ABSTRACT

This book traces the development of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood from its audacious concept through its tenacious production to its celebrated reception, placing it within the context of cinematic parables about children to demonstrate its distinctive vision. Timothy Shary, author of numerous studies on the history of teen cinema, evaluates the film’s many messages about youth and adolescence within the context of early twenty-first century American culture, illuminating how Linklater’s singular vision of the otherwise ordinary life of a boy reveals potent universal truths about all people.

chapter |5 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|10 pages

The child on screen

Capturing youth

chapter 2|10 pages

An audacious adventure

Making the life of Mason

chapter 3|28 pages

Understanding Boyhood

The child becomes a teenager

chapter 4|37 pages

Understanding Boyhood

The teenager becomes a man

chapter 5|14 pages

The moment of this boy’s life