Boyhood is a wonderful film directed by Richard Linklater (also known for the Before Sunrise Trilogy), that was shot over a 12 year period following Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from age five to eighteen. The movie is about growing up, family, and relationships, and focuses on how our lives progress over the years.

When I went into this movie I expected to see a story focused on Mason, about his life and his relationships; but in the beginning it focuses mainly on his mother and how she wants to change her life. We watch the family move so she can go back to school, where she earns a degree, becomes a teacher, and also enters into many abusive relationships. As Mason gets older the movie focuses more on him, about his love for photography, how he finds it hard to fit in, his path to college, and of course his relationships along the way.

What makes this movie so amazing is how it follows the same characters (with the same actors) for twelve years. This allows the film to more accurately depict time with how we age and progress our personalities. It is truly fascinating to watch and is highly recommended.

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