Boy directed by Taika Waititi

Review by Emily Hollwedel, 12

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“What does that word mean? Potential?” “Ah, it’s 3:30 mate. I’m off duty.”

Rarely does a film manage to capture the truth of a coming of age story like Boy, released and 2010 and directed by the critically acclaimed Taika Waititi. The movie tells the story of the title character, Boy- an eleven year old Maori child living in Waihau Bay of rural New Zealand with a myriad of family members. Among these are his grandmother, his younger brother Rocky, and several cousins. Boy’s mother passed away while giving birth to Rocky, whilst their father serves jail time for robbery charges. It’s 1984 and life isn’t easy- while his grandmother travels out of town for a funeral, the eldest Boy is left in charge of the house; feeding his younger family members nutritious meals of bread, sugar and water. On top of all of this, Boy struggles pleasing his newest crush in school and finding his place outside of his passion for Michael Jackson. Until one night, two beaming headlights roll down the drive and commemorate the return of his father, Alamein. And while Boy is overjoyed at the prospect of reconnecting with his dad, Alamein’s intentions are far more obscure than reuniting with his sons…

Waititi has long been praised for combining distinct elements of Maori humor with universal topics, a fresh lens by which stories can be told. Boy is no different. The blend of sunshine and bittersweet humor with the salt of tears and ocean waves mingle together in a manner which only Waititi can manage. Dysfunctional families realizing their own issues, like idolization and their lack of connection, is placed in such a raw, real scenario the experiences of this fictional Maori family become universal. Not to mention a cast of almost entirely Maori characters, telling stories by and about indigenous lives in a time when representation is at the forefront of many conversations about film.

All in all Boy is a beautiful story of triumphs and defeats at a young age, and learning too much too soon. It is a simultaneously uplifting and heartbreaking film about the truth of living, the loss of innocence, and ultimately all different forms of love available to the human spirit.