DVD Review: ‘The Boys Are Back’ Annoys Rather Than Inspires

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CHICAGO – Clive Owen is an immensely charismatic actor, though he seems to fare better in a world without children. His best roles either place him an ensemble of fellow adults (as in “Gosford Park” and “Sin City”) or require him to protect a baby too young to be much of a conversationalist (as in “Children of Men” or “Shoot ‘Em Up”).

In the failed Oscar bait drama “The Boys Are Back,” Owen plays Simon Carr, a recently widowed father who’s forced to care for his two sons, moody teen Harry (George MacKay, looking like Rupert Grint’s stand-in) and pint-sized brat Artie (insufferable Nicholas McAnulty). The film basically amounts to a Robin Williams heart-warmer minus the shtick, with Owen as the anti-conformist goofball who raises his children exactly as he pleases, much to the chagrin of every uptight female he encounters along the way.

DVD Rating: 2.0/5.0

The opening scene shows Simon driving his jeep along a beach while his 6-year-old son rides on the hood as if he’s aspiring to be the next Zoe Bell. Simon laughs off shouts of protest from disgruntled bystanders as the feel-good music swells. Even Patch Adams wouldn’t do something so stupid. Later, Simon lets the same kid take giant leaps into a bathtub as if it was a sudsy swimming pool. I guess the audience is supposed to share in the joy of this “boys will be boys” anarchy, despite the fact that Simon’s son could easily slip and break his neck at any instant. Any self-respecting parent is guaranteed to feel queasy throughout this picture, which confuses parental indiscretion with masculine coming-of-age.

Clive Owen is a single dad raising his two boys (George MacKay and Nicholas McAnulty) in Scott Hicks’s The Boys Are Back.
Photo credit: Miramax Home Entertainment

What’s worse is that Simon ends up apologizing to his children for all the wrong reasons, spouting “I’m sorry” more times per scene than Ward Cleaver. When Artie throws a selfish tantrum or impulsively steps in front of a moving car, it’s always Simon who has to make amends. His lack of rules or discipline at home predictably turn his children into spoiled twerps. When Simon asks George to take out the garbage for the umpteenth time, the whiny teenager goes ballistic, shattering dishes and calling his father a bully. Guess who ends up asking forgiveness? Owen seems to be holding his tongue throughout much of this, and one keeps hoping that he’ll suddenly break into a “Closer”-style expletive-laden tirade. His wife (Laura Fraser) is disposed of right at the beginning, and quickly turned into a maternal Obi Wan apparition, offering advice like “give Artie a cuddle.” There’s a hint of misogyny in the depiction of every other woman in the film, whose advice and concern are routinely belittled by the clueless protagonist and filmmakers.

The Boys Are Back was released on DVD on January 26th, 2010. Photo credit: Miramax Home Entertainment

Based on Simon Carr’s memoir, “The Boys Are Back” attempts to tell a touching and inspirational tale through a series of confused and irritating scenes. When Simon’s would-be girlfriend says that his lifestyle is merely an “excuse for laziness and irresponsibility,” the audience can’t help agreeing.

“The Boys Are Back” is presented in its 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which allows viewers to fully appreciate the grandeur and texture of Greig Fraser’s cinematography. Australia has rarely ever looked this lush and gorgeous (Fraser also lensed the similarly radiant landscape in Jane Campion’s “Bright Star”). The natural beauty of the surrounding environment is so spectacular that it’s almost a letdown when people enter the frame. This DVD contains such exquisite picture quality that I doubt the film would look much different on Blu-ray. It is accompanied by English and Spanish audio tracks, and includes two unsatisfactory special features. There’s a 16-minute featurette consisting of Matthew Nettheim’s unit photography taken during production, with optional commentary from Aussie director Scott Hicks (“Shine”), who says he aimed to make his homeland look and feel as authentic as possible. The real-life Simon Carr and his two sons show up onset in a video clip that lasts around one and a half minutes, not allowing the father any time to discuss his own parenting skills, and how they match up with those seen in the film.

By MATT FAGERHOLM Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com matt@hollywoodchicago.com