Boyhood is the closest that any American may get to reaching French film excellence or an honorary Truffaut award. I have so much respect for the commitment, care and work that Richard Linklater put into Boyhood. It captures the ebbs and flow of life, especially the essence of each time period, with some forgivable Lifetime movie moment cues and Ethan Hawke slightly acting with his facial hair. I did not only watch a boy become a man. Every person in Boyhood transformed in some priceless way that can’t be captured in any other medium, especially the parents. Linklater really captured how sometimes people that were the most important to you disappear because of circumstances outside of your control, especially as a child with no ability to make important life decisions–there is no death, just life events unfolding. The people that end up staying with you the longest can’t be predicted. Boyhood is almost three hours long so don’t be surprised if you get a little antsy in your seat, but as the film progresses, you won’t want to leave the characters that you have grown to know and love. There are no hokey Hallmark moments. It dispels the myth that with age comes wisdom and certainty and highlights the ridiculous ways that people try to impose (gendered) rites of passage instead of letting them come naturally, but the trick to life is creating a healthy balance in relationships while remaining true to yourself. I think that it is essential to see Boyhood in theaters instead of at home so you can feel the passage of time. A must see!