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The Scouting Book for Boys

Play trailer Poster for The Scouting Book for Boys 2009 1h 33m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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55% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Fourteen-year-old David (Thomas Turgoose) is spending the summer hanging out with Emily (Holly Grainger), the only other teenager in his trailer park. When her mom, Sharon (Susan Lynch), loses custody, Emily refuses to live with her father and convinces David to help her hide in a cave. While he brings Emily supplies and keeps her secret, the police investigate her disappearance -- and soon uncover Emily's relationship with her mother's boyfriend, Steve (Rafe Spall), igniting David's jealousy.
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The Scouting Book for Boys

Critics Reviews

View All (22) Critics Reviews
Deborah Ross The Spectator This is a film made with some verve and a real sense of place and atmosphere, but as a character study the main characters lack ...well ...character, I suppose. Aug 30, 2018 Full Review Nigel Andrews Financial Times The setting is a seaside caravan site where the acting and directing do not measure up to the script. Rated: 2/5 Mar 22, 2010 Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Newcomer Tom Harper's direction manages to be both clumsy and overly stylised, while the script by Skins writer Jack Thorne is predictable. Rated: 3/5 Mar 22, 2010 Full Review Stuart McGurk NME (New Musical Express) You can't help feel that, if you're going to make a film about the pains of entering adulthood, you should have a good grip on what it's like when you get there. Rated: 3/5 May 18, 2021 Full Review Nikki Baughan Roll Credits By the time this absolute gem of a film reaches its jaw-dropping denouement, you'll want to watch it all over again. Rated: 5/5 Oct 28, 2019 Full Review Sarah Manvel Critic's Notebook Contempt for women is so pervasive as to make The Scouting Book for Boys an exercise in misogyny just short of torture porn. Aug 9, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (59) audience reviews
isla s I found this film a little hard to follow in full due to a lot of hushed dialogue being present. It has a bit of an arty/indie film type feel to it, with some nice shots of carefree life on the caravan park its set in. I thought the friendship between the two main characters was quite sweet - it seemed genuine enough. I like Thomas Turgoose as an actor. I thought it was reasonably thought provoking, in terms of there being issues with the adults and the younger characters finding their own way through their situation. There is a certain poignancy to it. I did think this was quite a good, understated sort of a British film, so I would recommend it, yes. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member An intimate tale of you infatuation with Turgoose much in the vein of his collaborations with Shane Meadows endearing through his lost gentleness. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Genuine, and honest are Turgoose and the girl, in this amicable if far fetched teen fantasy. Its all a bit wishy washy otherwise. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Good British drama but not great Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member A sad story of 2 young kids on a holiday camp who become the best of friends. one runs away. An enjoyable British movie Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Traggic and depressing tale of young love Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Scouting Book for Boys

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Fourteen-year-old David (Thomas Turgoose) is spending the summer hanging out with Emily (Holly Grainger), the only other teenager in his trailer park. When her mom, Sharon (Susan Lynch), loses custody, Emily refuses to live with her father and convinces David to help her hide in a cave. While he brings Emily supplies and keeps her secret, the police investigate her disappearance -- and soon uncover Emily's relationship with her mother's boyfriend, Steve (Rafe Spall), igniting David's jealousy.
Director
Tom Harper
Producer
Christian Colson, Ivana Mackinnon
Screenwriter
Jack Thorne
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 7, 2013
Runtime
1h 33m
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