A miracle: a three-hour film that flies by

Richard Linklater’s observational chronicle, Boyhood, was 12 years in the making and is 166 minutes long — that’s nearly three hours, in real money — and I wasn’t bored for a single moment. Isn’t that miraculous? Have you ever heard the like? Me, who is generally bored at the drop of a hat? Me, who is generally bored before the hat even hits the ground? But those 166 minutes (still nearly three hours, in real money) just flew by, as can happen, when you are utterly engrossed. Who knew?

This is the story of a family, as told through the eyes of a boy, Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who ages from six to 18, in real time. Here is how it worked: Linklater caught up with Ellar every year, for four or five days of shooting, along with other members of the key cast, amounting to 39 days in all. So everyone, quite literally, ages before us, which is fascinating, in and of itself.