Boyhood (2014)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Epic in technical scale but breathlessly intimate in narrative scope, Boyhood is a sprawling investigation of the human condition.
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Cast
as Mason
as Mom
as Dad
as Samantha
as Tommy

as Ted

as Teacher

as Elementary School Girl
as Grandma

as Professor Bill Welbrock

as Mindy

as Randy

as Neighborhood Friend #1
as Neighborhood Friend #2

as Paul

as Book Trivia Judge

as Book Release Emcee

as Jimmy

as Barber

as Mason's 4th Grade Teacher

as Liquor Store Clerk

as Carol

as Lee

as Abby

as Kenny

as Mrs. Darby

as No Obama Man

as Obama Mama

as Tammy

as Tony

as Bully 1

as Bully 2

as Jill

as Jim

as College Girl Singer

as Gabi

as Chase

as Charlie

as Charlie's Friend
as Professor Douglas

as Make Out Girl

as Annie

as Cooper

as Enrique

as Grandpa Cliff

as Nana

as Pastor

as Mr. Turlington
as Nick

as Beer Pong Guy

as High School Band Singer

as Sheena

as April

as Mason's Boss

as Sam's College Boyfriend

as Hooper

as Guitar Player

as Beat Box

as Band Member 1

as Band Member 2

as Band Member 3

as Band Member 4
as Guy in Diner

as Sam's Roommate
as High School Teacher

as Uncle Steve

as Twin Cousin 1

as Twin Cousin 2

as Woman at Party

as Jimmy's Bandmate 1

as Jimmy's Bandmate 2

as Jimmy's Bandmate 3

as Dalton

as Barb

as Nicole
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Critic Reviews for Boyhood
All Critics (283) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (277) | Rotten (6) | DVD (1)
Calling it a sum of its parts can be a backhanded compliment, but it feels like especially worthy praise for Boyhood, considering how much went into making it feel whole.
We can quibble with small stuff in Boyhood. Supporting performances are variable, the sister drops out as a dramatic character ... I could go on. But the cumulative power is tremendous.
While everything about Boyhood is done with extraordinary care, the master stroke was clearly the casting, 13 years ago, of a little Texas boy named Ellar Coltrane.

It's like a time-lapse photo of an expanding consciousness.
A word about the film's epic length. Boyhood is 166 minutes long. Yet it is so affecting, so much a thing of wonder, that it could run forever and I would still keep watching.

Linklater's casual hand at storytelling, dealing out reel after reel of naggingly forthright enlightenment, turns this simple tale of a mother trying to do her best into something worth every second of the time it took to produce.

Audience Reviews for Boyhood
A fascinating and extremely captivating project shot over the course of twelve years to follow a boy from his childhood to his late adolescence, and what is most impressive is how fluid it always is even with a fragmented nature that doesn't rely on a defined plotline.
Super Reviewer
A charming drama that amuses and captivates the audience and takes them on a journey of growing up, love and heartbreak. Fantastic cast and beautifully done!

Super Reviewer
This movie takes a while to settle in with its grand scale yet tiny scope. There is a beginning, a middle and an end, that's almost the only way to sum up this movie. The acting and directing are good, but I would be lying if I said I didn't get bored at times during the nearly 3 hour runtime. Linklater makes very uneventful but thought provoking movies, and this is no exception. In the end however, I feel like there are better ways to spend 12 years of a directorial career.
Super Reviewer
Boyhood Quotes
Mom: | This so is too big for us - you'll be going to school eventually. It's too expensive - I'm done. |
Mason: | Why did you even buy it in the first place then? |
Mom: | Because I really enjoy making poor lie decisions keeping us on the brink of poverty. I mean I've spent the first half of my life acquiring all this crap and now I'm gonna spend the second half of my life getting rid of all this stuff. |
Mom: | I mean I've spent the first half of my life acquiring all this crap and now I'm gonna spend the second half of my life getting rid of all this stuff. |
Mom: | Samantha, why don't you get rid of that horseshit attitude, okay, because we're not takin' it in the car. Like about forty years. |
Mom: | We're gonna play a game called the Game of Silence. Whoever can stay quiet for the longest period of time wins! |
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