Between the Covers: Stories from My Bookcase

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Boys Are Back (2009)

One of the movies I actually enjoyed watching on cable over my 3 week vacation was this touching story of a father who had to accept the pain of losing his wife while learning to be a better parent to his two sons.

the-boys-are-back_movie-poster

Clive Owen plays the lead role, that of Joe, a brilliant sports writer for a big Aussie daily. His wife is taken ill, and dies shortly after the diagnosis. He is left to raise his little boy Artie. Then all of a sudden, his older son Harry who he left all the way in London to marry his now departed wife, calls and asks to come visit. Harry’s arrival adds another level to the already crazy adventure that Artie and Joe have been having since the mom died.

Each family has its own way of coping, and of going through life. Each parent chooses an approach to parenting, and I guess as long as the children’s best interests are well looked after (in recognition of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of course), then all should be well. Sometimes though, things don’t work out as intended. A parent ends up hurting a child, or a child ends up doing something to hurt the parent. But it doesn’t have to mean the end. It’s a dynamic relationship, constantly being worked at by both parties.

The film does a pretty good job in portraying parenthood, and the loss of a partner, as a huge roller coaster ride. Like what this review says there are moments where the film was flat and melodramatic. There were boring scenes. But taken as a whole, it is a good movie. I’d actually love to watch it again.

Here’s the trailer:

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