16)Â Boyhood
It wouldn’t be a year-end list without talking about Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, a cinematic accomplishment filmed over a child’s lifetime. Ellar Coltrane stars as Mason, a role that he played on and off from the ages of 5 to 18 – a boy’s special maturation period that permits children the ability to discover themselves, comprehend the world, and shape themselves for the adventures to come.
Instead of using multiple actors, Linklater thought it smarter to actually watch a child actor grow up before our eyes, and the choice absolutely opens a world of realism that you just don’t see from typical Hollywood dramas. The connection to Mason’s pubescent evolution is so much easier when investing in one single actor, and by the end, we feel like we’ve just spent years with Coltrane – because we ACTUALLY have.
15)Â Wild
It’s so nice to throw around Reese Witherspoon’s name during awards season, as her turn in Wild provides one of the strongest, most uplifting female characters of 2014. Wild is undoubtedly a redemption story, but Witherspoon is allowed to embrace her vulnerabilities, acknowledge her emptiness, and accept her worst moments as stepping stones towards a bright future. She doesn’t cry and sulk in the face of depression and self-depreciation, and exhibits a tremendous amount of strength as she traverses the Pacific Coast Trail, finding a parallel with nature every step of the way.
Jean-Marc Vallée captures the scenic beauty of snowy valleys and rock mountains as Witherspoon (playing Cheryl Strayed) connects with the isolation inside herself, and thanks to Vallée’s fearless lead actress, the journey ends up being inspirational, enlightening, and painstakingly heartfelt.
Wild is about simultaneously connecting with the universe and our inner souls, reminding us that no matter how dark times may get, we always have the chance to embrace change for the better.
