Actually, “Boyhood” is not really my story. After all, I
spent my growing up years between Russia and the United States. However, this story is like a time-stamp of
the time through which I lived in this country.
I was happy to reminisce especially when the movie used progression of
technology and political events to show the growth of our main character. I
will also say that “Boyhood” is unique as well.
The uniqueness is in its reality of life. Richard Linklater
didn’t create crazy conflicts like drug abuse, sexual encounters, or car
crashes. In fact, those things happen rarely. Instead, he concentrated to give
us that moment of growing up where things happened to the boy like his mother
was single, his biological father’s absence though he was a father to him and
his sister more so than other “fathers”, and encounters with people that
challenged and encouraged him. And I believe Richard Linklater succeeded to
show us that glimpse of a life that is not so foreign to us regardless of our
origin. This is a worthy movie to see and think about your life from a point of
view that you want to look from. After all, “Boyhood” is not just about a boy,
but about life and culture of those 12 years during which he grew up and
changed as well as the country, his family, and all other people that came into
his orbit to influence him for better or for worse.
And I remember those 12 years of my life. This movie helped me to look at them from a
new point of view. That view is not of whether I succeeded or failed. Instead,
it is of how I lived my life, where I am now, and how I am going to go further
just like the hero of this movie. I can say that the years between 2002 and
2014 were the “lost” years for the country, society, and personally. Linklater
showed us through the characters that loss of being, indecisiveness of our
actions or action that were too decisive of questionable quality, lack of
identity, and that fear of taking on responsibility for ourselves and others.
But also the creator showed us that no matter what family is imperative,
friendships of any kind are valuable, and love (sweet or sour) should be
embraced and honored. After all, we only have this one moment in life, and we
should enjoy it.
Another great aspect of this movie was the transitions. These were the transitions of how our
characters and main hero grew up and changed. They were done masterfully. He
ended a point in a life of a scene with an important look, phrase, or action
before taking us onto another phase of characters’ lives. Also, to show the
change of time, Linklater did it through current political situation (Barak
Obama signs, people opinions of the time), technology, and when certain people
disappeared from our characters’ lives. The transitions of our lives are too
similar to that of the movie because our transitions are fleeting and if we are
not aware of them, we miss them, not take them seriously, and eventually forget
them.
Thank you Richard Linklater, his team, and his financiers
for spending 12 years to make this movie that we surely needed as a reminder of
the time that was and to look back at our lives even just a bit.
But what of the awards? Richard Linklater will probably
receive the Oscar for Original Screenplay, as he should because it is very
original. No other person has ever written or created a movie of this
type. However, given the voting record by the
Academy, I won’t be surprised if this movie will be one of the biggest winners.
And regardless, Richard Linklater already won his award. After all, look at the
number of people who’ve seen this movie and who will see it, and all of the
positive and interesting feedbacks and honors that “Boyhood” and Richard
Linklater already received as well as actors of this movie whose commitment to
this project and belief in it is just astonishing. Actors really came through
at every step of the way. Any other award is just an icing on already beautiful
and delicious cake.
No comments:
Post a Comment