| Boyhood | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Linklater |
| Written by | Richard Linklater |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Sandra Adair |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | IFC Films (United States) Universal Pictures (International) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 165 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4 million[2] |
| Box office | $57.3 million[3] |
Boyhood is a 2014 Americanepiccoming-of-agedrama film written and directed byRichard Linklater, and starringPatricia Arquette,Ellar Coltrane,Lorelei Linklater, andEthan Hawke. Filmed from 2002 to 2013,Boyhood depicts the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr. (Coltrane) from ages six to eighteen as he grows up inTexas with divorced parents (Arquette and Hawke). Richard Linklater's daughter Lorelei plays Mason's sister, Samantha.
Production began in 2002 and finished in 2013, with Linklater's goal to make a film about growing up. The project began without a completed script, with only basic plot points and the ending written initially. Linklater developed the script throughout production, writing the next year's portion of the film after rewatching the previous year's footage. He incorporated changes he saw in each actor into the script, allowing all major actors to participate in the writing process by incorporating their life experiences into their characters' stories.
Boyhood premiered at the2014 Sundance Film Festival[4] and was released theatrically on July 11, 2014.[5] The film competed in the main competition section of the64th Berlin International Film Festival,[6] where Linklater won theSilver Bear for Best Director.[7] It was praised for its performances, Linklater's screenplay and direction, and subject matter. It was also nominated for fiveGolden Globe Awards, winningBest Motion Picture – Drama,Best Director, andBest Supporting Actress for Arquette; fiveBAFTA awards, winning forBest Director andBest Film; and sixAcademy Awards (includingBest Picture), winningBest Supporting Actress for Arquette. Since its release, it is widely regarded as one of thegreatest films ever made. OnMetacritic, it is the most recent film to have a score of 100 out of 100 and is the best-reviewed film released in the 21st century thus far.
In 2002, 6-year-old Mason Evans lives with his divorced mother, Olivia, and 8-year-old sister, Samantha, in a small town inTexas. Mason overhears Olivia arguing with her boyfriend, saying she has no free time due to parenting. The following year, Olivia and the children move toHouston so she can attend theUniversity of Houston to get a better job.
Mason's father, Mason Sr., visits Houston in 2004 and takes Mason and Samantha bowling. When he drops the children off at home, he argues with Olivia while the kids watch from a window. Olivia takes Mason to one of her classes, and introduces him to her professor, Bill Welbrock; Mason sees them flirt.
In 2005, Olivia and Bill have married and blended their two families. They share experiences such as playing video games and attending a midnight release ofHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Mason and Samantha are enrolled in the same school as their step-siblings, Mindy and Randy. There, Mason befriends Nicole, who has a crush on him.
The next year, Mason and Samantha bond with their father as he takes them out for a day in Houston, culminating in aHouston Astros game and a sleepover at his house. Olivia continues her education and is initially supportive of Bill's strict parenting style, which includes many chores for the children and an enforced shaving of Mason's long hair.
In 2007, Bill gradually becomes abusive and violent towards Olivia and the children due to hisalcoholism. After he assaults Olivia, she moves out with Mason and Samantha to a friend's house and files for divorce. Her step children stay with their father, since Olivia is unable to locate their biological mother.
Next, when Mason Sr. learns that Samantha has a boyfriend, he talks to her and Mason about contraception. He also has them assist him in volunteering forBarack Obama's presidential campaign, to mixed results from the suburban Texas residents. Then on a camping trip with his son, they connect through music, film, and Mason's blossoming interest in girls. The teens have grown into their lives inSan Marcos, a town close to Austin.
In 2009, Mason is bullied at school and playfully teased on a camping trip, but starts receiving attention from girls. Olivia takes a position teaching psychology at college and moves in with Jim, a student andIraq War veteran.
The next year, Mason is now in high school and experiments withmarijuana andalcohol. Mason Sr., who has remarried and has a baby, has become more religious and takes his kids to visit his wife's parents. For Mason's 15th birthday, Mason Sr. gives him a suit and CDs; Mason's step-grandparents give him a Bible and a shotgun.
In 2011, Mason is lectured by his photography teacher, who sees his potential but is disappointed by his lack of ambition. He later attends a party and meets Sheena, who becomes his girlfriend. After Mason arrives home late one night from a party, a drunk Jim confronts him about his late hours. Olivia and Jim subsequently break up, and the family's financial situation worsens.
The following year, Mason and Sheena visit Samantha, who is attending theUniversity of Texas at Austin, where they share their hopes and fears about college. They have sex, and Samantha's roommate discovers them asleep together in her dorm bed.
In 2013, towards the end of Mason's senior year in high school, he has a painful breakup with Sheena, wins the second-place silver medal in a state photography contest, and is awarded college scholarship money. His family throws him a graduation party and toasts his success. Mason Sr. gives him advice about his breakup.
Planning to sell the house and downsize, Olivia meets Samantha and Mason for lunch and asks them to sort through their possessions. Later that year, as Mason prepares to leave for college, Olivia breaks down, disillusioned by how quickly life has passed.
AtSul Ross State University inAlpine, Mason moves into his dorm and meets his new roommate Dalton, Dalton's girlfriend Barb, and Barb's roommate, Nicole. Mason is given an edible by Barb, and the group goes hiking atBig Bend Ranch State Park. Nicole shares with Mason her belief that, rather than people seizing moments, moments seize people; Mason agrees.
In May 2002,Richard Linklater said that he would begin shooting an untitled film in his home city ofHouston that summer.[8] He planned to assemble the cast and crew for a few weeks' filming annually for 12 years. He said: "I've long wanted to tell the story of a parent–child relationship that follows a boy from the first through the 12th grade and ends with him going off to college. But the dilemma is that kids change so much that it is impossible to cover that much ground. And I am totally ready to adapt the story to whatever he is going through."[8] IFC, the film's distributor, committed to a film budget ofUS$200,000 per year, or $2.4 million over the 12-year shooting period.[9]
Linklater hired the six-year-oldEllar Coltrane to play the boy.[10][11] The cast could not sign contracts for the film due to theDe Havilland Law, which makes it illegal to contract someone for more than seven years of work. Linklater toldEthan Hawke that he would have to finish the film if Linklater died.[12][13]
Boyhood began filming without a completed script. Linklater had prepared each character's basic plot points, and the ending—including the final shot—but otherwise wrote the script for the next year's filming after rewatching the previous year's footage, incorporating the changes he saw in each actor. All major actors participated in the writing process, contributing their life experiences; for example, Hawke's character is based on his and Linklater's fathers—both Texan insurance agents who divorced and remarried—and Arquette's character is based on her mother, who resumed her education later in life and became a psychotherapist.[13]
Despite the unconventional screenwriting process, Linklater stated that he had a general storyline in mind, and that the actors did not change the general direction of the story:
People think I asked Ellar, "What did you do in school the other day? Let's make a scene about that!" That never happened. The time we spent together was me just gauging where he was at in his life—what his concerns were and what he was doing. Then I would think, maybe we could move the camping trip up, and we can do this or that.[14]
Scripts for certain scenes were sometimes finished the night prior to shooting. According to Hawke, the discussion about the possibility of additionalStar Wars films is "the only honest-to-godimprovised moment in the movie".[13] The cast and crew gathered once or twice each year, on varying dates, to film for three or four days. The production team spent approximately two months in pre-production, and one month in post-production each year.[15][13]
Hawke said in 2013:
It'sTolstoy-esque in scope. I thoughtBefore Sunrise was the most unique thing I would ever be a part of, but Rick has engaged me in something even more strange. Doing a scene with a young boy at the age of seven when he talks about why do raccoons die, and at the age of 12 when he talks about video games, and 17 when he asks me about girls, and have it be the same actor—to watch his voice and body morph—it's a little bit liketime-lapse photography of a human being.[16]
Although Linklater had referred to the project asBoyhood during the early years of production,[10] in 2013 he settled on the title12 Years, but was forced to rename it due to the release of12 Years a Slave the year prior.[9] In consideration of the possibility that the actors' circumstances or availability might change over the extended period of production, Linklater had also observed that the film potentially could also have been namedMotherhood,Fatherhood, etc.[17] Hawke was amazed that the producers "still had their job" at the film's completion, despite "(having) to hide a couple hundred thousand dollars a year for over a decade while we slowly made this movie".[12] Despite the risks, Linklater was allowed an unusual level of freedom with the production, never having to show IFC the work as it progressed.[9]
Costume designer Kari Perkins had to review each year's footage to ensure there were no accidental repetitions and to create a "flow" to the costumes.[18]
When discussing shooting format in an interview, Linklater discussed how insistent he was on shooting35mm film:
We very intentionally shot in the same way throughout, just to get a unified look. 35mm negative is about the most stable thing you could shoot on. We kinda had that from the beginning. I remember it not even being a question. You know the HD formats, I didn't really like them very much at all. I'm just not warming up to them. But they change a lot. The film would have six different looks if we tried to keep up.[19]
IFC Films held domestic rights to the film, withMongrel Media distributing the film in Canada.Universal Pictures acquired international distribution of the film in all other countries except for France and the Benelux. This film was part ofPeter Kujawski's efforts to distributeKathryn Bigelow'sZero Dark Thirty andMartin Scorsese'sThe Wolf of Wall Street outside the United States.
Boyhood premiered theatrically on July 11, 2014, in alimited release in four theaters in North America and grossed $387,618, with an average of $77,524 per theater, ranking number 19 at the box office. The film expanded the next week to 34 theaters and grossed $1.2 million, with an average of $34,418 per theater. The film'swide release occurred on August 15, opening in 771 theaters and grossing $2 million, with an average of $2,584 per theater and ranking number 11. The film's widest release in the U.S. was 775 theaters. The film ultimately earned $25.4 million domestically and $32 million internationally for a total of $57.3 million, against a $4 million production budget.[3]
Boyhood has an approval rating of 97% based on 335 professional reviews on thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 9.2/10. Its critical consensus reads: "Epic in technical scale but breathlessly intimate in narrative scope,Boyhood is a sprawling investigation of the human condition."[20]Metacritic (which uses a weighted average) assignedBoyhood a score of 100 out of 100 based on 50 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[21] It is the highest rated of all films reviewed upon their original release on the site,[22] and one of only fourteen films in the site's history to achieve a perfect aggregate score.[23] It also holds the highest number of reviews for a film with a score of 100.[citation needed]
A collection of 25 French critiques onAlloCiné, including those fromLe Monde andCahiers du cinéma, indicates wide approval, with an average score of 4.0 out of 5.[24]
In her review forThe New York Times,Manohla Dargis stated that the film's realism was "jolting" and "so brilliantly realized and understated that it would be easy to overlook".[25]A. O. Scott, also writing forThe New York Times, calledBoyhood the best film of 2014, saying that he could not think of any film that had affected him the wayBoyhood had in his 15 years as a professional film critic.[26]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone also namedBoyhood the best movie of the year, calling it the year's "biggest emotional powerhouse".[27]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian called it "one of the greatest films of the decade".[28]Richard Roeper gave the film an A+, calling it one of the greatest films he had ever seen.[29]Wai Chee Dimock, writing in theLos Angeles Review of Books, compared Linklater's film with Nobel laureateJ. M. Coetzee's memoir,Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life.[30]
Many critics singled outPatricia Arquette andEthan Hawke's performances for praise.Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle said that watching Arquette was "like watching a generation's hopes and struggles, presented by an actress with a fullness of emotion, and yet with utter matter-of-factness".[31]Michael Phillips, writing for theChicago Tribune, lauded Arquette's "lack of pretense or affectation as a performer".[32] Dana Stevens ofSlate called Hawke's performance "Superb".[33]Indiewire, while ranking Ethan Hawke's best performances, felt that "Ethan swerves away from that easy route and instead digs down deep to create this portrait of a man who's flawed but committed to growing, or at the very least doing the best he can today and hoping he'll be able to do so again tomorrow".[34]
Boyhood also earned the admiration of other filmmakers and artists. DirectorChristopher Nolan namedBoyhood as his favorite film of 2014, calling it "extraordinary".[35] U.S. PresidentBarack Obama also namedBoyhood as his favorite film of 2014.[36] Writer-directorMike Leigh, while accepting a fellowship from theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2015, called it "the definitive independent film".[37] WriterJoyce Carol Oatestweeted her support, saying: "It is rare that a film so mimics the rhythms and texture of actual life asBoyhood. Such seeming spontaneity is a very high art."[38] Poet and criticDan Chiasson wrote in a contribution toThe New York Review of Books: "This is a great film, the greatest American movie I have ever seen in a theater. It is great for what we see, but it is even greater for its way of making real what we cannot see, or for suggesting that what we cannot yet see we might one day see."[39] According toCanadianphilosopherHoward Adelman, "[Boyhood] isHuckleberry Finn for the twenty-first century, for it is only Mason Jr. who retains his honesty, integrity and sense of decency throughout ... a masterful movie not to be missed."[40]Alejandro González Iñárritu, winner of theAcademy Award for Best Director in 2015 and Linklater's fellow nominee, said that when he watchedBoyhood, he sent an email to Linklater and thanked him for giving "this incredible gift".[41]
Other critics reacted less positively to the film.Los Angeles Times criticKenneth Turan described it as "at best, OK" and one whose "animating idea is more interesting than its actual satisfactions".[42] Sam Adams ofIndieWire argued that the unanimous praise forBoyhood is bad for film criticism, as it tends to marginalize the analysis of critics who disagree with the majority; Adams further elaborated that masterpieces are not made "by unanimous praise, but by careful scrutiny".[43] Richard Brody ofThe New Yorker listed the film at the top of a year-end list he called "The Negative Ten", a list of films with "significant merit", but that also "occluded the view toward the year's most accomplished and daringly original work".[44]
Several reviewers questioned the film's underlying racial assumptions. Writing forThe Atlantic, Imran Siddiquee noted: "While Linklater and the character of Mason can choose not to see it, dialogue about race is happening all around them and affecting their lives and experiences." Siddiquee also took issue with the apparent absence of non-white characters, particularly Latinos: "In this tale of a white family living in a state that borders Mexico, isn't it strange that the only time they're shown truly interacting with a Spanish-speaking non-white individual is when they are saving them from a life of manual labor?"[45] Teo Bugbee, ofThe Daily Beast asserted: "As a treatise on the essential vacuity of the white liberal male,Boyhood is a staggering achievement. As a portrait of childhood in America, it is incomplete enough to be irresponsible."[46] Jaime Woo, ofThe Daily Dot, took issue with critics who identified the film as a portrait of "normal" Americans, asking: "More than one reviewer noted how impressive it was to capture these "ordinary" Americans: In fact,Salon's Andrew O'Hehir used the word three times in his review. So what does it mean when "ordinary" in 2014 still passes as the white experience? When the questionable treatment of ethnic minorities as props for the white characters nary raises a flag?"[47]
The international film magazineSight & Sound named it the best film of 2014 after polling an international group of 112 film critics.[48] Both Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes listedBoyhood as the best-reviewed film of 2014.[49][50] TheVillage Voice poll votedBoyhood as the best film of the year.
Boyhood appeared on more critics' annual "best-of" lists in 2014 than any other film, including the most first-place votes.[51][52] According to CriticsTop10.com, it was included on 536 lists and topped 189 of them—with the latter being a record by that site's count.[53]
In a 2016 poll byBBC Culture, critics rankedBoyhood as the fifth greatest film since 2000.[99] The film was also named the eighth "Best Film of the 21st Century So Far" in 2017 byThe New York Times.[100] In 2019,The Guardian ranked the film 3rd in its 100 best films of the 21st century list.[101] In 2021, the film was ranked at No. 91 onTime Out magazine's list ofThe 100 best movies of all time.[102] The February 2020 issue ofNew York Magazine listsBoyhood as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."[103] In April 2023,The Hollywood Reporter putBoyhood at number 11 on "Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 50 Best Films of the 21st Century (So Far)."[104]
In 2025, filmmakerPablo Larraín cited the film as one of his favorite films, saying: "This movie is very important to me. It lives in my heart, I admire everyone who did this film. It really, really hit me. When I grow up, I would like to make a movie as good as this one."[105] In June 2025, the film ranked number 23 onThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" and number 75 on the "Readers' Choice" edition of the list.[106][107] In July 2025, it ranked number 10 onRolling Stone's list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."[108]
Linklater toldHypable in July 2014 that he was planning aDVD/Blu-ray release throughThe Criterion Collection:[109]
Yeah, we've got a ton of behind the scenes stuff. We made this in the era where everyone has a digital camera so we unearthed an interview from year one with Ellar, Lorelei, Patricia and myself, Patricia interviewed me in 2002. I hadn't seen this since we shot it, Ellar had forgotten quite a bit of it but he got to see himself as a wide-eyed six year old. For people who like the movie, I think there will be a lot of cool little treasures.
On August 21,Variety reported thatParamount Home Media Distribution had acquired the U.S. home entertainment rights for DVD, Blu-ray and digital distribution. IFC Films will retainVOD andEST sales as part of the deal.[110] The film became available on Digital HD on December 9, 2014, and was released on Blu-ray and DVD on January 6, 2015.[111] The Criterion Collection released a special edition of the film on Blu-ray and DVD on October 18, 2016.[112]
Boyhood earned dozens of accolades, including top prizes from theNew York Film Critics Circle, theLos Angeles Film Critics Association, theChicago Film Critics Association, theBroadcast Film Critics Association, and theLondon Film Critics' Circle. It received both theGolden Globe Award and theBritish Academy Film Award for Best Film. At the87th Academy Awards, it received an Oscar forSupporting Actress.
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