10 Things That Surprised Us At The Movies In 2014

2) Richard Linklater Actually Managed To Pull Off Boyhood

You can imagine how nervous Richard Linklater must have been when he decided to pitch Boyhood to Hollywood producers.

Linklater: “So, I’m thinking about filming a boy’s development over a twelve year period, shooting with the cast for one week each year. To keep the film authentic, the cast will bring their own experiences to the script through ongoing workshops. Audiences will lap it up.”

Producers: “Errrrrrr…”

Fortunately, financiers took a chance on Linklater’s vision and filming for Boyhood began in 2002, wrapping up twelve years later in 2013. It was always likely that Boyhood would prove popular on the art house scene, but incredibly, Linklater’s project has surpassed all expectations, proving to be a huge commercial success, too.

With a budget of  $4.42 million, Boyhood has grossed over $30 million worldwide so far and has been placed at the top of many critics end of year lists. What could have just been another interesting cinematic experiment has become one of Hollywood’s most unlikely success stories.