On the Horizon

Richard Linklater is known for experimenting with his films. From the very beginning with Slacker he shirked any pretense of aping traditional formulas and even structures in film-making. His adventures have taken him through real-time fictions, rotoscope-style animations, and any manner of shapeless (though usually great) observational film. His current project is however his most ambitious to date, and perhaps one of the most ambitious ever. The working title Boyhood has been given to the film, which follows a young boy growing up from age 6 to 18. In order to avoid the standard trick of changing actors to represent the various ages of the boy Linklater opted to simply spend twelve years filming. The film has been in production since 2001, and will be ready by mid 2013. It stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as the parents, and Ellar Salmon as the boy. Linklater has been quoted as saying that he will “adapt the story to whatever [Ellar] is going through”, which will certainly improve the performance and the honesty of the picture. Whatever the result, this will be an amazing viewing experience, watching someone grow up literally before our eyes.