Boyhood (2014) * *

Directed by:  Richard Linklater

Starring:  Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater

The story behind the making of Boyhood is a remarkable one.    Writer-director Richard Linklater filmed the story over 12 years with the same actors in the key roles, so we witness the children grow up before our eyes and the adults mature also.     I don't believe any such undertaking has ever occurred in the history of cinema (at least for a fiction film, not counting docuementaries).     I can praise the efforts of all involved here while also pointing out the film is overly long and rather dull.    Linklater is a writer/director in love with dialogue.    His characters talk and talk, but strangely nothing much of substance is said.   

The only Linklater movie I can say I enjoyed is The Bad News Bears (2005), which was a remake and practically Linklater-proof.      All Linklater had to do was follow the already laid-out path and he did that.    There is nothing wrong with the idea, while much is wrong with the execution.    There is a reason why dialogue in movies can sometimes be real, but not too real.    There should be something theatrical even if the most realistic situations and dialogue.     Otherwise, home and cameraphone videos would be something theaters charge admission for.

The film begins circa 2002, where we see a young boy named Mason (Coltrane) staring wide-eyed at the afternoon sky.    We don't know what he is thinking about, but like many young boys he is probably daydreaming about any variety of things that occupy a boy's mind.    It could even be how to beat the latest Mario Bros. game.     Mason's strong, resourceful mother Olivia (Arquette) takes him back home to a small suburban Texas rental home.    She soon moves to Houston in search of a better job and a better life.    Her children, which includes Mason's sister Sam (Lorelei Linklater) are not happy with this, but this will be the first of many moves Olivia will make in her life.    Arquette won an Oscar for her performance as Olivia.    She is resourceful, proud, articulate, and determined to give her family a better life.    Arquette conveys these exceptionally well.

I also admired watching Mason Sr (Hawke) grow from unmotivated, layabout weekend dad to a wise patriarch who remarries and has another child of his own.    It is easy to see why Olivia and he didn't see eye to eye, although their relationship remains cordial.    Olivia has some missteps, such as marrying a rich, abusive alcoholic who was once her college professor.     At least the film perks up in these scenes. 

Boyhood tracks the growing up of the children from elementary school to college, yet they are the least interesting people of the bunch.    Mason Jr. seems like a nice enough kid, but is he really someone I wanted to watch grow up?    I can't recall much about him that stood out.    The same goes for Sam.    It is here where Boyhood falters and becomes a bit of a slog.    We see "ordinary" conversations which stretch on too long.    I found myself not becoming entrenched as a witness to these people's lives.    I was acutely aware of Linklater's filmmaking method, which while briefly compelling is not enough to hold my attention long.     It's a pity the movie stretches this out to gargantuan length.