December Boys
by Rod Hardy
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DVD details
Actor: Christian Byers, Daniel Radcliffe, James Fraser, Lee Cormie, Teresa PalmerDirector: Rod Hardy
Brand: Warner Brothers
Writer: Marc Rosenberg
Writer: Michael Noonan
Writer: Ronald Kinnoch
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-12-11
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of December Boys
DVD Review: Heartwarming and beautiful in every respect
Summary: 4 Stars
I came upon this film quite by accident when I turned on the TV this afternoon. I was intrigued by Daniel Radcliffe being in a non-Harry Potter movie, because I feel he has an innate ability to play characters who feel real and multi-dimensional. He didn't disappoint, delivering yet another beautiful portrayal of a soul coming to grips with his lot in life.
The movie begins somewhat soberly and you wonder what life must really be like for the boys in this Catholic orphanage. When four best friends, all boys born in December, are asked to stand to receive their gifts, I almost wondered if they weren't being punished instead because the nuns seemed so humorless and stiff. But then the boys learn that a generous benefactor has enabled them to spend a holiday at the coast (the orphanage is in the extremely flat and dull Australian Outback), and the film takes on a more relaxed feel.
Since I haven't read the book, I felt a little lost in a few places, like why this older couple wanted four boys to come spend the summer with them. Two of the boys' characters aren't well developed; the story focuses on the children as friends, and on two of the boys: Maps, the oldest (Daniel Radcliffe) and Misty, the bespectacled one who most wishes to be adopted and who narrates the film as an adult.
Even without some of the gaps filled in, I became absorbed in the story, especially once Misty overhears that a young couple there is thinking of adopting one of the boys. He does not initially tell his friends but begins to behave as the perfect child to win them over, but finally shares the rumor after being scolded to during confession. At that point, the boys' friendship is tested because they begin to compete for the couple's affections, and the viewer wonders if their deep bond will survive this test.
Along the way, Maps falls for a beautiful girl and gradually but excitedly lets his guard down in his first real experiences with a girl. Watching that part of the story unfold is bittersweet, but a triumph for Radcliffe, who at once shows that both he and his character are becoming a man while still really being just a boy.
At the risk of spoiling further aspects of the plot, I will say no more about the story. The scenery is beautifully shot and there is much beauty to be found. There are both light-hearted and heavy-hearted moments, and it's endearing to watch the boys figure out how they should behave in both situations, given their regimented lives at the orphanage. At the end, you may want a tissue, but you won't mind, having spent the previous 1:45 coming of age along with these boys.
Two final thoughts: Yes, it is heavy on the religion because the boys do live in a Catholic orphanage and it's not surprising their benefactors would be deeply religious as well. Misty himself is quite religious, and it's through his eyes that we see most of the religious symbols. I myself am not a Catholic but understood how this was an important part of the story. And I would not recommend this movie for children because there is some brief nudity and some sexual content; I wouldn't show it to my 13-year-old. I didn't notice the rating on it but for mature teens who'd appreciate the story it's probably okay.
Description of December Boys
They share the same birth month, so the orphanage calls them December Boys. But these teens â?" Maps, Spit, Spark and Misty â?" have much more in common. With no hopes of ever joining a family, they form their own familial bonds. Then the unexpected news comes that a young couple may adopt one of them, and the long-time pals suddenly share something else: a rivalry to be the chosen one.Bestsellers in DVD
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