You didn’t really feel like you were watching a movie so much as watching ‘real life.’ And that was the point. That effect was achieved, in part, by using the same people across a timeline of 12 years. Ellar Coltrane is 6 when we first see him and 18 when we leave him. Similarly, his mom (Patricia Arquette) and dad (Ethan Hawke), also age 12 years during the movie, so an aura of reality permeates the film. That, and the way we can relate to this family through its joys and trials over that period.
What’s endearing is it is a picture of real life, which is neither joyful nor sorrowful all of the time. The downside is that much of life is also non-eventful, so it can be downright boring to watch this boy hang out with his friends and roughhouse with his sister. There’s no ‘story’ here; it’s just life. Arquette, in particular, is remarkable as a mother facing more than her share of life challenges.
Should You See It? It’s a different kind of movie, eliciting a different viewer response.
Viewed at Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema