In-depth Analysis of the Film 'Boyhood' by Richard Linklater

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of Richard Linklater's film 'Boyhood.' The movie, filmed over 13 years, chronicles the formative years of Mason Jr. and his experiences growing up in a divorced family, showcasing the challenges faced by individuals in such circumstances. The analysis focuses on the bildungsroman theme, the film's unique longitudinal fiction filmmaking approach, and its impact on contemporary cinema. The essay highlights how the director's use of a single actor over an extended period creates a symbolic representation of adolescence and the issues faced by teenagers from divorced families. The paper also references critical sources to support its arguments, emphasizing the movie's groundbreaking cinematography and storyline.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE BOYHOOD
Analysis of the movie ‘Boyhood’
Name of the Student:
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Author’s Note:

1ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE BOYHOOD
The movie “Boyhood” (2014), directed by Richard Linklater is not only a “coming of
age” but is also considered to be one of the most important pioneering works of modern
cinema as well (Rich 2014). In this regard, it needs to be said that the movie was shot for
more than 13 years (2001 to 2013) and depicts the formational years of the life of Mason Jr.
and his experiences of growing up in a divorced family (Dargis 2014). The movie in a
succinct manner also depicts the challenges or the issues that the individuals face while
growing up in a divorced family and living with single parents. This paper will undertake an
analysis of the movie “Boyhood” on the basis of the theme of the movie.
The movie under discussion here is kind of a bildungsroman movie wherein the
journey of the protagonist from innocence to experience is being depicted while highlighting
the issues that he faces (Shary 2017). In this regard, it needs to be said that the concerned
movie is one of its own kind because of the fact that not many movies have been on the basis
of the exploration of this theme. Furthermore, the ending of the movie is also unique in nature
because of the fact that rather than showing a resolution of the issues or the challenges faced
by the protagonist, Mason, it shows the enhancement of the same as he is on the verge of
entering manhood.
The movie “Boyhood” is also an important one from the perspective of the
contemporary motion pictures because of the director’s effective usage of the concept of
longitudinal fiction filmmaking. In this regard, it needs to be said that taking the help of this
concept the director of the movie, Richard Linklater, rather than taking the help of different
actors to represent the diverse stages of the life of Mason uses only one single actor, namely,
Ellar Coltrane to show the journey which is being undertaken by Mason in the movie. More
importantly, the director had patiently waited for almost 13 years to show the transition
undergone by Mason through the changes which Coltrane himself underwent in his real life
(Shary 2017). The net result of this is that the protagonist, Mason, rather than just being the

2ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE BOYHOOD
leading character of the movie under discussion here attains a symbolical status and in a way
comes to represent all the teenagers and also the problems or the challenges faced by them,
especially the ones whose families are have faced divorce. Thus, it can be said that the movie
in a succinct manner tries to explore the lives of these people and also the emotional turmoil
that they face on the score of the fragmented families in which they have to live.
“Boyhood” is ground-breaking movie not only in terms of its unique cinematography
as well as story line but also because of the effectiveness with which it uses the concept of
longitudinal fiction filmmaking which had greatly enhanced the quality of the concerned
movie (Stone 2018). As a matter of fact, the movie is considered to be one of the greatest
movies of the modern era because of the ease with which the director had explored the
journey of an individual from boyhood to manhood through the usage of the concept of
longitudinal fiction filmmaking (Johnson 2012). This in turn had placed the movie under
discussion here on the same pedestal in terms of quality and the usage of the concept of
longitudinal fiction filmmaking with some of the most critically acclaimed movies like
Michael Apted series “7 Up Series”, Gillian Armstrong’s “Smokes and Lollies” and others.
To sum up, Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” is one of the most important movies of the
contemporary times because of the unique story line up of the movie, that is, the journey of
an individual from boyhood to manhood and also on the score of the effective usage of the
concept of longitudinal fiction filmmaking. The net result of this is that Linklater for the
completion of this movie took almost 13 years since he wanted to make the movie under
discussion here as realistic as possible and for his showed the transition from Mason, the
protagonist of the movie from innocence to experience through the ‘coming of age’ of the
actor Ellar Coltrane. Thus, it can be said that the movie under discussion here in a way has
become symbolical and not only represents the transition but also the transition undergone by

3ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE BOYHOOD
all the individuals from boyhood to manhood and the resultant problems or issues that they
face.

4ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE BOYHOOD
References
Dargis, M., 2014. From Baby Fat to Stubble: Growing Up in Real Time. New York Times, 10.
Johnson, D.T., 2012. Richard Linklater (Vol. 146). University of Illinois Press.
Rich, B.R., 2014. The Right Time and Place: Richard Linklater's Instant Epic. FILM
QUART, 68(1), pp.42-47.
Shary, T., 2017. Boyhood: A Young Life on Screen. Routledge.
Stone, R., 2018. The Cinema of Richard Linklater: Walk, Don't Run. Columbia University
Press.