ABSTRACT
Boyhood debuted to the public at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014, in a special preview screening, which yielded the film's first professional review in The Hollywood Reporter the next day. Linklater had discussed his work on what had been 'The 12-Year Project' over the previous decade, and certain trade publications had stoked advance interest with some slight coverage of the production, but by summer 2014, the film had clearly generated the kind of critical appreciation reserved for Oscar contenders and classics. In mid-July, the New York Times called Boyhood a 'model of cinematic realism', while the British Guardian had already labeled it 'one of the great films of the decade'. Linklater and his film would have enormous visibility through early 2015, as Boyhood became the most honored film of 2014. Linklater's accomplishment with Boyhood also elevated his status among critics, many of whom had enjoyed his quirky eclecticism but were now moved to grander assertions.
