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The Scouting Book for Boys

Play trailer Poster for The Scouting Book for Boys 2009 1h 33m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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55% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Fourteen-year-old David (Thomas Turgoose) is spending the summer hanging out with Emily (Holly Grainger), the only other teenager in his trailer park. When her mom, Sharon (Susan Lynch), loses custody, Emily refuses to live with her father and convinces David to help her hide in a cave. While he brings Emily supplies and keeps her secret, the police investigate her disappearance -- and soon uncover Emily's relationship with her mother's boyfriend, Steve (Rafe Spall), igniting David's jealousy.
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The Scouting Book for Boys

Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross The Spectator Aug 30, 2018
This is a film made with some verve and a real sense of place and atmosphere, but as a character study the main characters lack ...well ...character, I suppose. Go to Full Review Nigel Andrews Financial Times Mar 22, 2010
2/5
The setting is a seaside caravan site where the acting and directing do not measure up to the script. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Mar 22, 2010
3/5
Newcomer Tom Harper's direction manages to be both clumsy and overly stylised, while the script by Skins writer Jack Thorne is predictable. Go to Full Review Stuart McGurk NME (New Musical Express) May 18, 2021
3/5
You can't help feel that, if you're going to make a film about the pains of entering adulthood, you should have a good grip on what it's like when you get there. Go to Full Review Nikki Baughan Roll Credits Oct 28, 2019
5/5
By the time this absolute gem of a film reaches its jaw-dropping denouement, you'll want to watch it all over again. Go to Full Review Sarah Manvel Critic's Notebook Aug 9, 2018
Contempt for women is so pervasive as to make The Scouting Book for Boys an exercise in misogyny just short of torture porn. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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isla s @RT89656869 Sep 3, 2022 I found this film a little hard to follow in full due to a lot of hushed dialogue being present. It has a bit of an arty/indie film type feel to it, with some nice shots of carefree life on the caravan park its set in. I thought the friendship between the two main characters was quite sweet - it seemed genuine enough. I like Thomas Turgoose as an actor. I thought it was reasonably thought provoking, in terms of there being issues with the adults and the younger characters finding their own way through their situation. There is a certain poignancy to it. I did think this was quite a good, understated sort of a British film, so I would recommend it, yes. See more Jul 5, 2016 An intimate tale of you infatuation with Turgoose much in the vein of his collaborations with Shane Meadows endearing through his lost gentleness. See more Jan 21, 2015 Genuine, and honest are Turgoose and the girl, in this amicable if far fetched teen fantasy. Its all a bit wishy washy otherwise. See more Sep 15, 2014 Good British drama but not great See more Nov 23, 2013 A sad story of 2 young kids on a holiday camp who become the best of friends. one runs away. An enjoyable British movie See more Jan 27, 2013 Traggic and depressing tale of young love See more Read all reviews
The Scouting Book for Boys

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Cast & Crew

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Tom Harper

Director

Steven Mackintosh

Kertzer

Thomas Turgoose

David

Rafe Spall

Steve

Holliday Grainger

Emily

Susan Lynch

Sharon

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The Scouting Book for Boys

The Scouting Book for Boys (2009) The Scouting Book for Boys (2009) The Scouting Book for Boys (2009) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Fourteen-year-old David (Thomas Turgoose) is spending the summer hanging out with Emily (Holly Grainger), the only other teenager in his trailer park. When her mom, Sharon (Susan Lynch), loses custody, Emily refuses to live with her father and convinces David to help her hide in a cave. While he brings Emily supplies and keeps her secret, the police investigate her disappearance -- and soon uncover Emily's relationship with her mother's boyfriend, Steve (Rafe Spall), igniting David's jealousy.
Director
Tom Harper
Producer
Christian Colson, Ivana Mackinnon
Screenwriter
Jack Thorne
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 7, 2013
Runtime
1h 33m
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