If anything Richard Linklater’s Boyhood is relatable for its commitment to story rather than plot.
In fact, this commitment to Walter Benjamin’s idea of the story and the
everyday is what drives every aspect of Linklater’s project. However, I do wish
I’d seen the film before it was wrapped in paper expectations and ribbons of
hype. In fact, I wish I could have seen it before knowing that the character
Mason and the actor Ellar Coltrane, who played him, were aging simultaneously.
It wouldn’t have taken long to discover such moments. The film’s soundtrack,
which is more of a playlist, acts as a cue for these moments in aging. And that’s what this film
is, moments, followed by moments waiting for something to happen, or not. This
process does not render the film boring, but rather a realist impression of
life. And, while this impression is in many ways uplifting, it is also somewhat
troubling.