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December Boys
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by Warner Home Video
Sales Rank: 8775
Price: $14.99
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They share the same birth month, so the orphanage calls them December Boys. But these teens â€" Maps, Spit, Spark and Misty â€" have much more in common. With no hopes of ever joining a family, they form their own familial bonds. Then the unexpected news comes that a young couple may adopt one of them, and the long-time pals suddenly share something else: a rivalry to be the chosen one.
Viewer Reviews
The only reason I rented this movie was because Daniel Radcliffe [of Harry Potter fame] was in it, but there are other stand-out performances in this tender coming of age story about four orphans who over the course of a summer circa 1960s, discover what being a family truly means.
The four orphans are in an orphanage run by a band of Catholic nuns and have sort of resigned themselves to the fact that they may never be adopted due to their ages. One day, they are called in to the head's office, and think they are about to be punished for misbehaving, but it turns out that being "December boys", i.e. born in December, they are to receive a treat of spending a summer by the seaside, a dream come true for four sheltered Outback boys who have been bred on a steady diet of boiled lamb.
They are taken in by a kind couple and find themselves getting well-acquainted with the other inhabitants of the idyllic cove - in particular, the oldest boy Maps [Daniel Radcliffe] develops a crush on an older girl, Lucy [Teresa Palmer] who initiates his sexual awakening. The boys are also drawn to a young couple, a motorcycle stunt performer Fearless [Sullivan Stapleton] and his beautiful French wife, Teresa [Victoria Hill]. Soon, a rivalry develops between the boys when one of them, Misty [Lee Cormie] finds out that the couple is keen on adopting one of them.
The acting is above average for all the characters, in particular, Maps [Daniel Radcliffe] and Misty [Lee Cormie]. Both these characters are well-developed - Misty's intense yearning to finally be part of a real family, with a dad and mom comes across as genuine and heartrending in his portrayal. His deviousness is also credibly portrayed, as he tries to outshine his 'brothers' in appearing to be the best choice.
Maps is a well-drawn character - here is a young adolescent who always puts on a brave front, the leader of the band of brothers, the oldest of the pack, but who is also very vulnerable, especially when he suffers an unexpected 'loss' towards the latter part of the movie. His sexual awakening at the hands of the lustful Lucy is not overly sexed-up but subtly and beautifully done.
The soundtrack is simply beautiful with the songs staying with me long after the credits rolled. And the cinematography of the scenic South Australian seascape is just breathtaking. This may seem a tad sentimental to some, but it struck a chord within me and I highly recommend it.
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December Boys
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