Been on a movie run lately, so here goes......
The wifey and I rented this one on RedBox and came away very impressed with how the director, Richard Linklater, was able to keep the cast and story together for 12 years to film this movie. I'd read that he would film a few scenes, then come back two or three years later when everyone was available, shoot a few more scenes, come back a couple years later to shoot more and so on. Pretty interesting concept and the result is a very good movie about growing up and the ups and downs that life has to offer, which all families have to go through.
The film focuses on the life of a young boy and his normally dysfunctional family as they deal with divorce, stepfathers, alcohol abuse, moving to a new town, losing friends, making friends, re-starting their lives, teenage angst, falling in love, experimenting with sex, drugs and alcohol, graduation and growing up. Although the movie is rather long (2:45), it does seem to flow effortlessly through the years and doesn't seem like it's that long. My wife said, "I kept waiting for something to happen, but I realized that it was Life that was happening all around them." I thought that was a pretty prophetic statement and pretty much captured the essence of the film. It is interesting to see the physical changes that the characters go through, particularly the son Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) as they come together every few years to shoot a scene. I think most people might be able to identify with this movie as they deal with a wide range of issues that we've all had to deal with in one form or another.
Patricia Arquette plays the mother, Ethan Hawke is the divorced father and Lorelei Linklater (daughter of the director) is the sister. The case is fantastic and all are very believable and realistic in their roles. I thought this was a pretty good movie and give it 8 out of 10 Sooner Schooners.
The wifey and I rented this one on RedBox and came away very impressed with how the director, Richard Linklater, was able to keep the cast and story together for 12 years to film this movie. I'd read that he would film a few scenes, then come back two or three years later when everyone was available, shoot a few more scenes, come back a couple years later to shoot more and so on. Pretty interesting concept and the result is a very good movie about growing up and the ups and downs that life has to offer, which all families have to go through.
The film focuses on the life of a young boy and his normally dysfunctional family as they deal with divorce, stepfathers, alcohol abuse, moving to a new town, losing friends, making friends, re-starting their lives, teenage angst, falling in love, experimenting with sex, drugs and alcohol, graduation and growing up. Although the movie is rather long (2:45), it does seem to flow effortlessly through the years and doesn't seem like it's that long. My wife said, "I kept waiting for something to happen, but I realized that it was Life that was happening all around them." I thought that was a pretty prophetic statement and pretty much captured the essence of the film. It is interesting to see the physical changes that the characters go through, particularly the son Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) as they come together every few years to shoot a scene. I think most people might be able to identify with this movie as they deal with a wide range of issues that we've all had to deal with in one form or another.
Patricia Arquette plays the mother, Ethan Hawke is the divorced father and Lorelei Linklater (daughter of the director) is the sister. The case is fantastic and all are very believable and realistic in their roles. I thought this was a pretty good movie and give it 8 out of 10 Sooner Schooners.
