If The Boys Are Back takes some emotional shortcuts, it still manages to convey some of the more mystifying aspects of parenthood.
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10/14/09
The Boys Are Back (2009)
72
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:81
Fresh:58
Rotten:23
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Great performances by Clive Owen and The Boys save this melodrama from entering into the sappy territory it might have in less competent hands.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating]
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Sep 25, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $783,013
Synopsis: Inspired by a true story, THE BOYS ARE BACK is a deeply moving, wryly confessional tale of fatherhood, that intimately evokes both the fragility and wonders of family life. It follows a witty,... [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Laura Fraser, Nicholas Macanulty, Julia Blake
Director: Scott Hicks
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Reviews for The Boys Are Back
The content of Allan Cubitt's script, based on Simon Carr's memoir, is meaty and straightforward, which gives it an unexpected power.
09/23/09
Top CriticI didn’t think there was a minute of truth in this thing.
09/28/09
Top CriticDirector, Scott Hicks has created a really lovely film. It’s fortunate that the star power of Clive Owen gives the film a core dynamism.
11/11/09
. . . presents some inevitable clichés from the grief-dealing playbook, but also tosses in the occasional change of pace zinger to keep the film from drowning in sorrow.
10/22/09
The tears will definitely trickle from your eyes. It’s distinguishing the trickle from the treacle that becomes the problem.
10/02/09
In spite of the fine lead performance, Back is a grey, unedifying slog from grief and hopelessness to parental semi-competence.
09/25/09
All told, the movie’s a solid entry in the Bad Dad Gets It Together genre and Owen is really quite touching, especially when he’s not trying too hard, which is most of the time.
10/01/09
Joe's "just say yes" policy is billed as an antidote to helicopter parenting, but there's little evidence that his laxity benefits anything but his own ego.
09/30/09
A richly emotional and heartfelt drama that should strike a strong chord with discerning movie audiences around the world.
09/17/09
Bland, uneventful and going in circles for most of its second half, The Boys are Back never really gets to the point.
10/01/09
The characters' clumsy emotional growth shows us there's hope even for a stumbling father and two sons groping toward peace.
10/09/09
A substantial performance from Clive Owen rescues what might otherwise have been a fairly gooey fatherhood drama.
10/02/09
The film seems to regard Joe with affection, and Owen certainly portrays him as a nice man. But why are his unformed theories about bringing up Artie supposed to fill us with affection and sentiment?
10/01/09
Top CriticJoe says in a voice-over that "life is a journey to be traveled no matter how bad the road." And The Boys Are Back is a highly satisfying ride.
10/31/09
A head-turning performance by Clive Owen and a similar breakthrough from Emma Booth ... an incredibly powerful and moving film.
09/15/09
Moving drama about loss, grief may be too heavy for kids.
09/25/09
Much like its lead character, the film lacks the discipline to always do what's best.
10/09/09
It manages to veer from touching to humorous (Warr has some rather unconventional parenting techniques) without being overly mawkish, and the sumptuous cinematography by Greig Fraser is perhaps the best commercial ever for South Australia.
10/09/09
Director Hicks keeps the cliches under control in this treacly tale of a man struggling to be a single father.
10/09/09
Latest News for The Boys Are Back
November 09, 2009:
Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
RT talks to director Scott Hicks as his latest film, 'The Boys Are Back', starring Clive Owen, opens in Australian cinemas. More...
September 24, 2009:
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