Shortly after the opening of The Boys Are Back, Clive Owen’s character, Joe Warr, a sportswriter, experiences the painful death of his wife. Joe finds himself as the single dad to Artie, age 6. They live in Australia. Joe also has a 13-year-old son, Harry, who lives in England with his mother, Joe’s first wife. Joe and Harry haven’t seen each other in many years, but this loss changes that.
There have been many other cinematic spins on the single dad theme. The Boys Are Back doesn’t give you the gut punch of Dustin Hoffman in Kramer Vs. Kramer, nor do you get the heart of Sean Penn in I Am Sam. You won’t see the offbeat neurotic humor of Alan Arkin in Slums of Beverly Hills. But Clive has something. He gives a very sensitive portrayal and it’s supported by the excellent casting of Nicholas McAnulty as Artie and George MacKay as Harry. Child actors can sometimes seem stiff or unnatural, but these two did a good job at inhabiting their characters. Scott Hicks‘ direction was effective and he elicited strong performances from his entire cast. Yeah, Scott Hicks of Shine fame directed this piece, inspired by a true story. Life experiences that many of us can resonate with are depicted credibly. At times I did find myself thinking that a scene didn’t develop in a realistic way, but sometimes these contrivances occur to move the plot along.
So should you see it? If the single parent theme appeals to you, or father-son dynamics, or how certain events can crush your world and the process of rebuilding is of interest, or if you just like Clive Owen, then yes, see it. An added bonus is the artful cinematography that generously offers up the Australian scenery. I watched the whole thing from start to finish, didn’t fall asleep, and didn’t turn it off. That can be high praise from a video clerk. - [DVD]
Drama
Rated PG-13
DVD Release Date: 1/26/10