesting movie projects every made. Without question the best movie this year. Great direction and editing. It's interesting how many people ostensibly disliked this movie. I wonder how many of themGreat film. Ambitious project with actors committed for 12 years. One of the most interesting movie projects every made. Without question the best movie this year. Great direction and editing. It's interesting how many people ostensibly disliked this movie. I wonder how many of them really saw it or if they did, whether they even graduated high school?… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

axelkoch

Jul 11, 2014

A boy enjoying pictures of women in swimwear with his friends. A boy being devastated after having his mane cut off. A boy debating the necessity of Facebook with his high school girlfriend. In all honesty, Boyhood is a rather apt title for this film. But it could just as well hold the nameA boy enjoying pictures of women in swimwear with his friends. A boy being devastated after having his mane cut off. A boy debating the necessity of Facebook with his high school girlfriend. In all honesty, Boyhood is a rather apt title for this film. But it could just as well hold the name of another picture currently running in cinemas: Life Itself. That simple yet profound thing is what lies at the core of Richard Linklater’s unique 12-year-spanning story and makes it relatable for everyone, regardless of sex, age group, descent, social status, or character. Linklater lets his audience live through the fun and the pain, the love and the misery, and the excitement and the disappointment of his protagonist Mason with yet another wonderful screenplay in his repertoire and an unspectacular but still extraordinary way of directing. Leaving the cinema, it’s hard to grasp one has just spent the better part of an evening in front of a screen, but at the same time, there’s also a feeling of having relived your own adolescence along with Mason.… Expand

50 of 111 users found this helpful5061

Getbusyliving

Aug 20, 2014

It was an okay movie, I enjoyed watching it. But it isnt that great by any stretch. If you've seen any of the Before Sunrise Trilogy you should know what to expect. The implications of the subject matter are preachy, even if I happen to agree with most of what's been said. I'm sure it willIt was an okay movie, I enjoyed watching it. But it isnt that great by any stretch. If you've seen any of the Before Sunrise Trilogy you should know what to expect. The implications of the subject matter are preachy, even if I happen to agree with most of what's been said. I'm sure it will win a ton of awards but in my opinion its nothing special.… Expand

6 of 29 users found this helpful623

etopp

Apr 8, 2023

While an interesting experiment (similar to the "7 Up" series), this film is unsuccessful in telling an engrossing story. Does the viewer really care how this kid is going to turn out?

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

alwayswatching

Aug 25, 2014

Boyhood is a movie shot with the same cast over 12 years. As the main character grows from a kid in elementary school into a young adult, he understands himself and the world around him and gains more control over it. While the idea of growth is a fascinating subject, this movie fails toBoyhood is a movie shot with the same cast over 12 years. As the main character grows from a kid in elementary school into a young adult, he understands himself and the world around him and gains more control over it. While the idea of growth is a fascinating subject, this movie fails to build an engaging story around it.

In Boyhood, milestone moments in life are overshadowed by mundane events. High school graduation is overshadowed by a talk with a friend after graduation ceremony. Marriages and divorces are overshadowed by talks over dinner table. The movies seems to be very valuable for the director, Richard Linklater, and the cast who helped with the script and the mundane moments that are overemphasized seem to have personal connections with the cast. If you similar connections with similar moments in life, you will love the movie, otherwise there is not much to love in Boyhood.… Expand

18 of 35 users found this helpful1817

SkipSheffield

Aug 30, 2022

The most boring movie of all time. I fell asleep watching this, woke up, rewinded it and fell asleep again. The cure for insomnia: Boyhood

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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1	#1 Best Movie of 2014
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