Boyhood – An Inside Look

Last week, we watched the incredibly creative film Boyhood. Along with enjoying the content and acting in the movie, I was impressed with the unique methods used to produce the film, which are outlined below. What struck me was how rare it is to see film or TV accurately or honestly tell the story of teenage boyhood, including the experiences of the boy himself. We typically do a fine job of showing what teenage boys do: sports, eating, technology, girls/boys, video games, violence, anger, sex, risky behaviors, etc., but we don't do such a good job of sharing their experiences. We do this profusely in the media with teenage girls; most people over the age of twelve can tell you in detail what it is like to be a teenage girl. We have many classic and not-so-classic books, films, and TV shows about girls coming of age and the experiences related to their transitions. Not so much for boys....