Walking into the film Boyhood, the tagline “12 Years In The Making” stuck with me. The film, directed by Richard Linklater, was filmed over a unique 12 year period. It follows the characters in real time, as opposed to the actors playing younger versions of themselves for flashbacks.

Never has a film been generated like this before, as it follows the protagonist, Mason, from ages 6 to 18, along with his Mom, Dad, and older sister, respectively portrayed by Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, and Lorelei Linklater (director Linklater’s actual daughter). I expected to see an extensive narrative following this family, as it covered a much larger time period than a film normally covers. Instead, I found myself delighted with a story that flows naturally. This is because the film, divided into 12 different short films, covers a year’s time. These short films do not encompass the entire year, but rather one or two specific events, which makes the film interesting rather than exhausting.

The acting in this in the film also makes it especially unique. The portrayals of the children feel believable, as the two child actors were practically acting as alternate versions of themselves. In an interview with The Huffington Post, Coltrane stated that  “[The film] was kind of an alternate universe. Mason’s life was very different from mine growing up. What was crazy about growing up doing it, is that I kind of got to experience this dual life and step out of myself to see how most kids live.” The acting feels natural  because rather than having a set script originally, director Linklater would meet up with the actors each year, and they would base the script off of events happening in the actor’s life. The set storyline that Linklater wanted to follow started with a six year old Mason and ended with him as a college freshman, but overall the script seemed relaxed.

Overall, I would highly recommend this film. Not only is it well written and acted, but it makes you ponder life and childhood in general. Leaving this film, I left with many emotions, the main one being nostalgia. The entire production team on this film did an exceptional job at conveying the most memorable parts of one’s childhood, the good and bad. It focused more on the small intimate moments of life rather than cheesy cliches most family movies do.

The Chant’s grade: A