The Project.

Filmed over the course of 12 years and nominated for Best Picture of the Year, Boyhood is a coming-of-age film about a boy, Mason (Ellar Coltrane). The movie intimately follows Mason’s stages of growing up from age six to 18.

The project began filming without a completed script—only a few simple plot points and an idea for an ending. Linklater developed the script throughout the shooting of the film, writing the next year’s portion after rewatching the previous years’ scenes.

Linklater was able to show how a child grows into an adult by casting a young actor, Ellar Coltrane, into this project at the age of seven. Coltrane returned to the role for a few days every year until shortly after his 19^th birthday in 2013. While watching the movie, the audience has the opportunity to witness the ups and downs that come with growing up through the eyes of Mason, his parents (Oscar-Winner Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke), and his sister (Lorelei Linklater).

Short snippets throughout the course of the 12 years capture family meals, birthdays, different homes, new family members, graduations, fresh starts and other important milestones. Boyhood was written and produced in order to let the audience watch Mason literally grow up on screen before their eyes.

The Story. *Warning: contains spoilers!

In 2002, six-year-old Mason Evans and his older sister Samantha live with their single mother Olivia in Texas. We learn that Olivia was originally married because of her pregnancy with Samantha, but is now divorced. She moves her family so she can attend college and get a job.

There, Olivia meets and later marries one of her professors, Bill Welbrock (Marco Perella). They blend their two families, and after 2 years of a somewhat happy marriage, Bill becomes alcoholic and abusive. When he assaults and endangers the children, the family moves.

By age 15, Mason has experimented with drugs and alcohol, his father remarried, and Mason becomes interested in photography. The audience can see that Mason’s parents have moved apart and are entering different stages of life; whereas Olivia has become a successful professor, Mason’s father has just had another baby. The movie comes to an end when Mason goes off to college, and embarks on his new journey of independence.

The Review.

Despite its un-dramatic layout, Boyhood was able to capture the essence of growing up and aging–not only for Mason, but also for his parents, sister, and friends. I felt that this was an excellent film, and set a precedent for all future motion pictures.

I could not help but feel shocked, scared, touched, and amazed throughout the movie, and thought that the idea of the movie was perfectly executed. Linklater was able to display profound themes in such casual settings, and I loved the modesty and ambition that was portrayed in the movie’s plot and production. It was a beautifully made film that I recommend. If you are looking for a movie with great concepts, characters, and production, watch Boyhood!