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A movie that is filmed with the same cast members shot in increments over the course of 12 years directed by Richard Linklater, "Boyhood" is a groundbreaking coming of age drama. As the audience, we get to witness the arc of the story and the physical and emotional transformations each of the characters experience as they grow and age against the backdrop of the world and its events. At the core of the movie, it is less about what it means to be a young boy than it is an aura of time and what it means to be live in the moment.
The film's scenes depict the average America culture represented by events of family meals, outings, birthdays, and graduation. All these adventures capture major milestones in each of the character's lives.
Through the eyes of Mason, played by the film's protagonist, Ellar Coltrane, you see so much curiosity, confusion, and concern. Samantha, Mason's older sister, played by the director's daughter, Lorelei Linklater, is very mature for her age and grows up right before our eyes.
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She changes from an obnoxious little girl determined to make her brother cringe at the very thought of her to a preoccupied young lady contemplating her next move in life. And then there's their mother, Olivia, played by Patricia Arquette, who seems to never be really be satisfied with anything in life. Therefore, she endures a series of significant others that don't necessarily mean her any good all while trying to build a career and take care of her family.
Mason Sr., their father played by Ethan Hawke, whom Olivia is separated from, portrays the cool, just "go with the flow" type of parent. He drifts in and out of their lives and refuses to ascend towards the responsibilities of adulthood until later on in the film. As one event rolls into another, the film's point of view will embody these qualities as time unfolds.
In the opening scene of the movie, there's a close-up of Mason (age 6) lying on the ground, the camera is set in a crane shot directly above him. It shows that he's just a normal child just as any of us have been. We're then introduced to Mason and his mother at school. Mason has recently been distracted during class and hasn't been turning in his homework. As the two engage in the conversation, there is a close-up on Mason and we're able to tell that he is wondering why there is a reason for everything that everyone else deems necessary to be done. The age of this movie definitely shows through the music and technology throughout the duration of the film. Later on Olivia and her current boyfriend have an argument about how she never has time for him when reality is, she's a full-time mother. Mason is awake in his room while the argument is taking place. In the following scene, Samantha is taunting her brother while singing Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again", and just like any other American family they have a little sibling fight. Later on, Olivia mentions moving to Houston, Texas to make a better living for herself and the kids.
As we see the character's leaving their home for the last time, in a long shot, it allows us to see the characters and all their belongings in front of their house. It looks as though we were standing right across the street watching them pack and leave. When Samantha is on the phone with her friend, Mason's friend Tommy is on the other line and Samantha tells him Mason can't play due to the fact that they're moving. You can see the disappointment on Mason's face and I believe director Linklater intended for us to become emotionally invested at this point. As they drive away, Mason is looking out of window at his friend not knowing whether or not he would really see him again. Witnessing that, we have a better understanding of the children's discontent with their mother's decision about moving.
As time moves on, we then come in contact with their father for the first time just as they do. In this specific scene they go bowling and try to make up for the year of lost time they haven't seen each other. Mason struggles at trying to knock down the pins in the lane and conveys that he needs the side bumpers to help him. His dad then replies with, "life doesn't give you bumpers." He slightly touches Mason to try and get his attention and does a double take to see if he's really listening, but has a complex facial expression as though it applied to him more personally. I believe Linklater strategically placed that line of dialogue there to lure more of an elder audience connection based on life experiences.
Olivia has since gotten married and everything seems to be all rave; that is until Mason and Samantha's stepfather, Bill, starts to become the most intolerable jerk they've ever met. Unfortunately, Olivia had to find that out the hard way. When Mason is telling Olivia about the way he feels about Bill, Linklater included the most perfect light setting. It is significant to pay close attention to this aspect because the expose of the natural sunlight from the sun on Mason's face clearly emphasized his distress to helping his mom understand. It goes to show just how much he cares about what he is telling Olivia. When Bill gets drunk, he gets uncontrollably angry and at dinner, the entire family feels uncomfortable and scared. During this scene there is a series of close-up shots to show of everyone at the table to show their reactions and feelings. It almost makes you feel bad that you can't do anything to help because you don't want to involve yourself in that circumstance.
Mason's 15th birthday scene showed a variety of contrast between his nonchalant personality and who he portrays to be in front of his family. When his dad gives him his gift in the minivan, Mason's face is more shown more in the shadows from the trees and his dads face is partly shown more in the sunlight. Ironically, the bible he receives from his grandmother is all black and the shotgun his grandfather gives him is a lot easier to hold onto. This shows the more reserved side of Mason verses the more outgoing side of his family and why it may seem a little complicated to fit in.
In the closing scene, there's a pan of the mountains as Mason and his friends are hiking. Once they've stopped to sit and rest, the camera is set at a point-of-view shot where we are able to see his other two friends just before us as he would. The prominence of the conversation they're having is crucial to the symptomatic meaning of the absolute film. The camera slowly zooms in close to capture the intensity between the two as the ideology of moment seizes you is conveyed. Then Mason so graciously ends the script with eye contact directly into the lens of the camera with a lingering shot of his smile after saying, "The moment is always right now". He is now holding us accountable to always remembering that.
Boyhood reflects on the independent experience of time. The sense of real time is heightened by multiple long takes of Mason. It even shows how wrapped up our lives are due to technological advancement; in which case is one way that dates movie along with music, and other parts of television that was shown throughout the film. Director Linklater furthers our expectation by reshaping the reality we think we see before us. The purpose of this was not to see the changes in the person, but rather in society.
Boyhood by Richard Linklater: a Groundbreaking Coming of Age Drama. (2024, Feb 16). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/boyhood-by-richard-linklater-a-groundbreaking-coming-of-age-drama-essay
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