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Synopsis: During summer break in 1984, eleven-year-old Michael Jackson fanatic “Boy” (James Rolleston) has the adventure of his life. With his mother dead and father AWoL, Boy becomes the head of a household full of kids when his Nana leaves town for a funeral. It starts as just another few weeks of fruitless pining for classmate beauty Chardonnay (RickyLee Waipuka-Russell), but then his Dad (writer-director Taika Waititi, Eagle vs. Shark) rolls up in a vintage car with his Crazy Horses gang, and Boy’s life turns upside down. There are treasure hunts, fistfights, and falling-outs, as Boy grapples to learn why his Dad left the family so long ago.

Waititi adopts a fanciful deadpan tone that’s part Wes Anderson and part Flight of the Conchords (for which Waititi directed), complete with child-like animations and hilarious re-enactments of Michael Jackson music videos. It’s one of the most creative comedies you’ll see all year.

Genre

Comedy / Drama

Rated

NR

Language

English

Run Time

87 minutes

Starring

James Rolleston (Boy)
Te Aho Eketone-Whitu (Rocky)
Taika Waititi (Alamein)
Moerangi Tihore (Dynasty)
Cherilee Martin (Kelly)
Ricky Lee Waipuka-Russell (Chardonnay)
Haze Reweti (Dallas)
Maakariini Butler (Murray)
Rajvinder Eria (Tane)
Manihera Rangiuaia (Kingi)
Darcy Ray Flavell-Hudson (Holden)

Directed by

Taika Waititi

Written by

Taika Waititi

Produced by

Cliff Curtis
Ainsley Gardiner
Emanuel Michael

Edited by

Chris Plummer

Composer

Lukasz Pawel Buda
Samuel Scott
Conrad Wedde

Production Designer

Shayne Radford

Cinematographer

Adam Clark

Awards

Berlin International Film Festival - Germany - 2010

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix for Best Feature Film (Taika Waititi)

AFI Fest - USA - 2010

Audience Award for Best International Feature Film (Taika Waititi)

Sydney Film Festival - Australia - 2010

Audience Award for Best Feature Film (Taika Waititi)

Melbourne International Film Festival - Australia - 2010

Most Popular Feature Film (Taika Waititi)

Nominations

Sundance Film Festival - USA - 2010

Grand Jury Prize World Cinema - Dramatic

Quotes

It's a disarmingly lovely, big-hearted film, and hilarious in places. - Cath Clarke, Guardian

A film like this would have little chance without the right casting, and James Rolleston is so right as Boy, it's difficult to imagine anyone else. - Roger Ebert , Chicago Sun-Times

Country of Origin

New Zealand

Production Year

2010

Official Website

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