Boy (I) (2010)

Set on the east coast of New Zealand in the year 1984, Boy, an 11-year-old kid and devout Michael Jackson fan gets a chance to know his father, who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years ago.

Director:

Taika Waititi

Writer:

Taika Waititi

Stars:

James Rolleston, Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu, Taika Waititi

9 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Rolleston	...	Boy
Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu	...	Rocky
Taika Waititi	...	Alamein
Moerangi Tihore	...	Dynasty
Cherilee Martin	...	Kelly
RickyLee Waipuka-Russell	...	Chardonnay
Haze Reweti	...	Dallas
Maakariini Butler	...	Murray
Rajvinder Eria	...	Tane
Manihera Rangiuaia	...	Kingi
Darcy Ray Flavell-Hudson	...	Holden
Rachel House	...	Aunty Gracey
Waihoroi Shortland	...	Weirdo
Cohen Holloway	...	Chuppa
Pana Hema Taylor	...	Juju

Storyline

It's 1984, and Michael Jackson is king-even in Waihau Bay, New Zealand. Here we meet Boy, an 11-year-old who lives on a farm with his gran, a goat, and his younger brother, Rocky (who thinks he has magic powers). Shortly after Gran leaves for a week, Boy's father, Alamein, appears out of the blue. Having imagined a heroic version of his father during his absence, Boy comes face to face with the real version-an incompetent hoodlum who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years before. This is where the goat enters.

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Plot Keywords:

goat | new zealand | 11 year old | year 1984 | farm | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English Maori

Release Date:

25 March 2010 (New Zealand)

Filming Locations:

Waihau Bay, New Zealand

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$15,569 (USA) (23 March 2012)

Gross:

$255,179 (USA) (22 June 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Zealand Film Commission, Unison Films, Whenua Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Taika Waititi was less than a week away from filming when he realised the boy he had as lead wasn't working out. Three days before filming began, James Rolleston, who was hanging around on set as an extra, was given the lead by Taika Waititi.

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Goofs

In the opening scene there is a decrepit old truck with a bent old license plate "ME1831" License plates in NZ are released alphabetically starting with AA and culminating with ZZ before the system switched to the a three letter three number system. "M" license plates were first seen in about 1985 - a year after this film was set. A truck that old in 1985 would have had and A,B,C or D license plate.

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Quotes

Alamein: Who's this thing?
Dallas: Maori Smurf.

User Reviews

WARNING: You could be clapping in public at the end of this !

I'll start, unfairly perhaps for any new movie, by comparing it with thoughts that other NZ movies have left me with - only to explain how it left me feeling. I am smiling as I recall the movie and type this. A good sign! So, Eagle v Shark's quirkiness. Whale Rider's pathos & culture. Bro Town's language skills (who'd have thought "Egg" would be so eloquent a derogatory remark!) Second Hand Wedding's humanity, commentary on relationships & our overall resilience. Good things will happen. Every Boy's natural instinct to worship their father - irrespective of whether he's earned it or not - is shown against the halcyon backdrop of an east coast life in Godzone. I laughed out loud at Rockys apology for abuse of his special powers to knock an old fella over. I ached when Boy's Dad returned and the interactions between them

• the hero worship meeting with reality; a coming of age. Taika's now

customary expansion of characters was excellent - flawed, bravado filled fragile wee worlds we all build up. I have not served Boy adequately in this random review - its an amazing film. 9/10. Made me feel happy & glad to be alive and living in NZ.