Boyhood (2014 film)

Boyhood
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRichard Linklater
Written byRichard Linklater
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited bySandra Adair
Production
companies
Distributed byIFC Films
Release dates
  • January 19, 2014 (2014-01-19) (Sundance)
  • July 11, 2014 (2014-07-11) (United States)
Running time
165 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million[2]
Box office$57.3 million[3]

Boyhood is a 2014 American epic coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Richard Linklater, and starring Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, and Ethan 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 in Texas 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 the 2014 Sundance Film Festival[4] and was released theatrically on July 11, 2014.[5] The film competed in the main competition section of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival,[6] where Linklater won the Silver Bear for Best Director.[7] It was praised for its performances, Linklater's screenplay and direction, and subject matter. It was also nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Arquette; five BAFTA awards, winning for Best Director and Best Film; and six Academy Awards (including Best Picture), winning Best Supporting Actress for Arquette. On Metacritic, 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.

  1. ^ "BOYHOOD (15)". British Board of Film Classification. June 5, 2014. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  2. ^ "Boyhood (2014)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  3. ^ "Boyhood (2014)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  4. ^ "Richard Linklater's Ambitious 'Boyhood' Premieres at Sundance". Slashfilm.com. January 13, 2014. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
  5. ^ Neumyer, Scott (October 25, 2013). "Richard Linklater Talks Before Midnight, Boyhood, and a Possible TV Series". Parade. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  6. ^ "Berlinale 2014: Competition Complete". berlinale. Archived from the original on January 18, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  7. ^ "The Awards Of The 64th Berlin International Film Festival". berlinale. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2014.