Boyhood (2014)

[Water Bottle]

I can't believe the word suicide is being thrown around here...I mean, I guess you could commit suicide over anything, really, but to say that living Mason's life would lead you to suicide just seems a little ridiculous. 

 

If his mom had stayed with the abusive alcoholic, I could see why some people would say that but....considering how she left as soon as the situation started to get dangerous, I'd say overall Mason had a pretty good childhood. Sure there were ups and downs but his life was mostly fine.

 

The movie wasn't a tragedy.

[luna]

it is a tragedy. a tragedy of the utter boredom and meaninglessness of life.

[Dementeleus]

it is a tragedy. a tragedy of the utter boredom and meaninglessness of life.

 

LOL! If you got that understanding, then I don't know what to say...

Edited September 16, 2014 by Telemachos

[Kvikk Lunsj]

it is a tragedy. a tragedy of the utter boredom and meaninglessness of life.

You mean a magical experience.  

[AniNate]

The utter ridiculousness of the negative reviews of this film just reinforces how great it is, imo.

[Dark Jedi Master 007]

it is a tragedy. a tragedy of the utter boredom and meaninglessness of life.

To be honest, I often find your opinions disagreeable, but your reasoning sound. In this case, you just seem to be stretching.

[luna]

i didn't mean that it was trying to be a tragedy or anything. i'm just talking about how i'd hate that sort of life.

 

obviously it isn't a tragedy in the generic sense.

[RobinHood26]

If his mom had stayed with the Abusive Alcoholic, I could see why some people would say that but....considering how she left as soon as the situation started to get dangerous, I'd say overall Mason had a pretty good childhood. Sure there were ups and downs but his life was mostly fine.

 

The movie wasn't a tragedy.

 

Which one? 

[Deep Wang]

Which one?

The second alcoholic husband never abused her. That we saw, at least.

[Water Bottle]

it is a tragedy. a tragedy of the utter boredom and meaninglessness of life.

 

Most of life is "utter boredom" and yet in that boredom we find happiness.

 

Which one? 

 

The only one that threw something at him? The second alcoholic was just an asshole but he was never abusive.

[AniNate]

 The second alcoholic was just an asshole but he was never abusive.

 

I wouldn't even say that. His heart was in the right place but he just let the stress of the military and his job get the better of him. I loved how they just subtly implied in his last scene that he was working at a prison.

Edited September 17, 2014 by tribefan695

[RobinHood26]

Lol boo fucking who.I laughed when the first line he said was "then 9/11 happened"You're first line is the most over used line since 9/11 eww Second you married a girl with a 15 year old boy awww he doesn't quite respect you? C'mon dude he's 15 you an't his dad. So much BS in that part of the movie . One big eye roll

Edited September 17, 2014 by Jay Hollywood

[Dementeleus]

Lol boo fucking who.I laughed when the first line he said was "then 9/11 happened"You're first line is the most over used line since 9/11 ewwSecond you married a girl with a 15 year old boy awww he doesn't quite respect you? C'mon dude he's 15 you an't his dad. So much BS in that part of the movie . One big eye roll

 

That's not BS in the movie, that's the character.

[AniNate]

Second you married a girl with a 15 year old boy awww he doesn't quite respect you? C'mon dude he's 15 you an't his dad. So much BS in that part of the movie . One big eye roll

 

Look, Mason was being kind of a dick in that scene, too. "You're not my dad" is the lamest, most unfair retort you can throw at step-fathers. Dad or not, he still had authority over him and was sincerely worried about his whereabouts. 

 

He was probably at his worst in that scene where Mason had his painted nails. Again, the machismo culture of the military + prison getting the better of him.

Edited September 17, 2014 by tribefan695

[RobinHood26]

It's just cheesy. When he says it, it's like of course that's what he said. It's like they take out the everything that is supposed to be in a movie playbook.To think a grown man gets that upset over such a short period is laughable I'm sorry. Dude spent a year with the kid at a rough age. The movie made it seem like overnight he's an asshole. The guy is nice as fuck the whole time then wait for it.... Wait for it.... Wait for it....Close up of a hand squeezing a beer can ever so tightly.... Ughhhh huge grown. It was forced it was cheesy it was over done and I couldn't take it seriously.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Jay Hollywood

[RobinHood26]

I walked out this movie thinking I know nothing about this kid, but all his hardships in life are because his mom has horrible taste in men and almost completely forgets about her kids thoughts or feelings.

[Dark Jedi Master 007]

I admit, it is cheesy on the surface level, and that's why I might not outright love this film. But I also think it's important to understand that a lot of cliches/cheesy things are true on some level and that's why they end up in films. I imagine thousands of kids probably tell their step dads "you're not my real father." I also imagine that a lot of boys fight with their dads when they paint their nails. The key to film (at least certain films) is to take these ordinary/mundane/cliche scenes and provide/find the meaning/emotion in them, and in turn allow you to understand that such ordinary moments might seem meaningless in the grand scale, but for a lot of individuals, they carry a ton of weight.Whether or not Boyhood accomplished that goal is your call. But that's a matter of execution not ambition. And that's ultimately my problem with your (Jay) and Lisa's critiques (it's a much bigger problem with Lisa's critique) of the film, you both keep complaining about the goals of the film (why was his life so ordinary? why did they use this cliche?) rather than how the film failed on a technical level to give new meaning to these ordinary/cliche moments. 

Edited September 17, 2014 by Dark Jedi Master 007

[RobinHood26]

I think the film feels uneven it try's to be real life to not focus on big moments because that's how life is... It does that yet at the same time try's to pull all those cheesy film moments and it just didn't come together as a whole for me. You're right about the execution over ambition thing. Good point.Oh well, maybe I'll watch this at 80 like Tele and cry someday. Who's knows.

Edited September 18, 2014 by Jay Hollywood

[ChD]

40 minutes into the movie and Hawke is the only good thing in it.

[Dementeleus]

I walked out this movie thinking I know nothing about this kid, but all his hardships in life are because his mom has horrible taste in men and almost completely forgets about her kids thoughts or feelings.

 

Wow, I still wonder if you saw the same film as me.