The 36th Annual Film Series continues Sunday, March 4, 2pm with Boy, directed by Taika Waititi, New Zealand (2010), 87 min.
Sundance Festival veteran Taika Waititi is best known for his vampire comedy What We Do In the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and the new Thor: Ragnarok. He's become known for his unconventional sense of humor and his ability to lovingly and truthfully depict the contemporary lives of indigenous Maori people.
Set in a rural village in the 1980s, Boy lives with extended family since his mother鈥檚 death and has developed a heroic fantasy version of his absent father. When his grandmother leaves for a funeral, 11-year-old Boy ends up in charge of a group of younger siblings and cousins who must cope with adult responsibilities while also trying to enjoy their summer break and live out their pop-culture infused dreams. When Boy鈥檚 father arrives unannounced with a group of prison buddies, he throws off the delicate balance in the already tenuous situation. The story alternates between hilarity and heartbreak as family members come to terms within one another and with reality.
The Film Institute is supported by the Thatcher Hoffman Smith Endowment and OKCU鈥檚 Center for Interpersonal Studies through Film and Literature.
A discussion will follow the presentation for those who wish to stay.
Praise for Boy
鈥淭his unpretentious comic tale of a youngster鈥檚 growing relationship with a long-absent father has a surprising rhythmic genius: joy juxtaposed with humiliation, silliness with sadness, fantasy with reality, and none of it formulaic. The editing feels fresh, as does the film.鈥�
鈥擠avid DeWitt, New York Times
鈥�. . . one of the unexpected triumphs of Boy, an enormously likeable coming-of-age comedy . . . lies in its ability to recapture the vulnerability and optimism of childhood without becoming twee or maudlin in the process.鈥�
鈥擭athan Rabin, A.V. Club
For more films in the 2017-2018 series, read more HERE.
