‘Boyhood’ Is a Remarkable Cinematic Achievement [Sundance 2014 Review & Video Blog]

Posted on Monday, January 20th, 2014 by Peter Sciretta

Richard Linklater has truly created something special with his new film Boyhood — a remarkable, beautiful, cinematic achievement, like nothing you have ever seen before. Filmed over short periods from 2002 to 2013, the film chronicles a family over the course of 12 years, with the actors reprising their roles through the progression of time.

At the center of the story is Mason (Ellar Salmon), who with his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), makes the journey from childhood to adulthood. As the film begins, we see that they are living with their single mother (Patricia Arquette) and that their father (Ethan Hawke) has long since left the family. The film takes us through their evolving relationship with their mother and father over many years, moves, and life changes.

I don’t want to give away many specifics or plot points, and keep this as more of a reaction than review. After the jump you can read more or watch a video blog I recorded after the screening with Russ Fischer.

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Richard Linklater Has Three Years of Shooting Left with Child Actor on ‘Boyhood’

Posted on Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 by Angie Han

Richard Linklater has put out several films over the last decade — School of Rock, Before Sunset, Me and Orson Welles and the upcoming Bernie, just to name a few — but during all that time, he’s been slowly working on another, quietly epic project as well. Linklater began shooting Boyhood (formerly called Growing Up) back in 2002, following one young actor (Ellar Salmon) as he ages naturally from first grade to the start of college. Linklater recently reported that he has three more years of shooting left to go, which, yup, sounds about right — a six-year-old in 2002 would be eighteen in 2014. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette also star Salmon’s parents. Read more about the project after the jump.