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December Boys

Play trailer Poster for December Boys PG-13 Released Sep 14, 2007 1h 45m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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41% Tomatometer 70 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
For many years, four teenage orphans at an Australian outback convent have watched their younger comrades find new parents, and realize that they may never be adopted. The Reverend Mother sends the four boys away on a seaside vacation, where they meet Teresa and Fearless, a couple who would make perfect parents. The youths compete with one another to be the one Teresa and Fearless decide to adopt.
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December Boys

December Boys

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Critics Consensus

December Boys' location and settings are invitingly gorgeous, but the coming-of-age drama that takes place on them is uneventful and far too sentimental.

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Critics Reviews

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Hank Sartin Time Out Rated: 2/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Amy Nicholson I.E. Weekly The coast of Australia is an apt setting for Rod Hardy's precious drama: It's Beaches for men. Rated: C Feb 22, 2008 Full Review Ann Hornaday Washington Post Radcliffe is good at showing vulnerability but without the skills to give it gradation. The magic doesn't work for him this time. Nov 3, 2007 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Sentimental, gentile and hopefully nostalgic, from acting to lensing to design to location to direction, December Boys will warm your heart on a cold winter or hot summer night. Now this is magic. Nov 7, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Mildly involving tale of four orphan boys in the Outback Rated: C Aug 11, 2011 Full Review Jim Lane Sacramento News & Review Rated: 3/5 Aug 7, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jennifer F Atmospheric, with the arid rural coastline capturing the isolation of growing up as an orphan seeking connection, permanency and belonging in a transient summer holiday far from home. Tenderly told. Conveying relatable coming of age events in mid-century rural Australia from the excitement of the country show and first loves, and risks of open minds and adventure. Well cast with strong, authentic performances. Worth watching. Recommended. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/20/24 Full Review Gringo L I liked it, and so did two friends from Chile, both of whom cried at the end! Jack Thompson played his part exceptionally well. A nostalgia film in many ways. Pokes fun at Catholicism, but in a lighthearted, grassroots kind of way. The ending was an unexpected twist but really well done. The only thing I didn't like was the motorbike was too modern for the period it was supposedly set in. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/24 Full Review Robinson d Este e um da queles filme que nem o ator saúva a produção Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/02/23 Full Review dave s December Boys is pleasant enough but feels like one of those movies that will be forgotten days after having been watched. Featuring Daniel Radcliffe and Teresa Palmer in early roles, it tells the story of four boys from an orphanage in the Australian Outback who are granted a holiday in a quiet cove on the coast. It's about first love, family, friendship, faith, dreams and a whack of other things, but is marred by some heavy-handed symbolism, distracting visions by one of the characters, and a maudlin final twenty minutes that will leave you rolling your eyes. December Boys has its charms, but it also has its faults, making it a real mixed bag. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Frances H Once again I disagree with the critics consensus. This film was not at all what I would call sentimental and more storm and stress than most coming-of-age flicks I have seen. It was a very well done film, even if Daniel Craig was a bit old for the part. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/25/17 Full Review Audience Member OK story but I'm sick of lazy producers that can not use the correct props and music for the stated time period, (the 60's). Brand new 2006 motorcycles, a triumph that sounds like a Harley, music from 1978. WHAT A LAZY HACK! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
December Boys

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis For many years, four teenage orphans at an Australian outback convent have watched their younger comrades find new parents, and realize that they may never be adopted. The Reverend Mother sends the four boys away on a seaside vacation, where they meet Teresa and Fearless, a couple who would make perfect parents. The youths compete with one another to be the one Teresa and Fearless decide to adopt.
Director
Rod Hardy
Producer
Richard Becker
Screenwriter
Marc Rosenberg
Distributor
Warner Independent
Production Co
Australian Film Finance Corporation
Rating
PG-13 (Underage Drinking and Smoking|Sexual Content|Nudity)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 14, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 11, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$46.5K
Runtime
1h 45m
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