The Boys Are Back (film)

The Boys Are Back is a 2009 drama film directed by Scott Hicks, produced by Greg Brenman and starring Clive Owen. It is based on the 2001 memoir, The Boys Are Back in Town, by Simon Carr.

The Boys Are Back
Theatrical release poster
Directed byScott Hicks
Written byAllan Cubitt
Produced byGreg Brenman
StarringClive Owen
Emma Booth
Laura Fraser
George MacKay
Nicholas McAnulty
CinematographyGreig Fraser
Edited byScott Gray
Music byHal Lindes
Production
companies
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (International)
Hopscotch Films (Australia)[1]
Release dates
  • 15 September 2009 (2009-09-15) (TIFF)
  • 12 November 2009 (2009-11-12) (Australia)
  • 22 January 2010 (2010-01-22) (United Kingdom)
Running time
104 minutes
CountriesAustralia
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3,185,839

Plot

Joe Warr (Clive Owen) is a British sportswriter who lives in Australia with his second wife and horse jockey, Katy (Laura Fraser) and his young son Artie (Nicholas McAnulty). Katy is diagnosed with cancer and dies, forcing Joe to cope with the responsibilities of being a single parent.

Joe's teenage son from his first marriage, Harry (George MacKay), feels abandoned in the United Kingdom with his mother. Harry uses Katy's death as an opportunity to try to build a relationship with his father, coming to visit him in Australia. Although Harry is initially unnerved by the lack of discipline in the house, he eventually forms a strong bond with Artie, while struggling to foster a closer relationship with Joe.

When Joe is forced by work to leave his sons alone in the house for a night, local teenagers throw a party at the house against both boys' will. With the house ransacked, Harry flies back to England because he no longer feels safe living with Joe. Joe and Artie go after him. After much discussion, Joe convinces Harry to move to Australia on a permanent basis.

The trio return to Australia, and together shoulder the responsibilities of running the household without a female influence.

Cast

Production

The script of The Boys Are Back was based on the 2001 memoir, The Boys Are Back in Town, by Simon Carr,[2][3] adapted by Allan Cubitt.[4]

The film was directed by Scott Hicks, produced by Greg Brenman and stars Clive Owen.[5] It features a score composed by Hal Lindes.[4]

Release

The film was released in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2010.[6]

Reception

As of May 2021, the film holds a 73% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 6.30/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "Great performances by Clive Owen and The Boys save this melodrama from entering into the sappy territory it might have in less competent hands."[7]

Box office

The Boys Are Back grossed A$2,117,064 at the box office in Australia,[8] and US$809,752 in the United States, grossing US$3,185,839 worldwide.[1]

See also

References
  1. "The Boys Are Back (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  2. Carr, Simon (2 August 2001). The Boys Are Back in Town. ASIN 0099410788.
  3. "Review: The Boys Are Back". Now To Love. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  4. "The Boys Are Back (2009) [Full credits]". IMDb. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  5. "The Boys Are Back: interviews". Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  6. "UK Weekend Box Office 22nd January 2010 – 24th January 2010". 25thframe.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  7. "The Boys Are Back". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  8. "Australian films at the Australian box office" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
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